Turning the Game
Many attitudes can be taken to optimize the international students’ learning experience in the American institutions. However, this must be a conjunct action involving faculty members, advisors, students, and society, enhancing the awareness and engaging all these fronts in the process. Also, the strategy should comprehend a timespan between the enrollment process, when the student is still in his country of origin and the students’ graduation (in some cases, even after this).
The very first initiative, should be meetings involving professors, faculty members, counselors, advisors, and community leaders. The main purposes of these meetings would be exchanging experiences and knowledge about internationals’ issues from frequent asked questions about enrollment, programs of study, and academic schedule, to common classroom difficulties. Second, discuss ways to reduce the distance between advisors and counselors before advising/counseling sessions. To increase credibility of these professionals for the students. Finally, instructors should simplify their language, and/or define specific, cultural, and difficult terms (special attention to acronyms and business terms) (Perry 717). International students, in their senior year should be recruited to these meetings. Their experiences and knowledge about others’ struggles would be extremely helpful.
After that, but still before the students arrive to the U.S., a person from a similar background (possibly a former student), should meet the student in their country of origin (Perry 718). The meeting would provide a broad explanation about the upcoming experience and asking questions, in their original language. Thus, reducing the anxiety pre-travel and the stress while students settle down.
After students’ arrival, peer programs including faculty members, and American and International students would instruct the new internationals about campus/institution organization (locations and hierarchy), the usual terms, such as syllabus and peer review. Also, off campus relevant information, such as important services and their numbers/website, hospitals, banking, cultural customs, and nearby locations.
The very first initiative, should be meetings involving professors, faculty members, counselors, advisors, and community leaders. The main purposes of these meetings would be exchanging experiences and knowledge about internationals’ issues from frequent asked questions about enrollment, programs of study, and academic schedule, to common classroom difficulties. Second, discuss ways to reduce the distance between advisors and counselors before advising/counseling sessions. To increase credibility of these professionals for the students. Finally, instructors should simplify their language, and/or define specific, cultural, and difficult terms (special attention to acronyms and business terms) (Perry 717). International students, in their senior year should be recruited to these meetings. Their experiences and knowledge about others’ struggles would be extremely helpful.
After that, but still before the students arrive to the U.S., a person from a similar background (possibly a former student), should meet the student in their country of origin (Perry 718). The meeting would provide a broad explanation about the upcoming experience and asking questions, in their original language. Thus, reducing the anxiety pre-travel and the stress while students settle down.
After students’ arrival, peer programs including faculty members, and American and International students would instruct the new internationals about campus/institution organization (locations and hierarchy), the usual terms, such as syllabus and peer review. Also, off campus relevant information, such as important services and their numbers/website, hospitals, banking, cultural customs, and nearby locations.
Furthermore, American students should be graded or rewarded for “patronizing” internationals, mentoring them in academic life, and supporting them in off campus regular activities. On the other hand, campus jobs should be offered to international students, and among the activities in their job description, ongoing assemblies with faculty members should be part of the program. This would keep and update faculty leadership’s awareness about the status of international students in daily basis.
In conclusion, International students should be surveyed in different parts of their educational pathway, to gather information in order to develop better policies to improve colleges and universities’ readiness for future internationals. |
Figure 2. International Students’ Fields of Study, SY 2014-15Note: *Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field.
Source: Institute of International Education, "International Students by Field of Study, 2013/2014 - 2014/15," Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange (Washington, DC: IIE, 2015), available online. |
Successful Integration Initiatives
Some colleges and universities already understood the situation and started taking some important steps to create a more welcoming and rewarding environment to international students. The Arizona Western Community College, offers a one-hour orientation course that provides valuable information to help internationals to easily move through the transition/adaptation process. After this preliminary course, the program includes a three-credit course, with weekly classes comprised by both international and domestic students.
In classroom, these 80 students (40 international and 40 Americans) discuss academic and social topics that may concern to all students. Based on daily group work, the program integrates the students and reduces the communication gap between them. Furthermore, at the end of the term, the 80 students strengthen the relationship developed throughout the semester in a long weekend off campus retreat. Named Global Leadership Retreat, the strategy has been considering a good example of positive cross-cultural communication activities. Internationals students, reported after leaving the event, and increase in optimism and confidence in their academic stay in the U.S., which may be pointed as a reason that encourages them to apply for leadership positions on campus after that (Bowman, 2011).
In classroom, these 80 students (40 international and 40 Americans) discuss academic and social topics that may concern to all students. Based on daily group work, the program integrates the students and reduces the communication gap between them. Furthermore, at the end of the term, the 80 students strengthen the relationship developed throughout the semester in a long weekend off campus retreat. Named Global Leadership Retreat, the strategy has been considering a good example of positive cross-cultural communication activities. Internationals students, reported after leaving the event, and increase in optimism and confidence in their academic stay in the U.S., which may be pointed as a reason that encourages them to apply for leadership positions on campus after that (Bowman, 2011).
Walking Backwards
Several colleges and universities across the country are implementing a year-long transition program for international students. Georgia Perimeter College – just embedded to the Georgia State University – have designed and successful implemented such initiatives. ESL coursework at the beginning of the degree program, followed by composition and public speaking classes as part of the core requirements, have been building a positive outcome in international students’ academic success. However, the University System of Georgia (USG) recently changed the admission requirements for non-native English speakers. By raising the minimum scores required for admission, the USG made it harder to internationals enter in Georgia’s colleges and universities, and particularly at Georgia Perimeter College. In addition to the fact that entire ESL departments are under extinction risk, thousands of potential college students will not be able to pursuit their self-improvement.
Hardening policies to admit international students, can reflect the austerity of the new presidential administration against immigrants. However, after analyzing the increasing number of international students and the contribution they bring to the American economy, these measures don’t seem to be the most reasonable alternative. Moreover, this hardening can trigger an even more serious social issue. Despite international students enrolled in American institutions from their original countries, there is a consistent number of immigrants and refugees in college age that will not be accepted in colleges after the changes in the admission requirements. As a result, this will generate the impoverishment of generations of potential students, and consequently, the depreciation of the American work force and the increase of poverty among immigrants and refugees.
Hardening policies to admit international students, can reflect the austerity of the new presidential administration against immigrants. However, after analyzing the increasing number of international students and the contribution they bring to the American economy, these measures don’t seem to be the most reasonable alternative. Moreover, this hardening can trigger an even more serious social issue. Despite international students enrolled in American institutions from their original countries, there is a consistent number of immigrants and refugees in college age that will not be accepted in colleges after the changes in the admission requirements. As a result, this will generate the impoverishment of generations of potential students, and consequently, the depreciation of the American work force and the increase of poverty among immigrants and refugees.
Figure 3. Academic Level of International Students, SY 1979-80 to SY 2014-15
Source: Institute of International Education, "International Students by Academic Level, 2013/14 - 2014/15," Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange (Washington, DC: IIE, 2015), available online.
Academic Success of Internationals
International freshmen had higher grades than American freshmen, while the grades of international and American seniors were similar. (Korobova, 83)