Parallel sessions C - Tuesday 13 July, 9.15-10.15am

Parallel sessions 1 - Single slots

C5. Chats and tweets: using the internet to improve the international student experience.

Over the last 18 months the International Student Support team at Sheffield Hallam has developed the use of blogs, text downloads, Facebook, Twitter, Online chat rooms and Podcasts to promote social events, offer academic advice to international students and engage them more fully with the wider community and British students. This presentation will discuss the advantages and some of the challenges of this style of communication with students.

Join us to share your online experiences, find out what our students did, what worked, what didn't work and plan similar developments in your own institution. We demonstrate the use of new technology to communicate with international students for a variety of purposes and create a forum to share experiences of using online resources and develop new ideas and applications.

Target audience: student support staff, advisers, students' union, admissions and recruitment advisers

Presenters: Andrew Bromley & Viv Thom, Sheffield Hallam University

C6. The role of IELTS and English language proficiency in enhancing the international student experience.

This presentation will focus on why setting the right English language requirements enables international students to achieve academic, social and employment success and have a more satisfying experience while studying at a UK education institution.

The presentation will focus on the following:

• an overview of the IELTS test; its construction, format and delivery.
• IELTS scores explained – which scores are right for admission to your courses to ensure your students do have the best experience when they are here.
• how IELTS scores compare with Cambridge main suite scores
• ensuring the right score is also a genuine score

The session aims to:

• give the audience an overview of the IELTS test in general and raise awareness of the test as being a reliable and secure indicator of English language proficiency
• highlight the importance of choosing the correct band score to enhance the international student experience

This presentation is suited to those working in admissions, student support, or anyone who sets policy around entry requirements, or language.

Presenters: Carly Moulding & Stephen Carey, IELTS, British Council

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C7. Tracking the international student experience at further education (FE) colleges in the UK

In early 2010, research was commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to examine the expectations and experiences of non-EU students who undertake an FE course in the UK.

The study aimed to highlight areas of good practice and to inform areas for development, with the overall aim of improving the experience for this group of learners. i-graduate will present topline findings from the study

Presenter: Will Archer, i-Graduate

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C8. Institutional practice & PBS

(Repeated as D9)

The purpose of the session is to consider aspects of institutional practice in relation to points based systems at different stages in the student journey including pre-arrival, arrival and continuing study.

Consideration will be given to record keeping and reporting activities and how these are translated into policy and procedure that supports compliance while maintaining the immigration status of the student and the reputation of the institution.

The challenge of trying to ensure that students subject to immigration control are treated equally to other groups of students in academic and other areas will be considered.

By the end of this session, participants will:

• recognise good practice in indentifying internal policies which promote equality
• be able to identify the different aspects of the student journey
• understand how to ensure international students are treated equally to other groups

Target audience: PBS administrators, managers (advisory, specialist support), policy/quality providers

Presenters: Helen Eastham, The Queen’s University Belfast & Catherine Marston, Universities UK

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C9. Exit strategies: preparing students to plan for life after their studies

How does your institution prepare students to move on from their course, to think about the realities of finding work and/or going home? We support students before they join us, during their time with us -what about the next stage? But, when does the student experience really end? What responsibilities do we have?

‘Exit strategies’ offers a chance to share ideas and experience about ‘re-orientation’; what to cover; who is our audience and how best to reach them; who can we work with and what resources do we need.

This session aims to provide tools and enthusiasm to plan appropriate re-orientation activities. At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• plan a programme to prepare their students for leaving their institutions
• access resources for themselves and their students
• recognise what is realistic for their situation.

Presenter: Freda Cammack, Oxford Brookes University

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C10. Permission to work: students & their dependants

Due to changes in the immigration system in 2010, work permission for Tier 4 students and their family members has become more complicated.

This session will clarify who can and cannot work in relation to the length of the Tier 4 student’s immigration permission and their level of study – both of which can have an impact on family members as well as the student themselves and on whether the student’s course can include a work placement.

While information about this year’s changes will have been included in UKCISA’s ‘Stop Press’ courses in May, this session will give participants a chance for greater discussion about work permission for all with student immigration leave and their dependants – not just of those granted Tier 4 leave quite recently.

Presenter: Advice & Training Team, UKCISA

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