A WINning program

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A WINning program
A WINning program
Easing the transition of internationalstudents
into the residence halls
Western International Network

• Jin Abe Sheryl Nickel
• Western Michigan University
• July 14, 1998
• Association of College and University Housing
  Officers-International
• 50th Annual Conference
• Charlotte, NC

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Introduction

• Introduce ourselves
• Feeling the audience how many from abroad?
  Dealing with incoming international students?
  Have a peer program in place or thinking about
  one?

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Overview

• About WMU
• Building WIN-WIN collaboration
• Implementation
• Research and experiences
• Discussions

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About WMU
Background
Student demographics and organization
Home countries for WMU international students
Student Population
(As of September 1998)
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Organization
Background
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Background
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Building WIN-WIN departmental collaboration
Background
Benefits for International Student Services

• As a recruiting aid
• International students as WMU advocate
• 50 - 60 student helpers
• International student retention
• Action-oriented multicultural programming
• Addressing existing concerns

Benefits for Residence Life
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Implementation
Implementation
New twists on the traditional buddy program

• Avoiding that awkward first encounter
• Correspondence begins before partners actually
  meet
• Technology
• Emphasis on give-and-take
• Limiting the size of the program
• Targeting newly admitted international students
  and (preferably) residence hall students

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Program flow and calendar
Implementation
Residence Life International Student
Services
Recruiting WMU (host) students
Recruiting newly admitted intl students
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Fall
W.I.N. training
Recruit Matching Activities
Training
Send partner info. Correspondence
Send program confirmation
Kickoff
Dinner
W.I.N. Kickoff - Partners meet
Winter
Recruit Matching Activities
3 monthly activities
Training
Kickoff
Dinner
Dinner Awards
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Recruiting WMU (host) students
Implementation
Residence Life International Student
Services
Recruiting WMU (host) students
Recruiting newly admitted intl students

• Starts in the preceding semester
• Marketing through flyers, ADs/RAs, and hall
  council meetings

W.I.N. training
Send partner info. Correspondence
Send program confirmation
W.I.N. Kickoff - Partners meet
3 monthly activities
Dinner Awards
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Recruiting newly admitted international students
Implementation
Residence Life International Student
Services
Recruiting WMU (host) students
Recruiting newly admitted intl students
W.I.N. Home
W.I.N. training

• W.I.N. application sent out with I-20 (admission
  letter)
• On-line application encouraged

Send partner info. Correspondence
Send program confirmation
W.I.N. Kickoff - Partners meet
3 monthly activities
Dinner Awards
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W.I.N. Training (for host students)
Implementation
Residence Life International Student
Services
Recruiting WMU (host) students
Recruiting newly admitted intl students

• Panel of current W.I.N. students - nothing is
  more effective than students talking to students

W.I.N. training
Send partner info. Correspondence
Send program confirmation
W.I.N. Kickoff - Partners meet
3 monthly activities
Dinner Awards
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Correspondence
Implementation
Residence Life International Student
Services
Recruiting WMU (host) students
Recruiting newly admitted intl students

• Host and international students are matched and
  mutually introduced via e-mail
• Host students to initiate the dialog

W.I.N. training
Send partner info. Correspondence
Send program confirmation
W.I.N. Kickoff - Partners meet
3 monthly activities
Dinner Awards
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Program confirmation
Implementation
Residence Life International Student
Services
Recruiting WMU (host) students
Recruiting newly admitted intl students

• Keeping incoming students informed
• Local contact information requested upon arrival

W.I.N. training
Send partner info. Correspondence
Send program confirmation
W.I.N. Kickoff - Partners meet
3 monthly activities
Dinner Awards
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Kickoff, monthly activities and Dinner
Implementation
Residence Life International Student
Services
Recruiting WMU (host) students
Recruiting newly admitted intl students

• Monthly activities (required) bowling, cultural
  show, Homecoming events..
• Recruit W.I.N. student coordinators

W.I.N. training
Send partner info. Correspondence
Send program confirmation
W.I.N. Kickoff - Partners meet
3 monthly activities
Dinner Awards
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Research Experiences
Assessment
What we found out
Assessment questions

• Does WIN increase international students
  awareness and knowledge of campus resources?
• Does WIN help international student adjustment to
  campus?
• Do students from Asian nations have more
  difficulties adjusting?
• Conducted campus resource usage survey and
  adjustment survey at the end of WIN program (Dec.
  1997)
• Collected data from W.I.N. international students
  and...
• control group of non-W.I.N. international
  students

Method
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Demographics of survey participants
Assessment
For 50 of the sample, WMU was their first
choice of institutions to attend.
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Campus Resource Usage
Assessment
Campus Resource Questionnaire
Never used during the semester
Used at least six times during the semester
Statistically significant differences were found
between WIN and control group (plt.001)
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Student adjustment
Assessment

• W.I.N. students yielded significantly HIGHER
  social adjustment scores (plt.05)

152.7
151.75
W I N
N o n W I N
123.27
107.59
97.33
SACQ adjustment scores
90.07
88.94
85.06
Academic Social Pers.- Emo. Institutional
Social
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Asian vs. Non-Asian
Assessment

• Asian international students yielded
  significantly LOWER adjustment scores on 3 out of
  4 subscales (plt.05)

166.48
N o n A s i a n
142.58
126.22
A s i a n
107.42
102.87
92.00
86.33
84.39
SACQ adjustment scores
Academic Social Pers.- Emo. Institutional
Institutional
Social
Academic
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Program changes
Assessment

• Matching by academic interests
• Emphasis on academic resources in host student
  training
• Set up W.I.N.-exclusive activities early to
  develop group dynamics
• Two-on-one (triad) matching

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Suggestions for program improvement
Assessment

• Academic Adjustment How can a peer program be
  modified to address academic adjustment of
  incoming international students? What kind of
  activities would you recommend?
• Training Can you think of effective exercises
  which would allow the host students to be in
  touch with the feeling of "being away from the
  home turf"?
• Partner Matching On what basis would you match
  the host and international students, and why?
  (by grad/undergraduate, by major...)
• New Twists WMU incorporated the use of
  technology and correspondence prior to new
  student arrival as "new twists" on the
  traditional buddy program. Can you think of
  additional "new twists" which would enhance such
  a peer support program?

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Congratulations!
Congratulations!
...and thank you for your participation.
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Resources
Resources
Assessment Data - international student
retention Assessment Data - program
evaluation Campus Resource Usage
Questionnaire Photos W.I.N. Home Page
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Photos
Resources