international students support

International students and libraries: International students and libraries: maximising potentialmaximising potential

Moira BentRobinson Library

I’m going to study in

SalfordWow, lucky you! It will be much

more exciting

than here.

“…we speak of international students when we mean students who have chosen to travel to another country for tertiary study … most of their previous experience will have been of other educational systems, in cultural contexts and sometimes in a language that is different from the one in which they will now study.”

(Carroll & Ryan, 2005)

I’m going to be an International

Student!! I wonder what that means.

Do you know how many other international

students there are?

International student profile: International student profile: worldworld

Global demand for international student places:◦ 2003 – 2.1 million◦ 2020 – 5.8 million

USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada:◦ 2003 – 1 million◦ 2020 – 2.6 million

(Bohm et al., 2004)

International student profile: UKInternational student profile: UK

Domicile 2007/08 2008/09 % change

UK 1,964,310 2,027,085 3.2%

Other EU 112,150 117,660 4.9%

Non-EU 229,640 251,310 9.4%

Total 2,306,105 2,396,050 3.9%

[Source: HESA Students in Higher Education Institutions 2007/08, 2008/09]

Top 5 non EUChina: 47,035 India: 34,065USA: 14,380Nigeria: 14,345Malaysia:

12,695

Top 5 EU Ireland: 15,360Germany:

14,130France: 13,090Greece: 12,035Cyprus: 1,0370

Will they all be like me?

[Source: HESA Students in Higher Education Institutions 2008/09]

Institution International student nos

Percentage

Manchester 8,800 23%

Nottingham 7,900 24%

University College

7,125 34%

Warwick 7,080 25%

London School of Economics

6,555 68%

[Source: HESA Students in Higher Education Institutions 2008/09]

Where does everyone Where does everyone else go?else go?

Subject International students nos.

Percentage

Business & administrative studies

101,715 31%

Engineering & technology

46,055 31%

Social studies 31,365 15%

Computer science

22,190 23%

Languages 21,265 16%

[Source: HESA Students in Higher Education Institutions 2008/09]

Will they all be studying Bamboo Science?

OECD 2008USA 18.7%UK 10%Germany

7.3%France 7.3%Australia

6.9%Canada

5.5%

Where else might I have gone?

Level of studyLevel of study

Students by domicile and level of study 2008/09Domicile Postgraduate Undergraduate

UK 353,430 1,673,650

Non UK 183,385 185,585

[Source: HESA Students in Higher Education Institutions 2008/09]

SCONULSCONULProject GroupProject Group

Moira Bent

Mamtimyn

Sunuodula

Karen Senior

Marie Scopes

Literature reviewOnline surveys - UKFocus groupsEmail lists / blogsPersonal visitsLibrary / University

websites review

Research resultsResearch resultsUniversity International Strategy: 72% (36)Library International Action plan : 8% (4)Library web pages for international

students: 8% (4)Designated library staff for international

students: 25.5% (13) – 79% less than 25% of job

Staff development training: 70% - 30% included learning styles

This is too theoretical. I just want to

know what to do!

The SCONUL GuidelinesThe SCONUL Guidelines

Exclusivity versus inclusivityStrategies and policiesPractical solutions

“We need to concentrate on ensuring that we at all times give a quality experience to our students who come here.”

Mary Stiasny

Managing ExpectationsManaging Expectations

Information should be:Clear AccuratePracticalAvailable

Key Concepts: 1, 2, 14

Staff DevelopmentStaff Development

Cross-cultural awareness Different pedagogies Learning a language Plain English guidelines Diversity / international

events

Key Concepts 3, 4, 7, 16, 17

Ni Hao

Adapting ResourcesAdapting Resources

Space Social space Access / opening hours Special touches

Stock Collection development

policy International perspective International media

Key Concepts 1, 3, 15

Information LiteracyInformation LiteracyTeaching & learning stylesLearning habitsLearning attitudesFlexibility and choice

– Inductions– Subject based – One-to-one tutorials– Other support mechanisms

Key Concepts 6, 8, 11, 12, 13

PublicationsPublications

Plain English Web pages – exclusivity

> inclusivity Material in different

languages◦ Unique international

profile◦ Staff / student

involvement Glossaries

Key Concepts 4, 5, 14, 15

Umm, maybe it

wasn’t this way, did I

get it wrong?

CommunicationCommunication

Other University support services

Academic staffStudentsOther libraries

Key Concepts 4, 9, 10, 16

I wonder if I can just copy from someone

else

A few examplesA few exampleshttp://www.dur.ac.uk/library/international/ http://www.library.bham.ac.uk/searching/

infoskills/international_students.shtml http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/using/

international/ http://www.uwe.ac.uk/library/info/

international_students.htm

http://www.uel.ac.uk/lls/users/InternationalStudents.htm

SCONUL Guidelines: Library SCONUL Guidelines: Library services for international services for international studentsstudents

Guidelines:http://www.sconul.ac.uk/groups/access/papers/international_students.pdf

References:http://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/moira.bentclick on Databases of references on left.

Right, I’m off to the pub!Oh, unless

you have any questions?

Group workGroup work1 theme from Managing

expectations Staff development Adapting resources Information literacy Publications Communication

What do you do now?

What else might you do?