Creating a Culture of Respect: Teaching and Advising International Students

This session will explore best practices in teaching and advising international students whose culture and religion differ from those of the professor/advisor. The presenters include Dr. Teresa Clark and Dr. Randy Wilson, who have taught graduate-level classes, in-person and online, that included students from various countries, including China, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates. Dr. Clark also serves as an advisor to several international students pursuing the Master of Science in Human Development and Leadership. Topics will include 1) gender issues and 2) oral and written communication. The presenters will outline real-life scenarios in which gender issues have arisen, such as advising a female student whose husband accompanies her to appointments, and suggest how attendees could approach such situations for an effective outcome. Also discussed within the frame of gender issues will be one presenter’s experience serving as a female professor/advisor to male international students, and one presenter’s experience as a male professor to female international students. Concerning oral and written communication, the presenters will share challenges their international students have encountered with listening for understanding in the classroom and illustrate strategies that have ameliorated those language barriers. In addition, this session will explore evaluation methods for written and oral assignments from international students for whom English is a second language. Although this session will focus on gender issues and oral and written communication, attendees will leave with research- and practice-based insights for creating a culture of respect with the international students in their classrooms and offices