As an International English Center (IEC) advisor at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ, I attended an interesting CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Advisor Day on campus on February 20th, 2019. Advisor Day is a time for advisors and anyone interested in aiding students to come together and share information and ideas. Every time I attend this event, I am amazed at how it continues to improve and how we as advisors, staff, and faculty benefit greatly in our different professions.
The first presentation I attended was ‘An Advisor with a Mission: The Power of Personal Mission Statements in your Advising Practice’ presented by Katie Chang, undergraduate advisor. This presentation explained how creating a personal professional mission statement helps us to focus as advisors and instructors. She demonstrated how she came up with her own mission statement by using to guide us in the process of creating our own mission statement. The mission statement acts as a reminder and helps to keep us aligned and on track as professionals in service to our students. Having a mission statement helps us to focus and be more effective in our roles.
The second presentation I attended was ‘Supporting International Students’ presented by Carrie Ngai, Laura Hoffsis, and Hannah Graham, who work at CU’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). ISSS’ mission statement is to support international students and scholars in pursuing their educational, research, and/or professional objectives at the university. There are certain requirements that international students must maintain, such as having a minimum of 12 credits per semester. Presently, most international students come from China, India, and Saudi Arabia. Thirty eight percent of international students are from China.
The three presenters discussed broad characteristics of international students and language barriers that need to be overcome. Some factors that inhibit communication include students’ lack of vocabulary and/or their inability to comprehend extended speech. Some international students have a fear of losing face. The presenters’ advice was that advisors and instructors should speak clearly, rephrase questions as needed, avoid idiomatic expressions, and use timelines and pictures to explain concepts. Having students repeat back what was said will help with summarizing and reinforcing key ideas that need to be communicated. In addition, treating international students as adults is important.
The presenters also discussed U.S. classroom culture challenges that international students face. Plagiarism among the international students is much greater than with the other students attending the university. Time management is another problem of international students.
The International Student and Scholar Services website presents a variety of activities for international students to get involved on campus. In addition, the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Academic Affairs office website supports faculty who are working with international students.
The third presentation I attended was ‘CAPS Supporting Advisors’ presented by Dr. Colleen Ehrnstrom, clinical psychologist. The overall discussion focused on the different challenges international students have and ideas for helping students overcome them. For example, because seeking mental health support is stigmatized in some countries, international students may not feel comfortable using the Counseling and Psychiatric Services offered on campus. International students may also feel homesick, disconnected to the campus, and not prepared for campus life. Encouraging student involvement in a club or group may help international students. Some of these groups include:Ìý CU International Coffee Hour, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Friends of International Students, Pizza and Perspectives, and International Festival Committee. There is also an ISSS opportunity called International Peer Mentor Program which matches international students with CU students. Dr. Ehrnstrom commented that some sponsored students have more services offered to them than other international students. Sponsored students generally come from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Oman.
As a lecturer and advisor, I could relate to the observations campus staff and advisors made in these presentations. We are not alone at the IEC. Many professors, instructors, and advisors on campus are also facing the same situations we have with our international students. As international students continue to attend CU, hopefully we as advisors and faculty will continue to do our best to aid them in their academic journeys.
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