Reflection paper

University of Denver’s Policy Brief: Addressing the Needs of International Students

Preliminary Thesis

The University of Denver should endeavor to address the challenges that international students face for the latter’s comfort on the campus as the move may potentially increase the population of the category of learners.

Introduction:

The University of Denver has a raft of measures to address potential challenges that international students, admitted to the institution face. In this case, some programs are pre-arrival, while others apply to the learners after arrival to help them settle in college. Many of the centers of the program on linking new students with the ones in college to have the latter guide the former. In like manner, the programs involve vibrant counseling department to help learners to address the challenges that they currently face.

A detailed description of the issue: What does DU do to help international students to overcome potential challenges that they face?

An online welcome guide and pack. The pack contains useful information to learners such as accommodation options, living expenses, and medical insurance. The pack also involves supplying the learners with information on available online resources for use by learners in the course of study.

International students’ mentoring schemes to match new students with current ones. The program is undertaken by the Student’s union. It involves matching up potential international students with the current ones with communication between the two being initiated prior to the arrival of the international students (Hendrickson et al., 2011).

Support networks to help the learners address the challenges that they face. The effort is part of ongoing support to have the learners achieve comfortable learning environments within the shortest time possible.

Dedicated counselors that may be reached by learners, international students included, by email, phone, or in-person (Choudaha, 2016). Common problems addressed by the counselors include homesickness, health problems, and culture shock.

Linking international students with the university’s local community. In the context, the latter is expected to exhibit hospitality and friendship to the former.

My Critique of the Policy Options Most Often Suggested by Others to Improve DU’s international students’ welfare

Policy option: Offer the means to help international students complete their study courses on time.

Critique: DU has had a raft of measures to help international students to complete their courses within the stipulated time. For instance, DU currently offers Professor's office schedule, math tutoring center, and writing tutoring center. However, the challenge is that students experience real challenges whenever they post a fail in a subject or several subjects.

Policy option: Provide a greater opportunity for international students to earn a scholarship.

Critique: At the moment, the University of Denver offers all students equal opportunity to apply for and earn scholarships (Bound et al., 2020). However, the system is believed to lead to a disadvantage to international students as many of them end up missing the opportunities. Therefore, the university should seek ways to address the challenge.

Policy option: Employ measures to address students’ language needs.

Critique: The university makes it a requirement for international students to enroll for an English course prior to joining the university. However, the challenge is that the learning duration may not be sufficient to gain adequate knowledge skills. Therefore, DU should explore measures for continuous learning of the language.

Policy option: Have curricula that offer the skills needed in different parts of the world.

Critique: The university offers considerably high-quality education and the impartation of skills that match job requirements. However, some learners have complained that the skills they gained were not relevant in job markets back at home.

Fig. 1

Policy option: Enhance the population of international instructors to have international learners develop a sense of belonging while at the University of Denver.

Critique: It is commendable that the university has endeavored to have students exposed to instructors from all over the world. However, the fact international instructors train DU students occasionally during annual exchange programs. At other times, however, the population of American instructors exceeds that of lecturers from other nations (Fig. 2). The observation may not get down well with international students, who may develop the feeling of being in foreign territories.

Fig. 2

Policy option: Organize film nights and cultural exchange programs that reflect the cultures of both American and international students.

Critique: The university organizes and holds regular film nights and cultural exchange programs to accord American and international students the opportunity to interact. The main purpose is to have international students get acquainted in the new culture and geographical environment. However, A concern is that the films and cultural elements commonly reflect on American culture and practices therein. Although this is beneficial, the program may eventually allow international students to develop a feeling that their respective cultures are poor.

Recommendations:

In adopting these measures, the University of Denver seeks to address the challenges faced by international students before, during and after their studies. In order to further meet the challenge, the following regulations may need to be followed:

Recommendation 1: It is commonplace for learners, international ones included to fail some units in the course of study. Instances of failure adversely affect learners' completion schedules. However, the university should offer the learners multiple opportunities to reset the examinations failed within the shortest duration so as not to interfere with learning schedules.

Recommendation 2: As already highlighted, the awarding of scholarships is seen to disproportionately affect international students in the sense that very few of them gain the opportunities. To address the challenge, the University of Denver should have an exclusive system for international students to apply for and be awarded scholarships. The policy would see to it that international students do not compete unfavorably for scholarships.

Recommendation 3: The university should seek international students’ continuous study of the English language to have them. At least, international students attain some sort of perfection in the language. The policy may involve the requirement for the learners to undertake multiple refresher courses in the English language (Poyrazli & Grahame, 2007). The development would see to it that international students are assessed on similar criteria as American students. At the moment, the English course that the students take before joining the institution may not impart advanced knowledge in English.

Recommendation 4: The university should offer curricula and skills that meet students’ expectations. Moreover, the skills should match job requirement skills the world over. To implement the policy, the university may liaise with international students regarding their curricular expectations. In like manner, the university may prepare the students psychologically for the content to find in the study. The essence of the policy is that it would enable the students to develop a positive attitude towards learning the courses that they enroll (Ammigan, 2019). In like manner, the policy would ensure that international students secure jobs easily, back at home, upon completion of the course of study.

Recommendation 5: The university should have a policy to increase the population of international instructors. In the context, the policy should provide that at least one-third of lecturers be international. The essence of such a policy would be to have international students feel that people from their respective nations are also part of the University of Denver. It is no doubt that such a development would enable new students to settle more easily than they would do in the context of only American instructors.

Recommendation 6: The university should offer dishes that conform to international students’ specific needs. In the context, the catering department should contact the students for the dishes and liaise with them on when to prepare the meals and when not to prepare them. The program would shield the students from insecurity incidents in addition to rendering them feel valued (Bista, 2018).

Recommendation 7: The interaction and film nights held should feature cultures that reflect the diversity of all students in the university. In this context, the instructors should liaise with international students for materials on their culture. The purpose of this program is to make all students (including international students) feel that their culture is valued.

Conclusion:

It is clear that the University of Denver has employed measures to address the challenges that international students face prior to, during, and after study durations. Although the commendable measures, the university should explore ways of improving the endeavors or adopting new measures in a bid to address the challenges that remain unresolved. In this document, some recommendations have been made, the adoption of which may be multiple benefits to the concerned learners. Some benefits may include social contentment, the ability to concentrate on studies, economic satisfaction, and marketability upon the completion of studies. In this context, the benefits would market the university to potential international students. Failure to implement the policy recommendations, on the other hand, would lead to shortcomings. Some of the limitations would include long durations within which students settle, psychological problems, lack of contentment with courses of study, and long course completion times. It is no doubt that the limitations would potentially discourage international students from enrolling for the courses at DU.

References

Ammigan, R. (2019). Institutional satisfaction and recommendation: What really matter to international students. Journal of International Students, 9(1), 262-281.

Bista, K. (Ed.). (2018). Global perspectives on international student experiences in higher education: tensions and issues. Routledge.

Bound, J., Braga, B., Khanna, G., & Turner, S. (2020). A passage to America: University funding and international students. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 12(1), 97-126.

Choudaha, R. (2016). Campus readiness for supporting international student success. Journal of International Students, 6(4), I-V.

Hendrickson, B., Rosen, D., & Aune, R. K. (2011). An analysis of friendship networks, social connectedness, homesickness, and satisfaction levels of international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(3), 281-295.

Poyrazli, S., & Grahame, K. M. (2007). Barriers to adjustment: Needs of international students within a semi-urban campus community. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 34(1), 28.