360 likes | 552 Views
Helping Hands Come in Many Different Colours : Support Services for International Student Success Presenter: Soon Kong Academic Advisor University 1 First Year Centre University of Manitoba Canada. Title of presentation.
E N D
Helping Hands Come in Many Different Colours: Support Services for International Student Success Presenter: Soon Kong Academic Advisor University 1 First Year Centre University of Manitoba Canada Title of presentation umanitoba.ca
Agenda • International Students in Canada and U.S. • Economic and Social Impact. • Why U.S. and Canada? • Internal findings and services at the University of Manitoba. • Best Practices in Canada and U.S. • Impact on domestic students, academic staff, faculties, institution and in the communities. • Essential resources.
National Level • Canada • Plans to double its international student body by 2022 • 265,377 in 2012-2013 • 450,000 by 2022 • China, Vietnam, India, Brazil, Mexico, and the Middle East-North Africa region. • B.C. /Ontario combined: 68 % of all international students. Source: CBIE
National Level • U.S. • 819,644 in 2012-13 • China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Canada • California hosts over 100,000 - 12% of total international students • Less than 4 % of all students (21 million)
Economic & Social Impacts • Canada • $10 billion annually • 86,000 new jobs • GDP Contribution • Tax revenue • Recruiting skilled labour • Building relationships with other countries for potential trade opportunities • U.S. • $24 billion annually • 313,000 new jobs
Why Students Choose North America for Higher Education? • Highly competitive to get into prestigious universities in home country. • Marketability. • Better Education System. • Critical & creative thinking skills • Teamwork skills • Communication skills • Language skills • Opportunities to work/to immigrate/overall quality of life.
Findings at the U of M • Assessing International Student Performance • High School grades above 80% • 62-65% (Manitobans) vs • 82-83% (International Students) • Academic performance: less than 2.0 GPA at the end of the first year of study. • 2005-2006 : 31.38% (All University 1) vs • 42.30% (International)
Why Do International Students Struggle? • Language • Different education system • Culture • Isolation • Climate • Other
Areas of Support • “Cultural identity” • “Psychological and emotional support” • “Professional and academic support” • “Multicultural network”
Student Services: Best Practices – Canada and U.S. • Orientation • Pre-arrival package/Handbook • Mentorship Program/Pioneer or Pioneer • Student Advising/Academic Advising • Workshops • U of A+ (boot camp) • Global Friendship • Language Bank • Global Learning Centre • “Psychological and emotional support” • “Professional and academic support” • “Multicultural network”
Student Services: Best Practices – Canada and U.S. • Global community • Community connections • Global café/Weekly coffee hour • English conversation program • Cultural events throughout the • year including field trips • Cultural centres • Newsletter • Social media • Homestay Program • “Psychological and emotional support” • “Professional and academic support” • “Multicultural network”
Student Services: Best Practices • U of A+ (University of Alberta, Canada) • Mentorship Program (U.S. and Canada) • Global Café/Weekly Coffee Hour (U.S. and Canada) • Global Community (University of Victoria, Canada) • International Friends Inc. (The University of Arizona) • Language Bank (U of Calgary, U of Manitoba, others)
International Student Mentorship Program (ISMP) • Designed to help new international students during their transition and induction into life at the University of Manitoba. • Runs from September to the end of April.
Institutional: Best Practices • “Internationalizing the Curriculum” – University of Victoria, Canada • Guest lectureship • Tour • Academic links • Study visits of teaching staff • Intellectual Exchange Conference • Workshops • Confucius Institute
Discussion • In groups (5 minutes) • What kind of programs does your institution offer for international students? • How do the program(s) operate? Do you measure outcomes of the program(s)? • Did you find any program(s) that you (or your institution) might be interested in developing further? • Share best practices within your group.
How International Students Impact on Various Levels? • Domestic Students • Academic Staff • Faculties • Institution • Communities
Impact on domestic students • Benefits • Diversity in classrooms • Make connections with international students • Learn about different cultures • Broaden their minds and knowledge • Become global citizens • Consideration: • Mutual stereotype
Impact on academic staff • Benefits: • Opportunities to incorporate global materials and perspectives within curricula. • Opportunities to bring up global issues to share with domestic students. • International perspective. • Attitudes toward cultural diversity may change. • Consideration: • Understand, acknowledge and accommodate (as needed) that some international students may have difficulties in classes.
Impact on faculties • Benefits: • Bring international perspective for students and staff. • Diversity in classrooms. • New opportunities for research. • Opportunities to form partnerships with international institutions. • Contribute to the institution and society in general. • Considerations: • Ratios between domestic and international students – should there be a quota? • Require more resources.
Impact on institution • Benefits • Internationalization • Partnerships • Diversity on campus • Diversity in staff • Potential employment • Revenue • Funding opportunity • Economic contribution • Considerations • Less spots for domestic students? • Require more staff • Academic discipline cases • Require more support resources • Budget constraints
Impact in the community • Benefits: • Contribute to local economy. • Strengthen international awareness • Considerations: • Discrimination. • Very little is known – research opportunity.
Discussion • Within groups • How do international students impact on the behaviours of academic staff and institutions (if at all)? • Is it necessary to change some of the curricula to incorporate international context? • More within global context than a North American context? • If curricula should not change, then would there be any accommodation in diverse classrooms? • Attitude towards international students • Academic staff • Domestic students
Are we doing enough? • Always room to improve!!!
Essential Resources • Budget • Research • Staff • Support services: programs/projects • Time • Expertise • Diversity • Language Barriers • Cultural Barriers • Attitudes
Reference Blais, C. (2010). University 1 International Student Profile 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. University of Manitoba CBCNEWS: British Columbia (January 15, 2014). Canada wants to double its international student body. Retrieved May 25, 2014 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canada-wants-to-double-its-international-student-body-1.2497819 CBIE(Canadian Bureau for International Education) (2014). Canada’s performance in international education, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2014 from http://www.cbie.ca/about-ie/facts-and-figures/ ICEF Monitor (2014). Canada’s international student enrolment up 94% over past decade. Retrieved June 22, 2014 from http://monitor.icef.com/2013/11/canadas-international-student-enrolment-up-94-over-past-decade/ Education Counts (2014). The impact of international students on domestic students and host institutions. Retrieved June 22, 2014 from : http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/international/14684 Hefling, K. (November 11, 2013). Study: Record number of foreign students hit US. Retrieved June 22, 2014 from http://news.yahoo.com/study-record-number-foreign-students-hit-us-050217743.html Institute of International Education (2014). Open doors 2013: International Students in the United States and Study Abroad by American Students are at All-Time High. Retrieved June 22, 2014 from http://www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-releases/2013/2013-11-11-Open- Doors-Data NAFSA (2014). Internationalizing higher education. Retrieved June 29, 2014 from http://www.nafsa.org/Find_Resources/Internationalizing_Higher_Education/
Thank you very much for your participation!!!Soon KongEmail: soon.kong@umanitoba.caPhone: 204-474-8699 Questions?
Title of presentation umanitoba.ca