Academic Support for International Students

I am currently working on creating a program in cooperation with the International Club to assist international students with academic activities and coursework at Swarthmore College. This would be to specifically address ESL students who can speak, read, and write in English, but who still confront difficulties with academic work in English because of different academic styles they've been educated with- for example, little exposure to essay writing or intensive discussion at home country. There are only 8 questions and it won't take long to compete the survey. Please sincerely respond to the following questions. Thanks so much! :->

1. What year are you?

What year are you? Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

2. What do you think is the most difficult thing about the academic coursework at Swarthmore as an international student?

What do you think is the most difficult thing about the academic coursework at Swarthmore as an international student? Discussion in English - especially about the topics specific to the course material

Writing papers

Reading (including skimming)

Understanding the lecture in class

Other (please specify)

3. To assist your academic coursework, what kind of resources do you often use?

To assist your academic coursework, what kind of resources do you often use? SAM

Writing Center WA

Writing Center WAM

Tutor

TA/Clinician

Science Associate

Professor's office hour

Other (please specify)

4. How often do you use the following approximately?

	once a week	once every two weeks	once every three weeks/once a month	Intensively a lot more around the exam periods
SAM	How often do you use the following approximately? SAM once a week	once every two weeks	once every three weeks/once a month	Intensively a lot more around the exam periods
Writing Center WA	Writing Center WA once a week	once every two weeks	once every three weeks/once a month	Intensively a lot more around the exam periods
Writing Center WAM	Writing Center WAM once a week	once every two weeks	once every three weeks/once a month	Intensively a lot more around the exam periods
Tutor	Tutor once a week	once every two weeks	once every three weeks/once a month	Intensively a lot more around the exam periods
TA/Clinician	TA/Clinician once a week	once every two weeks	once every three weeks/once a month	Intensively a lot more around the exam periods
Science Associate	Science Associate once a week	once every two weeks	once every three weeks/once a month	Intensively a lot more around the exam periods
Professor's office hour	Professor's office hour once a week	once every two weeks	once every three weeks/once a month	Intensively a lot more around the exam periods

Other (please specify)

5. How helpful and effective are they?

	Extremely Helpful	Helpful	Not really	Doesn't help	N/A
SAM	How helpful and effective are they? SAM Extremely Helpful	Helpful	Not really	Doesn't help	N/A
Writing Center WA	Writing Center WA Extremely Helpful	Helpful	Not really	Doesn't help	N/A
Writing Center WAM	Writing Center WAM Extremely Helpful	Helpful	Not really	Doesn't help	N/A
Tutor	Tutor Extremely Helpful	Helpful	Not really	Doesn't help	N/A
TA/Clinician	TA/Clinician Extremely Helpful	Helpful	Not really	Doesn't help	N/A
Science Associate	Science Associate Extremely Helpful	Helpful	Not really	Doesn't help	N/A
Professor's office hour	Professor's office hour Extremely Helpful	Helpful	Not really	Doesn't help	N/A

Other (please specify)

6. There's an idea about setting up a peer mentoring between an international student and a non-international student (or international upper class student) requested by the international mentee student. The mentee foreign student can work on primarily writing and speaking on the basis of personal relationships (e.g. brainstorming/drafting academic papers or improving their rhetorical skills for academic discussions or general conversations in English). What do you think of this idea and would you be willing to participate in this mentoring program?

There's an idea about setting up a peer mentoring between an international student and a non-international student (or international upper class student) requested by the international mentee student. The mentee foreign student can work on primarily writing and speaking on the basis of personal relationships (e.g. brainstorming/drafting academic papers or improving their rhetorical skills for academic discussions or general conversations in English). What do you think of this idea and would you be willing to participate in this mentoring program? I like it

I don't like it

Not sure

Please elaborate on what you think.

7. There's another idea about creating a project-oriented activity that involves research, discussion, and final paper writing on a topic of a student's choice. For example, you will choose a topic in a group of 4-5 international/national students, research and discuss the topic getting assistance from non-international students assigned to each group, and write a final report. This will be a semester-long project in addition to regular coursework. What do you think of this idea and would you be willing to participate in this project activity?

There's another idea about creating a project-oriented activity that involves research, discussion, and final paper writing on a topic of a student's choice. For example, you will choose a topic in a group of 4-5 international/national students, research and discuss the topic getting assistance from non-international students assigned to each group, and write a final report. This will be a semester-long project in addition to regular coursework. What do you think of this idea and would you be willing to participate in this project activity? I like it

I don't like it

Not sure

Please elaborate on what you think.

8. I strongly encourage you to elaborate on your educational experiences and challenges thus far at Swarthmore. I want the College to better recognize what students struggle with in class, and work to improve what is lacking or ineffective. What kind of difficulties or differences from the educational practices in your home country do you feel at Swarthmore College? What do you find challenging about the academic coursework at Swarthmore College? (Your answers can be brief, but please be as most specific as possible, including the names of courses and type of assignments, etc.)

I strongly encourage you to elaborate on your educational experiences and challenges thus far at Swarthmore. I want the College to better recognize what students struggle with in class, and work to improve what is lacking or ineffective. What kind of difficulties or differences from the educational practices in your home country do you feel at Swarthmore College? What do you find challenging about the academic coursework at Swarthmore College? (Your answers can be brief, but please be as most specific as possible, including the names of courses and type of assignments, etc.)

Thank you for your time and honest, sincere answers!

1. Default Section

1. What year are you?

2. What do you think is the most difficult thing about the academic coursework at Swarthmore as an international student?

3. To assist your academic coursework, what kind of resources do you often use?

4. How often do you use the following approximately?

5. How helpful and effective are they?