Jim McGovern, Director
Office of International Student & Scholar Services
The City College of New York has one of the most diverse student populations
of any higher institution in the nation. Among this diverse group are approximately
1,500 undergraduate and graduate students who are categorized as "international
students." Any student who does not have permanent permission to reside
in the United States, i.e., any student who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent
resident alien, is considered to be an international student. Many students
in your classes may have been born outside of the U.S. and may not be native
English speakers, but not all are considered to be international students.
The ability to permanently reside in the U.S. separates the "domestic"
students from "foreign" students.
Another difference between these groups of students is that the international
students may be less well acculturated to life in the U.S., particularly
if they are very recently arrived in this country. Although all international
students must provide proof of English language proficiency as a prerequisite
for admission, often their comprehension of spoken English is lacking because
their listening skills are not yet attuned to accents and idiomatic expressions.
Cultural differences in academic norms could present some problems in the
classroom. In many countries, university faculty members are considered
unapproachable. Students are reluctant to even engage faculty in dialogue.
The faculty member delivers lectures and the student consumes information
and for the student to even question any aspect of the professor's presentation
would be considered rude and offensive. This is very different from the
U.S. system, where students are generally encouraged to actively participate
in classroom discussions and to question professorial assertions. If student
participation in your class will be part of the final grading formula, I
suggest that this be clearly detailed in writing at the beginning of the
semester.
Plagiarism is an issue which needs to be explained clearly in your classroom.
Some international students come from societies where collaboration is a
cultural norm. The value of individualism is less highly regarded in many
cultures than in America. It is important to stress to international students
that it is their individual, unassisted efforts that will be graded. I do
conduct an orientation program for students prior to each semester where
these issues are fully explained, but not all students attend and this important
topic merits repetition so that students avoid the academic perils of being
found guilty of plagiarism.
The Office of International Student and Scholar Services of the Division
of Student Affairs is a support service for both international students
and college faculty. Please contact my office if you encounter any difficulty
in dealing with an international student in your class. This office serves
the academic mission of the college and our goal is to assist students in
achieving their educational goals. Please do not hesitate to call on us
for assistance.
Jim McGovern, Director
Office of International Student and Scholar Services
Baskerville Hall, Room B13
(212) 650-8106
E-mail: jmgcc@cunyvm.cuny.edu
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