In recent years, an influx of international students in the U.S. have caused many colleges to face new challenges in terms of accommodating the new breeds of student. Devon Haynie (2014) claims that according to the 2014 Open Doors Report on International Educational, U.S. accommodates more of the world’s 4.5 million students from overseas than any other places around the world. Also, around 4 percent of the total college students in the United States consists of international students. Since then, universities have been finding ways to accommodate the influx of international students and their needs. U.S. colleges and universities are rethinking ways to conduct orientation, introducing peer mentor programs, encouraging off-campus activities
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A peer mentor is another student that provides support, encouragement and helping hand to any other students from the college who just started attending the school. Sewall (2010) explains that the University of California, Los Angeles came out with a “global-siblings” program so that American students can function as a friend and source of information to their international classmates. Generally speaking, the international students can go up to anyone of the peer mentors when problems on making new friends and school work arise. With this, the in-coming students can feel more safe and secure knowing that there will always be someone whom they can reach out when in need. Meanwhile, Fischer (2011) notes that “International liaisons” have been assigned at the dorms of Rice University as informal resources to international students, who can come by to ask any questions. In other words, students can conveniently stop by one of the stationed offices in the university housing to clear their doubts. Consequently, international students can always obtain help from them during the designated hours without having to worry if they are disturbing anyone. Sewall (2010) also writes the effort taken by Binghamton University by matching non-native English speakers with American partners to help improve their English skills and have a smooth transition into campus life. This helps international students feel less intimidating when learning a second language in a foreign country. Rebecca Johnson, a senior from Binghamton who participated in this program reports that this not only helps international students to break out of their comfort zone to speak another language other than their first language, but also allows domestic students to learn about other cultures (cited in Sewall, 2010). According to Marcy P. Cohen, director of international faculty and student services at
A peer mentor is another student that provides support, encouragement and helping hand to any other students from the college who just started attending the school. Sewall (2010) explains that the University of California, Los Angeles came out with a “global-siblings” program so that American students can function as a friend and source of information to their international classmates. Generally speaking, the international students can go up to anyone of the peer mentors when problems on making new friends and school work arise. With this, the in-coming students can feel more safe and secure knowing that there will always be someone whom they can reach out when in need. Meanwhile, Fischer (2011) notes that “International liaisons” have been assigned at the dorms of Rice University as informal resources to international students, who can come by to ask any questions. In other words, students can conveniently stop by one of the stationed offices in the university housing to clear their doubts. Consequently, international students can always obtain help from them during the designated hours without having to worry if they are disturbing anyone. Sewall (2010) also writes the effort taken by Binghamton University by matching non-native English speakers with American partners to help improve their English skills and have a smooth transition into campus life. This helps international students feel less intimidating when learning a second language in a foreign country. Rebecca Johnson, a senior from Binghamton who participated in this program reports that this not only helps international students to break out of their comfort zone to speak another language other than their first language, but also allows domestic students to learn about other cultures (cited in Sewall, 2010). According to Marcy P. Cohen, director of international faculty and student services at