coe-fac: COE International Student Discussion and Survey Feedback

[Dianna Carrizales-Engelmann]

Dear Faculty and Advisors of COE and UO International Students,

We (Dean McIntyre and I) recently held some listening sessions to hear specific details about the experience of International Students in the COE and to gather ways that we can support their success through their time here. In addition to holding two listening sessions, we also provided a survey to gather student perspectives.

Before we summarize the feedback from these listening sessions, we make two important asks:

  1.  Review the attached monograph as well as the feedback below as you consider how to support and mentor International Students.
  2.  We plan to co-host a session in the new year with our campus partners focusing on program director and faculty support for international students. Please email Dianna Carrizales-Engelmann (dcarriza at uoregon.edu<mailto:dcarriza at uoregon.edu>) if you are interested in participating in the session.

Brief Summary of Listening Sessions:

There are currently 68 International Students who rely on the COE to be a stable and reassuring space from which they navigate their professional and personal journeys in the U.S..
>From those who participated in the sessions and from those who were able to provide input via the survey we heard a few recurring themes. Students were grateful for:

  *   ISSS Writing support
  *   Your peers and the opportunities for community spaces to learn from and with them both formally and informally
  *   Specific supportive faculty and staff

In addition, COE International students shared some of the unique experiences they often face when settling into their programs. Those who responded shared specific facts such as:

  *   International students often have to enter the country and start of the school year in quick succession and are often still navigating basic needs (like finding housing and furnishing, orienting themselves to grocery shopping, establishing a health care provider, registering children in schools, opening a bank account, engaging with social security offices, obtaining a local license, purchasing a car) all while being oriented to their new academic program.

  *   International students (especially graduate students) navigate unique challenges when it comes to creating extended academic opportunities (such as networking, finding references, and clinical placements) and finding financial supports (due to limited eligibility for grant opportunities and research experiences).

Students provided advisors and faculty with some general advice. COE International Students asked that faculty and advisors:

  *   Are intentional about supporting the mental well-being and adjustment process for all students, but in particular for International Students.
  *   Are intentional about creating a sense of belonging and community to support international students. This can be achieved in simple ways such as: by checking-in, following-up, and providing concrete examples, leads, and supports when providing International students with expectations.
  *   When possible, make direct introductions on behalf of international students to local agencies and schools when we must partner for research or to fulfil clinical expectations.
  *   Recognize that some international students come from backgrounds that have very different approaches to social and professional interactions. For example, in some cultures, it is considered disrespectful to present counter-arguments to figures of authority.
  *   Where possible, provide us with scaffolds for our learning. International Students often don't have the current or historical context for some of the common concepts that are exchanged in casual or academic discussion.
  *   When necessary, build in time to provide International Students with additional feedback on their writing. International students who are writing in their non-native language may be grateful for additional input early in the process.

COE students had some specific requests and advice for program, department, and college leadership:

  *   GEs, summer funding, fifth year funding and other supports that make the difference between completion or not of their program of study, should be the responsibility of and priority of the program, department, or college, and not left to individual advisors.
  *   Consider offering more comparative courses on education policy or include materials that reference other international contexts (even authors) to help international students contextualize the new information they are learning.

Thank you for your commitment to supporting International Students in the COE. Please feel free to follow up with us if you have questions, thoughts, or ideas you'd like to share. Your engagement can truly make a difference!

Best,

Dianna

Dianna Carrizales-Engelmann, PhD
Assistant Dean for Administration, Equity, and Inclusion
College of Education, University of Oregon
dcarriza at uoregon.edu<mailto:dcarriza at uoregon.edu>

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