International Student Networks

1
InternationalStudent Networks

• Wendy Zehr, wazehr_at_uwaterloo.ca
• Anne Banks Pidduck, apidduck_at_uwaterloo.ca
• University of Waterloo

2
Outline

• Motivation
• Advising Goals
• Student Challenges
• Student Networks
• Outgoing Students
• Incoming Students
• Waterloo Services
• Conclusions

3
Motivation

• Pursuing Global Excellence
• Inspiring global citizens/experience
• University of Waterloo goal 25 of students go
  abroad during undergrad years
• In 2007, we had 280 international links in 56
  countries (double the number in year 2000)
• 90 incoming countries
• 115 exchange agreements in 32 countries
• Also international undergraduates, graduate
  students and researchers not on exchange!

4
Advising Goals

• To standardize international advising
• To organize and manage many students
• To plan, design and maintain electronic models
  for databases and web pages
• To provide secure online information access
• To offer international mentors and networks
• To provide previous positive examples

5
Student Challenges

• Long distances away from home
• Discomfort, fear and lack of confidence
• Different cultures
• Different academic systems
• New computer systems
• Inefficiencies and delays in all systems
• Multiple international advisors
• Financial concerns
• Housing
• Language misunderstandings

6
Additional Challenges

• Long planning cycles
• Time zone differences
• Multiple maybe conflicting student advisors
  world-wide
• Larger (or smaller) classes than normal
• More formal/informal environment than expected
• More or heavier assignments and examinations
• Marks that are higher or lower than their norm

7
Crises

• Homesickness
• Loneliness
• Financial concerns
• Housing issues
• Academic cheating or failures (sometimes due to
  cultural differences)
• Personal issues (girlfriends, parent pressure)
• Health problems or safety issues
• Police (fights, stealing, cheating)

8
Student Networks

• Online local stories, pictures, testimonials
• Electronic connections by e-mail, FaceBook, Skype
  and so on before students arrive
• Students from their home country as mentors
• Students from the host country as mentors
• Many other online networks see handout

9
International Advising

• Post information and timelines on international
  web pages
• Manage budget and awards, if available
• Publicize international exchanges
• Arrange International Information Sessions
• Collect written reports, pictures and
  testimonials from exchange students and post them
  to web pages

10
Outgoing Students

• Allow flexibility in course choices as possible
• Encourage the students to be flexible with
  courses, housing and all of their choices
• Travel warnings from the Canadian government
• Information for parents safety, financing
• When they return, encourage the students to
  mentor incoming students in future terms, to
  provide written information and pictures about
  their experience, and to speak at International
  Information Sessions

11
Outgoing Advising

• Approve applications for home and host
  universities, monitoring all requirements
• Monitor housing applications, visas and so on
• Approve courses and course equivalents
• Monitor course rigor, workload and numbers of
  courses per term at host universities
• Promote pre-departure sessions and security
  issues
• Advice on air fare, insurance and finances

12
Funding

• Bursaries, scholarships, grants, fellowships,
  awards
• Government (Ontario, Germany, other)
• University
• Private awards (U Haifa, Rod Coutts)
• Many online links to international funding

13
Pre-departure Session

• Provide pre-departure risk management
  information, both for students and for university
  insurance
• Phone numbers here and away
• Embassies
• Emergency services at the host university
• Enact realistic scenarios housing is not
  suitable, courses are full, out of money before
  its time to return, unexpected illness or
  accident

14
Incoming Student Advising

• Manage incoming student numbers and activity with
  planning, documentation and organization
• Winter clothes and climate
• Work in Canada and Taxes
• Immigration requirements and passport details

15
Incoming Advising

• Document names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail
  and other contact information when the students
  arrive
• Ensure that the students have social connections
  as needed, physical activity as appropriate and
  financial resources
• Provide counseling services as available for
  first-year students in case of homesickness,
  isolation or other psychological issues
• Offer to provide student mentors if necessary

16
Incoming Students (Pre-Arrival)

• Provide as much information as possible online
• Courses
• Housing
• Costs
• On-line blogs, journals and pictures from
  previous visitors
• Skype, FaceBook and other free software
• Offer information on airport arrival and
  directions to housing

17
Incoming Students (On Arrival)

• Offer student mentors when they arrive (same city
  or country)
• Offer international student mentors and language
  classes
• Provide academic and international advisors
• Offer conversational language skills classes
  (spouses and family)
• Offer social outings and travel to Toronto,
  Niagara Falls, and so on

18
Incoming Academic Advising

• Check prerequisite courses from host university
• Advise students on appropriateness of their
  course choices (i.e. Graphics and Real-time CS)
• Sign into appropriate courses as needed
• Suggest alternate courses if course is full or
  prerequisite is not met
• Monitor their courses, course changes and
  academic progress, particularly if they are
  staying for more than one term
• Monitor success of students from various
  locations (i.e. France versus Germany)
• Monitor courses for incoming students from other
  faculties (i.e. Engineering and Arts)

19
University-Wide Services

• International Student Office, http//www.iso.uwate
  rloo.ca/
• International Help Desk
• International Student Advisors
• Tax information, work permits and jobs in Canada
• Information for parents of international students
• Destination Waterloo International Student
  Handbook

20
University-Wide Services ..2

• International spouses group conversational
  English, trips, tea, childcare
• Events Niagara Falls, Toronto
• Shadow program (International mentors)
• Pre-departure information session for outgoing
  Waterloo students
• Medical information and health insurance
• Travel insurance

21
Orientation

• Student Life 101 booklet
• Parents booklet
• September international orientation

22
Mathematics Services

• Flashy bulletin board in hall with colour posters
• General exchange information on web pages
• List of exchange programs
• Financial specifics for each host university
• Student testimonials and pictures
• Information for both outgoing and incoming
  students
• FAQ
• Math Exchange Information Sessions
• Track students in and out, including registration
  at both universities and transcripts
• Mentoring from previous exchange students
• online or in person

23
Mathematics Services ..2

• Embassy websites
• Canadian government and other exchange
  opportunities and financial resources
• Financial Support
• Government (Ontario, Germany, other)
• University
• Private awards (Haifa, Rod Coutts)
• Term matches (or not)
• Course matches (or not) and pre-approvals
• Application forms and approvals home and host
  universities
• Housing applications and acceptance

24
Conclusions

• Academic advising for international students can
  be challenging
• International student networks can help
• Organization and documentation
• Standardization
• Future Work
• Ideas for new things to try?

25
International Student Links

• Faculty of Mathematics, http//www.math.uwaterloo.
  ca/navigation/Prospective/Exchange/
• International Student Office, http//www.iso.uwate
  rloo.ca/
• Exchanges Canada, http//www.exchanges.gc.ca/
• Student Work Abroad Program, http//www.swap.ca/
• CEC Network, Study Canada, http//www.studycanada.
  ca/english/
• Erasmus Student Network, http//www.esn.org/
• Abroad Planet.com, http//abroadplanet.com/country
  /ca
• International Student Network Inc.,
  http//www.isnexpo.com/
• International Student.com, http//www.internationa
  lstudent.com/
• International Student Network, http//www.internat
  ionalstudentnetwork.com/