Barbara Kappler, assistant vice provost of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), will be stepping down from her role in May. She has been a vital part of ISSS for more than 30 years, and a driving force for intercultural initiatives across campus. ISSS serves more than 7,000 students and scholars, and its 32 staff support the University’s mission and internationalization efforts.

Kappler started at ISSS in 1994—while she was a Ph.D. student in speech communications—as an intercultural program coordinator, working with both study abroad and international students. Her work bridged theory, practice, and research as she designed and facilitated intercultural workshops and led intercultural programming. One of her early responsibilities was organizing Small World Coffee Hour, a program that continues today where students, both from the U.S. and abroad, can get to know each other in an informal and welcoming environment. Kappler revised the programming, bringing in student leaders with connections to cultural groups, which Kappler said helped “massively expand” the program.

“I still think of those student staff who really just gave their hearts and souls to develop the program—the ideas and energy that they had,” Kappler said.

The importance of working with students and learning from their experiences has been key to Kappler throughout her time at ISSS and has continued with such efforts as the International Student Advisory Board—a joint initiative with the Office of Student Affairs.

Kappler came to the University of Minnesota to run the Student Project for Amity among Nations (SPAN) program and also taught for five years as a graduate assistant. She continues to teach and facilitate intercultural communication courses and workshops. She also co-authored the “Maximizing Study Abroad” series and many other publications on international education and facilitating intercultural learning.

“There’s just fundamentally this idea in education that we learn from one another,” Kappler said. “International students and scholars have something to contribute. There is a lot of strength in people sharing their ideas and perspectives.”

Many of Kappler’s favorite memories from her more than 30 years at ISSS involve learning about global perspectives from international students and scholars. From 1994 to 2012, Kappler wrote and implemented over 20 grant and contract projects with more than 2,000 participants from around the world, sharing expertise with international education professionals from Russia; discussing current issues with developing student leaders from Northeast Africa, Europe, and Latin America; or mentoring international graduate students at the University of Minnesota.

Kappler also oversaw ISSS through the COVID-19 pandemic, when many international scholars and students were either unable to return home or could not travel to campus. As difficult as the pandemic was for international education, Kappler said she was heartened to see staff and faculty across campus join forces to support international students.

“[We went] from meetings that maybe had 10, 12 people to logging on and there’s 70 people,” Kappler said. “[There was such] a desire for information, of wanting to do good and needing to be connected.”

Working with partners across campus to collaborate on issues faced by international students and scholars has been the most meaningful part of the role for Kappler.

“Through a lot of discussions and joint initiatives, there really has been a shift to consider international students and scholars,” Kappler said. “What happens if you’re not from the U.S.? What happens if, in the pandemic for example, people are stuck? I think it’s really healthy for the campus. It leads to much better opportunities for engagement, retention, successful experiences, and people seeing themselves having opportunities on campus.”

Kappler has emphasized the importance of partnership, working with other offices across campus and within the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance, including the China Center, the Center for Applied Research on Language Acquisition, and the Office of Curriculum Internationalization. She also contributed through leadership positions in professional organizations like NAFSA, SIETAR-USA, and CIS and presenting nationally and internationally on topics related to international education.

As Kappler prepares for her departure from ISSS, she has been spending time looking back, both at her personal experiences and historical documents. She has discovered that the same themes affecting international students and scholars today, such as currency fluctuations and the high cost of education in the United States, have been of concern to University leadership for decades. Kappler is inspired by the advocacy she has seen, both in the past and today, for the University to recognize the challenges faced by international students and to celebrate the backgrounds and experiences of its international community.

“The University’s mission—research, teaching, and service—is infused with international connections and collaborations,” Kappler said. “Continuing to host international students and scholars is beneficial to the entire University, and to all who are open to learning about the experiences of others.”

She is also filled with gratitude for the ISSS staff she has worked with over the years.

“We have maintained a commitment to a holistic approach, from advising and counseling to student engagement, scholar support, and sponsored students and exchanges,” Kappler said. “We are both creating new programming and holding on to our flagship programs. This would not be possible without the energy and the vibrancy of ISSS staff.”