Supporting International Students

Faculty Advisor’s Guide to Supporting International Students

The CIE has created a guide with career guidance and support resources.

Campus Resources 

There are many resources available for W&L international students. We encourage you to review the list of relevant resources below so that you can refer international students to the right place for support when needed. If you have any questions, please contact Hunter Swanson, Associate Director of International Education.

Supporting International Students in the Classroom

Things to know about international students:

• English may not be their first language and they may never have studied in an English-medium school before
• They may not be familiar with U.S. classroom culture and etiquette   
• They may be facing culture shock and cultural adjustment issues outside of class that may impact their academic performance
• They may not be familiar with the academic support services available to them
• They may not be familiar with US-centric examples and analogies

Tips for supporting international students: 

• Clearly communicate course/ classroom expectations and policies early on
• Allow for multiple forms of “participation” when possible
• Be proactive in communicating with international students
• Develop and use internationally diverse examples and analogies in the classroom
• Continually encourage international students to make use of office hours
• Encourage international students to ask questions since they might come from cultures where that is considered disrespectful.

External resource: 

• Teaching International Students – a guide from Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching