Sessions E - Friday 1 July, 9.00-9.40am

E1. PBS: how Bournemouth University has managed the juggling act

There is no PBS compliance team at Bournemouth University, and the responsibility for developing the CAS process, the PBS policies, compliance and reporting lies within the International Student Support Team. The session will include a brief summary of how the process was set things up over the last year, and an update on how the ISA role has developed, including being responsible for reporting and having no compliance team at BU.

Presenter: Barbara Montagna, Bournemouth University

E2. Online cross-cultural training to assist with compliance

The session is for anyone who would like to learn about basic cultural theory and will give food for thought about how they might use this knowledge to benefit their students. The session will follow the case study of how UEL developed a simple cross-cultural online tool, what the thinking behind it was, and how it might develop in the future.

The session will cover:

• cross-cultural communication theory for everyone
• ways in which culture influences student experience and issues of compliance
• UEL case study
• taking part in the exercise
• the next step: how can your institution use these principles? How could we develop further? How can your institution get involved?

Presenter: David Kimber, University of East London

E3. Making intercultural cool

Find out about a new programme which trains home and international students to be Intercultural Ambassadors with a mission to motivate their peers to venture out of comfort zones and make the most of being part of a multicultural student community. You will hear how ambassadors were recruited and trained and are being supported to develop and deliver new intercultural projects and enhance the intercultural impact of existing activities on campus. Also how we will evaluate the impact of the programme and learning points from working with the ambassadors and with the many sections of the University and Students' Union contributing to the programme.

Presenter: Katy Manns, University of Leeds

E4. International students: expectations and reality compared

This international student project measured the expectations of international students as they enrolled on a programme in a Scottish university and compared these to the realities toward the end of the first trimester. Demographic details, expectations about their programme and life at University were explored during induction sessions, the subsequent realities and their academic performance was added to the data set at the end of the first semester. Areas in which the reality does not meet initial expectations will be discussed and universities' responsibilities to ensure students arrive with realistic expectations are explored.

Presenters: Karen Thomson & Sara Milne, Glasgow Caledonian University

E5. (combined with E10) Predeparture support

This session reports on two PMI-funded pilot projects to improve predeparture support:

Bringing students and alumni together before travel to the UK

UCL Union provided student society leaders funding and support for peer-to-peer activities in 10 countries. This presentation will provide an overview of the activities that took place and the obstacles of setting up events abroad. Overall, the session should better equip you to decide on whether to promote pre-departure events.

Pre-departure support from students' union societies

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) undertook a project to help better prepare international students for the British postgraduate education experience, by arranging links with alumni in their own country before departure. Alumni ambassadors were appointed in Nigeria, Kenya and India, and students offered places at LSHTM were invited to a panel discussion followed by an Alumni Event. 45 students attended these events, and of these 11 later came to London. Evaluation of student, ambassador and staff views, demonstrate the benefits of such arrangements, which have substantially augmented the student experience and contributed to greater student satisfaction.

Presenters: Diana Hawk, UCL Union and Alice Perry, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

E6. Providing a compliant welcome (repeat of D1)

Sponsor duties under PBS include recording passport and UK status documents, which can be painstaking. MMU created a system where students are invited to pre-enrolment sessions, within a compulsory welcome programme. Students receive a personalised boarding pass; resembling a flight boarding card. This explains where students "check in" for pre-enrolment and what documents to bring. It includes arrival, welcome and local information. It became an enjoyable experience, familiar from their flying. Documents checked by staff and saved electronically. ISAs provided personalise advice for those with issues. This session is for those involved in orientation, welcome, compliance or UKBA audit areas.

Presenters: Thereza Bandouna, Nicola Ross & Rebecca Bradley, Manchester Metropolitan University

E7. Encouraging friendships between international & UK students

Our evaluation surveys over the last 3 years show a significant increase in the proportion of international students meeting and making friends with British students during orientation/freshers week. Find out what we've changed in order to achieve this, get some ideas for projects you could implement at your own institution and see how we're planning to improve things further. Suitable for anyone who is interested in integration and/or orientation activities.

Presenter: Caroline Howlett, Bournemouth University

E8. Supporting working international students – the Bath experience

This session will be a general introduction to international working students regulations and the support offered by NASES, National Association of Student Employment Services. This will be followed by a case study from JobLink, the Jobshop at University of Bath Student' Union, focussing on some of the issues and worries that employers have about employing international students and how we overcome these. It will also look at ways we help students find part-time, temporary and vacation employment.

Presenter: Becky Gallagher, University of Bath Students' Union

E9. Supporting the international student: a BAC perspective

The independent sector, with its strong focus on customer service, has been providing high quality, tailored support for international students for many years. This review from the British Accreditation Council brings together case studies from across the independent sector. Whilst the range of institutions accredited by BAC is extensive and diverse, the majority enrol substantial numbers of international students and accordingly have comprehensive policies and procedures in place to ensure the welfare of international students.

Presenters: Dr Gina Hobson, & Caroline Greves, British Accreditation Council

*NEW* E10 Enhancing the international student experience (repeat of D5)

Bangor University has introduced a number of 'buddy schemes' to assist new students to settle in to University life. One of these is the International Student Ambassador Scheme. This involves recruiting (and rewarding) a number of international postgraduate students as Ambassadors who are the face of the international student body at Bangor. They assist in both recruiting/marketing and also student welfare/support. The session will showcase the initiative in the context of issues affecting international students when they move to a new country and culture.

Presenter: Alan Edwards, Bangor University

*Change to programme: Bringing students and alumni together before travel to the UK (originally listed as E10) has been combined with E5*

 

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