2018-2019 Annual Report – International Student Services

Mission

The mission of the Office of International Student Services (OISS) is to actively promote international and intercultural understanding and to cultivate a mutual commitment and support for international education throughout the campus community.

Summary Narrative

1) Enhance recruitment and retention efforts to increase enrollment

Created a merit-based scholarship designed for prospective undergraduate international students, called New Arkansas Non-Resident Tuition Award.

Explored partnership with Keystone, an online marketing company, to help us market the university to around six million potential international students in over 100 countries. We are in discussions with Admissions, Graduate School, Intensive English Language Program, and Marketing about partnering to underwrite the cost of this initiative, with plans to implement in 2019-20.

Most of OISS functions are designed to support the retention efforts of the University and we almost have no retention issues with our international students and scholars.

Advise current and incoming international students and scholars on immigration, which is complicated and heavily regulated and monitored by the Federal Government.

2) Strengthen student-friendly operations and customer service

Within the last 2 years, OISS has had a number of staff changes and lost a full-time position due to budgetary constraints.  Compared to other state institutions, OISS has one of the lowest number of staff members in an international office where the personnel are required to monitor, maintain, and report 945 active immigration records under various immigration types at three instructional sites.

Due to the workload, lack of resources, and to optimize our and students’ time, we have created a web-based student request system, which operates almost like a full-time staff member. This system has also made most of our procedures paperless and was internally created by the OISS personnel without any cost to the institution.

3) Improve diversity and inclusion efforts to provide a safe and inclusive environment for students

All functions of OISS are designed to support the UA Little Rock vision statement, which addresses “improving students’ lives and enhancing our communities”. OISS actively promotes international and intercultural understanding and cultivates a mutual commitment and support for international education throughout the campus community and is committed to following all applicable federal and state laws as well as institutional policies.

The Office carefully and reflectively advises international students and scholars regarding federal immigration rules and regulations and helps to improve diversity, inclusion, equality, and global understanding in the campus community.

4) Align financial and human resources to operate more effectively and efficiently

OISS has had a number of staff changes and lost a full-time position due to budgetary constraints within the last 2 years. Compared to other state institutions, OISS has one of the lowest number of staff members in an international office where the personnel are required to monitor, maintain, and report 945 active immigration records under various immigration types at three instructional sites. Due to the workload, lack of resources, and to optimize our and students’ time, we have created a web-based student request system, which operates almost like a full-time staff member. This system has also made most of our procedures paperless and was internally created by the OISS personnel without any cost to the institution.

For recruitment purposes, OISS has developed a full electronic communication strategy that capitalizes on each student inquiry received to ensure that contact is maintained and prospective international students are prompted weekly to continue moving through the enrollment process. This communication strategy utilizes coordinated email campaigns, customer relationship management, and cohesion with all communication outlets including our website, social media, and print materials. This electronic communication campaign was also internally created by the OISS personnel without any cost to the institution.

5) Promote student development, engagement, and leadership

In many tangible and intangible ways, international students and visiting scholars positively impact the learning environment as well as the bottom line of the University. In the 21st century, producing graduates with global competence is the responsibility of every university. This new era requires the University to prepare its students for the rigors of a globally interconnected and highly competitive marketplace so that American students can be successful upon graduation and thereafter. For decades, US Universities across the country have enrolled students and invited scholars from around the world. These students and scholars contribute perspectives from their home cultures and education systems to the courses and research in which they are involved, and serve as a vital resource to U.S. students interested in increasing their global competency.

UA Little Rock receives a number of non-traditional and first-generation American college students with little to no international experience. This situation has created an international knowledge and experience gap within the community and state. UA Little Rock and its international student office play a key role in closing the gap by recruiting and retaining international students that eventually enable the University to produce graduates with global competence who are ready to meet the current demand for labor in the local, national, and global economy.

OISS is also involved in community outreach by introducing international students to local families through the International Friendship Outreach (IFO). IFO offers opportunities for social and cultural interaction between Americans and international students while they study at UA Little Rock and it also sponsors a number of social events and day trips during the academic year to make students’ time fun and enjoyable.

6) Other

Created a merit-based scholarship designed for prospective undergraduate international students, called New Arkansas Non-Resident Tuition Award.

Explored partnership with Keystone, an online marketing company, to help us market the university to around six million potential international students in over 100 countries. We are in discussions with Admissions, Graduate School, Intensive English Language Program, and Marketing about partnering to underwrite the cost of this initiative, with plans to implement in 2019-20.

Most of OISS functions are designed to support the retention efforts of the University and we almost have no retention issues with our international students and scholars.

Advise current and incoming international students and scholars on immigration, which is complicated and heavily regulated and monitored by the Federal Government.

At A Glance

text

Assessment 1

Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)

SLO – 1A (changed to operational assessment)

Activity or experience being assessed

Experience being assessed through the New International student orientation Sessions in August, January, and May

Late student orientation sessions

Assessment artifacts

Surveys

Time period assessment was done

After orientation session in August, January, and May, as well as during late orientation sessions  at the onset of each semester.

Results

Survey results show that students are very satisfied with the informative sessions. However, seven students out of ninety four indicated that professional development session conducted by a faculty member was too long.

We failed to add questions to the survey to find out what international students learn at student orientation about life in the US. This will be fixed for orientation in January 2020.

Continuous improvement process

Based on the survey results, we asked the faculty member to keep his professional development presentation no more than 20 minutes with leaving a 10-minute question and answer session at the end.

WHEN: Starting from fall 2019 orientation in August

Stakeholder involvement / Communication plan

OISS administration and staff members, as well as the faculty regarding his presentation.

Assessment 2

Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)

SLO 1A

Activity or experience being assessed

Both activity and experience are being assessed during the International Celebration Day and planning committee meetings.

Assessment artifacts

Survey, observation

Time period assessment was done

Planning committee meetings leading up to the event

International Celebration Day November 14, 2018

Results

The lack of funding for the ICD activities led to greatly reduced participation by students. The number of surveys we received were too small to extrapolate, and had no open response questions.

Continuous improvement process

We were able to successfully argue for a $1,000 starter budget towards underwriting the cost of the event, including buying ingredients to cook international food, and t-shirts to give away, but too late to impact participation. Having these funds sooner next year will enable us to inform students earlier and encourage greater participation.

We will add questions to the survey next year that speak to what students have learned about cultural differences.

WHEN: 2019-2020

Stakeholder involvement / Communication plan

  • International Education Week committee members.
  • OISS administration and staff members
  • International club administration and members.

Assessment 3

There was a planned survey of all student affairs staff to identify areas of needed and/or desired professional development opportunities.

The survey was not done due to being unexpectedly short-staffed. Based on our internal discussions pre and post event, we think that the planning process needs to be streamlined, annual funding needs to be set aside for events, more collaborations between the stakeholders, involving CSPS and Mexican Embassy, etc.

ICP committee members are currently in the process of working on incorporating changes to the planning process based on our internal discussions pre and post event; make all the IEW activities more diversified; include more on-campus units (i.e., academic and non-academic); and funded in advance.

Discussions have been going on since spring 2019 and appropriate changes will be implemented in the fall of 2019 semester.

Priorities for Next Year

  • Ensure full compliance with all aspects of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
  • Promote a learning environment with an international perspective that expands and elevates the global horizons of our campus community.
  • Advocate for international students to make sure they are treated fairly, helped appropriately, and respected.
  • Educate the campus community on intercultural understanding and the benefits of hosting international students and scholars.
  • Provide necessary immigration advising and documents for student visa processing after admission to UA Little Rock.
  • Provide information sessions on employment (e.g., OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, AT, on-campus employment etc.) taxes, and travel each semester.
  • Increase well-qualified and fully funded international students at the undergraduate and graduate levels by closely working with the Office of Admissions and the Graduate School.