Advising International Students

Enrollment 2007 - 2008
 This fall we will have a total of 71 international students on campus. Twenty-six are returning degree-seekers and 45 are new international students. Thirty-one of these students are four year degree-seeking students. Fourteen are visiting students; of these visiting students, ten will study at DePauw for one year and four will attend for the fall semester only. These visiting students are through our exchange relationships with the Business Education Initiative (BEI, Northern Ireland), Japan Study from Waseda University, International Education of Students (IES), Ewha Womans University (South Korea), Koç University (Turkey), Tsinghua University (China), and the International Research and Exchange Board (IREX, former Soviet countries). Our students come from 26 countries : Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, St. Lucia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

Academic Success
As many of you have experienced, international students bring a unique perspective to our campus. In your classrooms, they add unique insights to class discussions. They may also, however, experience unique struggles as they adjust to an American style of higher education. Sometimes, these students are hesitant to share their opinions in class. The educational systems they come from may not encourage the expression of divergent opinions, or they may fear that their opinions will be misconstrued to represent their country’s perspectives as a whole. The staff of the CIEE has complied resources to help you work with international students in the classroom. If you have found other resources you find helpful, please share them with us.

During International Student Orientation and DePauw Institute, as well as in the International Student Handbook, we address classroom behavior, class participation, and academic expectations. We also discuss the volume of reading and writing that may be required, and provide advice about where to turn if difficulties arise. Although academic success is encouraged through these efforts, some new international students do not take the initiative to discuss their struggles with their professor until it is too late. If you notice that a student is not actively participating in class or seems to be struggling, please talk with the student after class about your observances and possible options and consider referring them to Academic Support Services or the appropriate staff in the International Student & Scholar Program, located in the Durham House.

Whatever their educational backgrounds, most foreign students in the U.S. find aspects of the American system of higher education different and difficult. Some of the more common adjustment issues for international students include:

  • Selecting from a number of possible courses rather than following a prescribed curriculum.
  • Specializing later, rather than earlier, in the undergraduate program (having to take courses outside one’s area of interest in order to obtain a “liberal arts” education).
  • Being assigned an academic ‘adviser’ rather than simply being told the specific courses and the order in which they must be taken.
  • Understanding that it is within their rights to challenge, question, or disagree with an instructor’s perspective.
  • Having frequent assignments, exams, or quizzes rather than being left to work more independently.
  • Taking ‘objective’ tests (true-false or multiple choice) rather than subjective essay or oral exams.
  • Being expected to raise questions and participate in class discussions rather than sitting quietly and accepting the instructor’s word.
  • Having to analyze and synthesize the material, rather than simply memorize it.
  • Having to do what they might consider menial tasks or ‘busy work.’
  • Being liable to punishment for activities deemed to constitute cheating or plagiarism and not knowing what qualifies as a violation of academic honesty in the American system.
  • Having a great deal of importance attached to grades.
  • Being expected to use the library extensively.
  • Using information that suggests various alternatives to resolving a situation.
  • Receiving final ‘answers’ from someone other than the professor or director of a department.
  • Being referred to and accepting assistance from a psychological counselor when having problems.

Adapted from The Handbook of Foreign Student Advising, by Gary Althen, University of Iowa, Intercultural Press, Inc.,1995

English Language Support
All international students must demonstrate their English skills to the University in order to be admitted. Although students do meet the University’s English requirements, they still may need some extra English assistance. During International Student Orientation, an English assessment will be given to evaluate language proficiencies. Students who would benefit from addtional language support will be placed into English 110, College Writing for Non-native Speakers of English, a bridge course to ENG 130. An English department course, it receives one DePauw credit. Individual tutoring and workshops are also encouraged to strengthen their English language skills. If you find that an international student in your class may need some extra assistance, please contact Linda Martin and encourage the student to contact her as well.

Immigration Issues:
When advising international students, it is important to realize that international students have regulatory issues that govern their stay in the U.S. and limit their academic options:

  • U.S. federal immigration regulations require all international students on a student or exchange visitor visa to maintain full-time enrollment each semester. If a student is in danger of failing a course and needs to drop below 3 DPU credits, they must first schedule an appointment to discuss this decision with the international student adviser or other staff members in the Durham House.
  • The student’s immigration documents list his or her major. If changing his or her major, the student must notify the international student adviser so that this change is reflected on his or her immigration record with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is a regulatory requirement.
  • Student visa holders are not allowed to accept employment off campus. If an international student is planning to seek an internship (including Programs of Distinction and Winter Term), encourage them to talk with the international student advisor or other Durham House staff members well in advance. Most internships require immigration authorization; some work permission requires USCIS adjudication and can take several months.
  • The academic stay authorized for DePauw’s degree-seeking international students is for four years. If, for any reason, an international student needs to extend their stay beyond four years, they must seek approval from the international student adviser. This must be done before the program completion date on their immigration document.
  • Degree-seeking international students are encouraged to study off-campus and are allowed to do so for one semester. However, there are unique immigration issues regarding these decisions. Urge students to make an appointment with the international student adviser to discuss their plans well in advance.