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· IIS Home · MSU Home |
Institute for International
Studies |
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· Working with International Students · Inviting Visiting Scholars to MSU Institute for International Studies Phone: 270.762.4152 |
Faculty Development Opportunities through (page under construction) |
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· Consortial Programs · Direct Exchanges · Ad hoc Programming · Non-MSU Programs |
Each fall, representatives from both of these consortia distribute calls for proposals to all faculty on our campus. Faculty who are interested in proposing courses abroad in their disciplines are encouraged to read and respond to these proposals. Questions, requests for current proposal forms, and all inquiries may be addressed directly to the following campus representatives: CCSA Programs: Ron
Cella or Celia Wall KIIS Programs: Milton Grimes Direct Exchange Agreements Initial inquiries regarding exchange opportunities may be addressed to Dr. Michael Basile at the Institute (see links below). Because developing such participation requires discussion with individuals at the host institution, with MSU departmental and college administration, it is strongly recommended that interested faculty begin their inquiries at least a year in advance of their desired dates. Although exchange programs have been facilitated in much shorter periods, a full year makes for a smoother transition for all the parties involved. Contact: Michael Basile, Director, Institute for International Studies Ad Hoc
Programming Contact: Michael Basile, Director, Institute for International Studies Opportunities
Outside MSU Council on International
Educational Exchange. Council is one the nation's premier consortial
programs which provides students with study and work
abroad opportunities. In addition, Council also provides interested
faculty with faculty development seminars and other information.
Information is available on their website. http://www.ciee.org/
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AASCU. This professional
organization provides occasional development opportunities on specific
international locations. Designed for educators with an interest in
developing their curriculum on a specific culture, these seminars or
workshops are usually located within the Fulbright Scholars
Program.
The nation's most pretigeous award for faculty and
scholars. Application information and assistance can be provided by Melanie McCallon
at the Institute for International Studies or by contacting the program
directly on-line. US- US- US- Fulbright Alumni Initiatives Awards http://www.iie.org/cies/aia.htm Fulbright-Hayes Seminars Abroad http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/OHEP/iegps/sap.html Faculty Exchange
Centre. A
professional exchange program designed for faculty. International in
scope. Institutional and personal memberships are both available.
Much like our own exchange agreements, this program places teaching faculty
abroad while they receive their salary from MSU. American councils for
International Education. A non-profit organization with teaching and research
opportunities in the Newly Independent States (former Malone Fellowship in
Arab and Islamic Studies. Sponsored by the National Council on US-Arab Relations.
Two-week study visits to one or more countries in US_OSEAS Professional
Partnership Program and ETS Professional Development Awards. Individualized programs
lasting up to fours weeks in which recipients work with colleagues in
overseas educational advising centers to learn more about center operations
and the educational systems of host countries. Approximately six awards
annually funded by Department of State, and 2 funded by ETS. Excellent site for
funding sources in international affairs. This site provides a huge list of
organizations which provide funding for groups working in the area of
international affairs, plus additional links for fellowships, scholarships
and grants for individuals. Other organizations offering assistance
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Most faculty find that having an international student in their classroom can be both a gift and a challenge. International students bring their own backgrounds and knowledge to the classroom which can significantly enhance discussion if tapped. This page is designed to help instructors meet the benefits and challenges offered by having a non-native speaker in the classroom. I. Using the Benefits
At the same time, those very differences in background may prevent them from interfering with participation in the classroom. Most international students have a high regard for teachers and may have been taught to respect teaching by remaining silent in the classroom. This is not always the case, of course. Some students come from cultures where interrupting the teacher is an acceptable part of the classroom experience. These differences can be disconcerting when you teach. You may want one student to share and wish another would just be quiet. In the pre-semester
orientations that we provide and in our office's continuing advisement with
students, we try to encourage them to respond in the classroom, but to
respond using certain "rules" like raising your hand, and not
talking while someone else is (like the teacher!). We would hope that
all instructors would supplement this by reminding their classes that
teaching is interactive. Ask international students direct
questions. Involve them specifically in conversation in the
classroom. It may be an awkward process at the beginning, especially if
the student is not used to speaking in school and if their spoken English is
difficult to understand. At first, they may decline. Keep at
it. Be inventive. You may be surprised at what they will finally
feel comfortable in contributing. II. Dealing with the
Challenges We have found that there are four major areas of need: a) Language needs. International students who do not speak English as their first language (and there are many who do) are the first noticed by faculty. If they do not speak in the classroom, you may not notice until they hand in a paper or take an exam. You may notice that they don't seem to follow your lecture. You may find conferences with them to be extremely taxing. All international students must pass a language exam and provide a specific score to be admitted to the university. This exam, however, does not test oral skills, a major component of communication! Our office tests all new students who attend our pre-semester orientation in listening, grammar and written English. Depending on the results of these three exams, we will recommend specific English classes to those we feel would benefit. However, not all new students come to orientation and not all students who are tested will take the classes. Therefore, at the first sign that one of your students may be risking failure because of deficient English skills, please contact one of our International Student Advisors, Mark Galloway or Bill McKibben. The Advisors will work with you. The university provides
several resources for language assistance. Our office employs a tutor
to assist with classroom assignments and written English. The English
Department offers two courses specifically designed for international
students: English 109 provides help in oral skills and English 110
provides assistance with written skills. Both are 3 hour credit-bearing
courses. The Advisors also work in
cooperation with the The important point that we must all remember, however, is that our office cannot force students to participate in any English language support service. They have complied with all the requirements for admission, and are therefore fully-enrolled students. Our experience tells us that international students will respond, however, when faculty and our office work together. They have not come this distance, nor paid this amount of money, nor made their families proud, simply to fail. Please call us. b) Attendance. Poor attendance is not just an international phenomenon, of course. But if you have an international student who is repeatedly missing class, we encourage you to treat him/her as you would any other student! Talk with him first. Explain again the necessity of attending class and emphasize your particular attendance policy. Make sure that policy is written into your syllabus. If you feel you need assistance with this, please call or email an International Student Advisor. But in the end, enforce the policy. We try to discuss attendance in the American system during our orientation. You can only help supplement our discussion. c) Plagiarism. The American definition of
plagiarism, believe it or not, is different from most of the rest of the
world. Our office is very aware of this difference, and we spend some
time in orientation and with individual students trying to explain the
concept of cheating. We need your help. Please include your
department's policies on plagiarism in your syllabi, or discuss them
seriously with your classes...especially if your classes include
international students. Be explicit and firm. Address the issue
of citation with examples. More international students come here as
graduates than undergraduates. Most will therefore NOT have taken
English 102, and have never heard of the concept of citation. In some
academic cultures outside the Again, if you need help with this. If you feel the problem is significant enough to warrant special attention in your classroom, contact an International Student Advisor. Talk with the student. Be firm, but be prepared to explain plagiarism from scratch. d) Tests. Faculty often realize that international students may need additional time to complete tests, because of their slower pace in English. We sincerely appreciate your assistance with this and your effort to give all students equal time. If this is a serious problem in your classroom, then perhaps assistance with English improvement may be the solution, rather than longer testing times. Again, call our office to discuss this. |
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International scholars or faculty are a vital addition to any university campus. Murray State welcomes and encourages its own colleges, departments and individual instructors to initiate such visits from international colleagues. The process of bringing
a fellow instructor or research scholar from abroad is, of course, more
complicated than inviting a colleague from within the Both local hosts and inquiring scholars from abroad should consider the following when initiating such visits: (1) Visa needs. Visiting scholars and faculty (for any period of stay) must be on a special visa. This visa type requires certain paperwork both here and abroad. And paperwork, of course, requires time. The Institute is prepared to assist with this. Inquiries about J-1 visa requirements for short-term visitors may be sent to Mark Galloway. Inquiries about long-term employment of international faculty on the H-1b visa should be addressed to the Office of Human Resources. (2) Housing. Housing for visiting scholars entails more than just providing an apartment. Furniture, bedding, linens, kitchen utensils, etc. may be necessary in some cases. The Institute has provisions for assisting with these aspects of housing if appropriate. Additionally, the Institute maintains two houses for visiting exchange faculty. Arrangements for the use of these houses may be made under certain circumstances. Inquiries about the international houses may be made to Melanie McCallon. (3) Transportation. Public transportation is
not easily available in (4) Stipend. Most visiting scholars provide their own form of personal financial support. However, if the department or college is considering a salary, stipend, special contract or other form of financial support, this should be discussed with the Institute. Paying international visitors requires that the visitor apply for a social security number AFTER his/her arrival. This causes a delay in payment of up to one month. For short-term visitors, this can be a problem. The Institute is prepared to help with alternative ideas. Please note that stipends for scholars visiting as part of a reciprocal exchange agreement are governed by the agreement between MSU and the exchange institution. These are just four areas where the Institute's experience with dealing with international visitors may prove to be useful. One of the missions of the Institute for International Studies is to offer assistance, to answer questions, and to help provide for a comfortable and productive visit by colleagues from abroad. Please address any inquiry to: Michael Basile |
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