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The Prime Minister’s Initiative (PMI)

Good Practice Guides

International students under 18: guidance and good practice

International students under 18: guidance and good practice

The issues relating to international students under the age of 18 are varied, complex and sensitive, due to legislation, differences between jurisdictions and different obligations on different types of education provider. This guide draws together descriptions of regulatory requirements and examples of good practice, provides sector and country-specific guidance where applicable, and brings together general points of relevance where sectors can learn from one another.
2008, A5, 148pp, ISBN 1 870679 46 6
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International students under 18: guidance and good practice

Mentoring schemes for international students: a practical guide

Mentoring is generally accepted to be a powerful tool for helping people through difficult situations and periods of transition. International students beginning a period of study in the UK face particular challenges in adapting to their new environment, and this guide provides practical support to staff in HE and FE institutions who are considering setting up mentoring schemes specifically for international students. It covers all the major points you should consider before setting up such a scheme and as well as sample documents for you to use as the basis for setting up schemes of your own.
2008, A5, 64pp, ISBN 1 870679 44 X
International students under 18: guidance and good practice

Planning and running orientation programmes for international students

When they begin their period of study in the UK, international students are removed from the cues, clues and familiar landscape of their own culture. More than home students, they are removed from their usual support networks and mechanisms. Many of your new students will be lacking direction, not knowing where to go, literally or metaphorically. Orientation programmes are an essential way of welcoming international students to the UK and to their new institution, and a valuable way of imparting a wide range of information relevant to their stay. This guide provides guidance, ideas and a list of practical items that you can use as an aid to designing orientation events for your students. 4
2008, A5, 120pp, ISBN 1 870679 47
International students under 18: guidance and good practice

Volunteering and international students: a practical guide

Experiencing British culture is an important part of an international student’s time in the UK; it is a large part of why they choose to study here. And institutions welcome volunteering schemes as they increase students’ employability, as well as providing a way of strengthening community links. This guide is an overview of the issues that you should think about when starting a volunteering scheme using international students as volunteers. It addresses what you should consider at each stage, from ways in which volunteering is perceived by people from different cultures, to additional risks and legal issues, to issues around recruiting international students.
2008, A5, 76pp, ISBN 1 870679 45 8
International students under 18: guidance and good practice

International students in crisis
by Neil Gaskin

College and university staff all too often find themselves faced with international students experiencing crisis, including those of a personal, political, financial, medical or legal nature. Such events may concern only a single student, or groups from one or more countries. International students trying to cope in difficult circumstances may face additional complications when compared with home students because of distance from family and friends, immigration issues, and differences of language and culture. Standard institutional procedures designed for home students may therefore not be appropriate in some of these cases, and staff in the front line may find themselves dealing with difficult issues in a pressured situation.

This guide looks first at some of the main factors common to different types of crisis, considering the issues they raise for students and those around them, including both other students and staff. It also looks at particular types of crisis. These include a student experiencing assault or harassment, being accused of a serious crime, going missing, having mental health problems, serious injury or physical illness, or at worst, dying. It also considers groups of students being affected by crisis in the home country.

The guide aims to provide the international student adviser with a range of practical resources, including checklists of issues to consider, models of good practice and useful publications and organisational contacts for further information.

With risk management now being a standard part of good management, the book should also be read by managers wishing to ensure that they are prepared for crises involving international students. It stresses the role of institutional policy and procedures in dealing effectively with international students in crisis, and the importance of ensuring front-line staff are properly trained and supported in their work.

2002, A5, 112pp, ISBN 1 870679 36 9