Date:  Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Presenters:  Alex Beck, INTO Advisor and Rachel Weber, International Programs

Overview: 

International students, whether at OSU on exchange, as a full-degree seeking student, or part of the INTO program face unique challenges in navigating the educational climate.  Behaviors that may be the norm in their home countries can be counterproductive when transitioning to a U.S. style institution.  In addition to the social, language and study transitions facing international students, they also must be aware of their Visa status and restrictions.  Actions that domestic students take for granted, such as withdrawal, taking online classes, dual-partnership with a community college and other can all place an international student into violation of their Visa if they don’t complete the appropriate paperwork first.

Students transitioning from the INTO program into OSU degree programs have to undergo a second transition.  The average INTO student who is progressing to degree-seeking status will have been at OSU for 3 terms and may be comfortable with the policies, deadlines, and communication timeframes of the INTO advisors and support staff.  OSU advisors should be firm in enforcing OSU policies, which are often different from INTO policies, and to clearly communicate both expectations of students and what (and how quickly) a student can expect information or answers to e-mail and other requests.

In advising International students:

– encourage participation in extracurricular activies and clubs 

– use e-mail and weblinks to communicate important information, many international students prefer written/online communiucation to verbal

– anytime an international student is considering a schedule change, encourage them to contact International Programs to ensure it will not affect their visa status

– be patient and understanding

– communicate with the ISAS and INTO advisors with any questions.  By compiling and sharing common questions from International students, it is hoped that a more comprehensive International Student Advising FAQ can be developed.

Materials:

Activities that may impact an International Student’s status

List of OSU contacts (accurate as of F2011)

Visa information

Top Ten Tips for Advising Transitioning INTO OSU Students

Academic Requirements for International Students

Admit Types_International – Chart of type of International Students and their coding in Banner

Transitioning to your degree-seeking program at OSU – shared with progressing students – to help them understand a few key changes in services and contacts between INTO OSU and OSU Programs.  This is the version given to students in Spring who will begin degree-seeking status Fall term.