Academic advising is the very core to education and sustaining students, but how academic advising supports student learning is unclear, especially international students who grow up in a foreign culture. Supporting international student learning in academic and career advising is rarely discussed in professional practices nor scholarly work. To build a sustainable model of retaining international students, universities and academic advising must proactively invest efforts to define and deliver outcomes related to international students’ academic success. This article is to introduce Syracuse University’s International Student Success Model, share strategies and initiatives developed and implemented to help achieve increased international student retention. The significance of this model will change the narrative of international student support services, most importantly, bridging the gap between academic advising and international education.

[Read the rest of this article...]

International students, retention, student success

The program, Career Coach, comprises a series of personal and career developmental workshops supported by a powerful, interactive e-profile tool. Each class, in year one, attends a weekly hour workshop with a counselor to address one of the Career Coach themes. The workshops revolve around three main themes: Self Exploration, Life Skills, and the Job Search Process. In their first semester, students participate in a series of workshops to explore their personal styles, values, characteristics, and learning styles. Students are introduced to college life, academic expectations, rules and regulations in an attempt to support them as they settle in their new environment. In the second semester, workshops are aimed at supporting students personal and academic development with sessions that revolve around building self esteem, setting goals, time management, communication skills and style, team work, assessment management and presentation skills. 

[Read the rest of this article...]

career advising, first year students, academic support, Global Community, technology, underprepared students, Nawal Majeed, Rafeef Dahir, International students

What kinds of learning behaviors do Chinese students have? Why are these learning behaviors so different from students in western countries? This article will display some typical learning behaviors of Chinese students and explain reasons behind them from a cultural perspective, help international academic advisors build a deep understanding on Chinese students and offer more personalized and professional service.

[Read the rest of this article...]

International students, communication, advising approaches, student population, culture