ISSE1 How to Support International Student Success & Engagement
Description
The international students who come to study, live and work at IU Indianapolis enrich our community in numerous ways, such as bringing global perspectives to curricular and co-curricular spaces, advancing research, and contributing much-needed talent to our local and national workforce. The purpose of this module is to deepen understanding about international students' experiences and needs to better equip faculty and staff to support individual student success. When international students feel included and confident, they are able to more fully engage both inside and outside the classroom, which maximizes opportunities for global learning.
Learn about student experiences and needs
It is important to recognize that international students are individual people first who have multifaceted identities. We are all influenced by the cultural contexts in which we live, yet we do maintain unique characteristics and lived experiences that differentiate us from those who might share some similarities.
Though we describe this incredibly diverse population within IU Indianapolis' student body with the blanket label "international," these students come from nearly 140 different countries and widely ranging geographic, linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. In the following sections, we identify some of the most common international student perspectives and needs based on leading research and experience working with this population. Learning about the history, cultural, political, economic, and social systems from which students can provide useful general information about a student's background. However, each student is a unique individual who can be best served when faculty and staff invest time and effort into getting to know and connecting with that student to better understand their personality, communication style, goals, strengths, challenges, etc. and tailor support to best meet their needs.
Consider how you might contribute
Think about your role within the IU Indianapolis community and the different points at which you have contact with international students throughout the student lifecycle. The following are some questions that may help you consider what contributions you could make to supporting international student career outcomes.
- How early does (or could) my unit begin having contact with international students?
- What common needs and challenges to we find that our international students experience before, during, and after their IU Indianapolis experience that are relevant to the work we do?
- How could we help prepare international students for their IU Indianapolis experience before they arrive to campus that would make them feel well informed, confident, and like they are a valued member of the IU Indianapolis community? Which of these needs or ways that we can best meet them are similar vs. different from domestic students?
- How could we also have this positive impact on international students' experience and outcomes during their arrival/orientation process and throughout their academic program?
- What more do I/we need to know about international students' needs and experiences in order to best answer these questions and develop communications, programs and services that meet their needs and help them succeed?
- How could we best meet the needs of our international alumni and also leverage our relationships with them to benefit prospective and current international students?
For example, the Office of International Affairs is charged with recruiting, admitting, and supporting the success of international students. We are uniquely positioned to provide immigration advising, specialized services, and global learning opportunities to help international students have a smooth on-boarding process, develop a sense of belonging, and work toward their personal and professional goals. We also serve as a resource to campus and community partners as they aim to do their part in this shared effort.
Starting with the recruitment process, OIA begins communicating with students about how studying at IU Indianapolis can help them become have transformative experiences, develop as lifelong learners, and pursue valuable career outcomes. We continue to make this a focus of the information, advising, and programs we provide throughout their IU Indianapolis journey. Below are some specific examples of strategies OIA has identified to support international student success outcomes at different touch points throughout the international student lifecycle. We share these as a way to help you consider how you and your unit might leverage opportunities to contribute to international student success outcomes from your unique position within the IU Indianapolis community. The following pages provide additional prompts, examples, and resources to help you develop your own ideas and plans.