Service Alert
International students are normally limited in the number of online courses they can take, but federal authorities have temporarily relaxed this regulation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that you may have international students who are not accustomed to online modalities taking your class from Residence Halls, other parts of the United States, or from their home country. Below are a few thoughts complied from international students to consider as you move through the remainder of the semester:
1. International students who went home would probably rather be in your class. Their families, governments, or exchange programs have recalled them. They are experiencing culture shock and returning to a home very different than the one they left. For many it is a dream cut short.
2. They may be in forced home or governmental quarantine for a period of time where they may not have access to internet
3. They may be joining course / advising appointments in the middle of the night their time where they may share a room with family who are sleeping. Consider recording lectures or making assessments available for a period of 24 hours to accommodate, if possible.
4. If the mode of instruction will increase spontaneous written response in online discussion, they may be writing quickly without the opportunity to check their own writing. As we are typically forgiving when people speak with accents different from our own, consider this forgiveness in spontaneous writing when someone is not writing in their native language.
5. Some websites are not readily available in China but may be accessed through VPN, such as google products, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. WeChat does work in China. Students should reach out to you about their concerns and technology limitations for their courses to help you in your planning.
6. Many students are anxious. There is a lot of pressure on them to do well. Reassurance from their faculty will go a long way.