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Robert Watkins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Assistant Director of Foreign Credentials at the University of Texas at Austin
  • Has served in international admissions for 4 decades
  • Recipient of the 2015 Award for Excellence in International Education from AACRAO
  • Co-founder of AACRAO’s Winter Institute for International Credit
  • Fearless leader, mentor, author, presenter, and vessel of credential evaluation knowledge

EDUCATION:

  • BA, History, 1973 The University of Texas at Austin
  • MA, History, 1976 The University of Texas at Austin

EMPLOYMENT:

  • 1977-Present: The University of Texas at Austin, Office of Admissions, 1991 to present Graduate and International Admissions Center. We process 14,000 international applications a year, UT-Austin international student population stands at over 5100 students as of Fall 2017.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

  • 1984-Present: Member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, based in Washington, DC, the professional organization which is concerned with international education at all levels in the United States.
  • 2004-Present: Member of AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, based at One DuPont Circle in Washington, DC, the professional organization involved in all aspects of Admissions and Records; my involvement has been with Group II of AACRAO which is the International Section of the organization
  • 2007-Present: Member EAIE (European Association of International Education)
  • 1985-93 Evaluator for the National Credential Evaluation Project, which was set up by NAFSA to help small institutions evaluate foreign credentials. Project was dissolved in 1993. I was listed as evaluation resource person for 7 countries for NCEP.
  • 1992-97: Member of the Admissions Section National Leadership Team (ADSEC) which prepares the agenda for the Admissions portion of the NAFSA Annual Conference. 1995-96, Chair of ADSEC; 1996-97 Past Chair.
  • 1992-2000: One of three NAFSA appointees to the National Council on the Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials (The Council) which determines the Placement Recommendations found in joint NAFSA/AACRAO publications on other countries and how to place students from the various countries into US institutions. These placement recommendations are followed by the majority of the over 3,000 US colleges and universities as well as most of the private credential evaluation firms. Chair of The Council 1996-2000; 2000-2001 Past Chair.
  • 1998 Homer Higbee Award Recipient at NAFSA 50th Annual Conference
  • Joint Author, 1987 Projects in International Education Research (PIER) Canada Workshop; Report published 1989.
  • Joint Author, 1999 PIER Philippines Workshop; Report published in 2001.
  • Member, Russian Eurasian Awards Program (REAP) Selection Committee
    1995-98
  • Member, ASEAN Students Academic Awards Program (ASAAP) Selection Committee, 1997-2002
  • Member, Korean Students Academic Awards Program (KSAAP) Selection Committee, 1997-2002
  • Member, Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Nursing Credentials Committee, 1995-98.
  • Member, CGFNS Physical Therapy Standards Committee for Visa Screen 1998-2012.
  • Member CGFNS Speech Pathology Standards Committee for Visa Screen 1999-2012.
  • Member-at-Large CGFNS Board of Trustees 2005-, Member Executive Committee of the Board (Secretary to 2011, Treasurer to present), 2006-2012.
  • Chair, CGFNS Nursing Credentials Committee, 2005-09
  • Chair, CGFNS Health Professions Committee, 2009-2012
  • Member, NCAA International Student Records Committee 2000-11; Chair 2001-11
  • Member, American Bridge Program Task Force, TIEC program with Qatar Petroleum Co., 2001.
  • Member, TIEC Task Force Providing Infrastructure (responsible for Admission policies) for the new private institution Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University in Khobar, Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2006.
  • Member of Faculty of the AACRAO Summer Institute on International Admissions/Credentials Analysis, 2004-present held annually at One DuPont Circle in Washington, DC.
  • Member of Faculty of the AACRAO Winter Intermediate Institute on Transfer Credit from Overseas Credentials now held annually each January beginning in 2008 at One DuPont Circle in Washington, DC.
  • Member, AACRAO International Publications Advisory Committee (IPAC) 2004-2006, Chair 2012-Present
  • Chair, AACRAO International Admissions Committee, 2006-09
  • Vice President of AACRAO Group II: International 2009-12
  • Member, TOEFL Policy Board, 2006-09, 2012-15
  • Member, NAFSA Bologna Task Force, 2006-07
  • Network Leader, NAFSA Bologna Special Focus Network, 2006-10
  • Member, International Education Standards Council for AACRAO which provides placement advice to EDGE country entries (Electronic Data Base for Global Education) and AACRAO publications 2007-Present
  • Member, AACRAO EDGE Administrative Group, 2007-Present
  • Member of AACRAO Board of Directors Finance Committee 2009-10
  • Member of AACRAO Board of Directors Audit Committee 2010-2012
  • Chair, CGFNS Audit Committee 2010-11
  • Member, Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on International Eligibility, National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, 2011-12
  • Member, NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) International Student Records Advisory Committee, 2011-Present
  • Member, NACAC (National Association of College Admission Counselors) Special Commission on International Recruiting 2012-13
  • Member, AACRAO International Task Force 2013-14
  • AACRAO Award For Excellence in International Education, 2015
  • Member, Board of Austin Chapter Fulbright Association 2010-Present
  • President, Board of Austin Chapter Fulbright Association 2014-Present
  • Member, AACRAO Awards Committee 2014-16
  • Member, NAFSA Awards Sub-Committee 2015-Present
  • Chair, International Publications Advisory Committee (IPAC), 2015-Present
  • Member, British Studies, UT-Austin
  • Member, Ashbel Smith Circle, Chancellor’s Council
  • Member, Dean’s Circle, College of Liberal Arts
  • Research Team Leader, AACRAO Cuba Project (2018)
  • NAFSA Region III Texas State Award (2018) for contribution to the field of International Education

PUBLICATIONS:

  • Co-author, CANADA: A Workshop Report on the Admission and Placement of Students from Canada, James S. Frey, Ed. PIER: Projects in International Education Research, AACRAO/NAFSA: 1989
  • Co-author, PHILIPPINES: A Study of the Educational System of the Philippines and Guide to Placement of Students in Educational Institutions in the United States, Robert Cooney, Ed. PIER: Projects in International Education Research, AACRAO/NAFSA: 2001
  • Tse, Emily and Watkins, Robert, ELITE EDUCATION IN FRANCE AND THE GRANDE ECOLES, IESC (International Education Standards Council) White Paper, 2018.
  • Co-author, THE CUBA WHITE PAPER PROJECT, AACRAO, 2018
  • EDGE (Educational Database for Global Education) Bologna Process Country Entry, AACRAO (circa 2005)
  • EDGE Philippines Country Entry, AACRAO (circa 2005)
  • EDGE Republic of Korea Entry, AACRAO (circa 2005)
  • CHAPTERS:
  • “Study Abroad: Accreditation and Transcription Issues” THE REGISTRARS GUIDE: EVOLVING BEST PRACTICES IN RECORDS AND REGISTRATION, Barbara Lauren, Ed. AACRAO: 2006
  • “The New TOEFL” THE ADMISSIONS OFFICERS GUIDE, Barbara Lauren, Ed. AACRAO: 2008
  • “Examining the Bologna Process” THE ADMISSIONS OFFICERS GUIDE, Barbara Lauren, Ed. AACRAO: 2008
  • “International Students and College Athletics” THE AACRAO INTERNATIONIONAL GUIDE, AACRAO: 2010
  • “Basic Evaluation Methodology in International Admissions and Credential Analysis” THE AACRAO INTERNATIONAL GUIDE, AACRAO: 2010
  • “The Bologna Process in Its Second Decade” THE AACRAO INTERNATIONAL GUIDE, Revised, AACRAO: 2016
  • Co-author, “AACRAO EDGE: History, Development and Future” THE AACRAO INTERNATIONAL GUIDE, Revised, AACRAO: 2016

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:

  • Too numerous to mention over 40 years at AACRAO, EAIE; GDN and NAFSA conferences.