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Internationalisation Audit – Meeting 1

Friday 19th

April 2012, 9am – 11am

Present:

• Ross McNally

• Terry Preston

• Anthony Lewis

• Heather McKnight

• Amy Rutland

• Caroline Cheetham

• Julie Beasley

Exercise 1 – Discussion on Baseline data surrounding International Student Numbers

Total numbers at around 15.4% (including EU and Non-EU International Students) – discussion on

numbers in baseline data paper:

Cohorts of international students are concentrated in particular schools and are more likely to be

found in vocational courses that have direct routes to employability i.e. business school, pharmacy.

There may be a shift in numbers next year as the rules change for EU student fees; however, the

university will be continuing to extend its overseas recruitment where possible.

The numbers breakdown by school, in some schools the number of international students is linked

to retention. The business school have been carrying out work to try to better support their

international students and to address the issues of students leaving and under attaining. This work

has included addressing classroom integration by ensuring groups are mixed, mentoring schemes

and additional study support for international students.

Most international students are based around Mithras/Cockcroft campuses which will prove useful

in terms of targeting/piloting activities.

Exercise 2 – International Student Experience in the context of Brighton SU

• Difficult to allocate issues to one area within the union and some issues raised by

International Students it is difficult to see where they lie

• Many issues are cross zonal and the answer would not lie in one area

• There are many issues where the answer would lie with the university and it would be the

responsibility of the union to lobby the university

• International student involvement in student activism and the union generally may be

difficult due to the cultural perceptions of some students and fears around losing their place

at university. Fear of the policy has also been an issue faced by international students from

certain countries that may have prevented them from reporting crimes or asking for help.

A number of the suggested solutions/activities were discussed to some of the issues raised:

• Buddying and mentoring schemes

• More orientation events

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• Language help from SU such as setting up a Tandem language swap scheme to benefit home

and international students discussed – there have been examples in other unions where this

has been linked to accreditation.

• Cultural events

• Games evenings - games such as chess do not require a great deal of spoken English but

created a sense of community.

Executive and Union Council Democracy Student Experience

Visa Issues

Additional help for students on

courses with languages

Lack of transparency on fees

Pre-arrival information

UKBA law changes

Issues with course fees

Fear of deportation if involved

with the union/student

protests

Issues around how

international students feel

about their experience

Capturing positive experiences

Issues of discrimination

Accommodation

Issues with group work

Cultural adjustments

Understanding basic issues like

crossing roads and ordering in

cafes

Making friends

Orientation activities

Religious groups

Marketing and Comms Operations/HR Finance

Info overload in induction

Combating press coverage of international

students

Informing International Students about what the

SU is and does

Transparency of student fees

Accents as a language barrier

Academic Affairs Zone Campus and Community Zone

Stress/pressure/failure

Language courses

Language support for technical terms

Online study resources /lectures/notes

Cost of living

Course reps – unfamiliarity with

Academic culture

Group work issues

Issues with slow feedback

Welcome for Erasmus students

Communicating plagiarism

Access to study skills classes

UK specific course materials

Integration issues

Integration in class

Tutor support

Crisis in home country

Offering an international menu

Student guides from airport

Difficulty understanding accents

Communicating with International Exchange

Students

Accessing advice services easily

Cultural differences/Adjustment (cafes/road

crossing)

Weather and heating costs

Ongoing induction process

Lack of mixed accommodation

Negative news stories about international

students

Accommodation

Religious groups

Events and Activities Zone Wellbeing Zone

Lanugage Courses/Support

UK trips

More targeted events

Childcare

Ongoing induction process

Weather and heating costs

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Alcohol free events

Orientation activities

International society

Ongoing induction activities beyond first couple

of weeks

Erasmus student events

Mental Health issues

Lack of mixed accommodation

Religion

Depression/isolation

Cultural difference/adjustment

UKBA visa changes to post study work visas

Difficulties opening a bank account

Accessing medical facilities/terminology

Language Courses/Support

Offering an international menu

Negative news stories about international

students

Crisis in home country

Student advice

Accommodation

Discrimination

Exercise 3 –Discussion on outward Mobility

• Erasmus numbers are low and outward Erasmus half that of inward (this is the same as

many other organisations as Britain is a desirable destination).

• There are a number of issues with Erasmus as an outward mobility option. It poses

restrictions in terms of modularisation of course and ensuring qualifications fit; the

timescales for being away and issues with relationships; jobs and families for some students.

• Many students feel that language is a barrier, however, many Erasmus opportunities are

English speaking. There is also the requirement for a great deal of advance planning – many

students are not aware of such opportunities until it is too late to organise.

• Research is underway in Scotland to see if employers would value short-term project based

mobility windows as highly as experiences such as Erasmus exchanges – the results of this

will be available in May.

• Short-term project/enterprise based opportunities would open up these experiences to

more students and could be linked with enterprise/work experience more effectively.

• These projects should be innovative and produce real life outcomes that will be beneficial to

students and the economies of the countries they are engaging with. Ross has been

discussing plans with careers service looking at opportunities for international projects and

European funding.

• Look at offering accredited modules on terminology and technical terms as part of the

degree package

• Overseas campuses – we have unfulfilled responsibilities to students studying on courses

accredited by the University of Brighton who are not in UK campuses – this is an issue that

many institutions are facing and consideration should be given to how we can reach these

groups of students.

• Durham University has a model where they support and train students to raise funds to gain

international experience that is charity based. A similar model could be used for enterprise

projects and sponsorship.

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• NUS are looking at issues of internationalisation and supporting students at overseas

campuses – need to link up with the work they are doing in these areas.

• There are a number of current initiatives at the university already happening – need to link

in with these existing projects.

Exercise 4 – Discussion and Audit Paper

Aim 1: Democracy and Representation

Notes Audit Question 0 1 2 3 4

1. What proportion of international students

vote in union elections?

X

2. What proportion of international students

stand as union officers?

X

We do not measure this at

present so numbers are

estimates

3. How many international students stand as

course reps?

?

Nothing targeted although

overall numbers have

increased

4. What have you done to increase

participation of international students in

your elections?

X

5. Have you got a part-time/full-time

international student officer or similar. If

so are you able to identify the benefits of

international students as a result of this

position?

X

6. Do you have any international students on

your officer team in roles other than

international representative?

X

7. Do you have an international students’

committee or association? If so what are

its main activities?

X

Brighton SU is not as

committee driven as some

unions – while there are not

international students on

very committee they are

generally interacting

proportionally well in line

with other students.

8. Do you have international representatives

on all of your committees?

X

9. Do you have a home student

representative in your international

committee/association?

X

Although international

students are not attending

their views can be

represented by reps that are

attending. Reps can attend

Fringe events on

internationalisation.

10. What proportion of your delegation to

NUS Conference is made up by

international students?

X

Caroline Cheetham 11. Do any of your members attend the X

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Notes Audit Question 0 1 2 3 4

attending Train the Trainer

Internationalisation/Cultural

Awareness event

International Students Conference or

networking days?

Governance review and the

Big Plan took account of

diverse student groups in

planning and consultation.

12. Does your union’s strategic plan take

account of the needs of international

students?

X

Developing now 13. Does your Union have an

Internationalisation Strategy?

X

14. How does your Union ensure that

International Students are involved with

setting the strategic direction?

X

This applies to home

students and international

students on matters of

internationalisation as well

as student support.

Forum/committee on

internationalisation to be

one of the outcomes of

strategy?

15. Do you have a forum to bring together

student representatives and staff on

international matters?

X

16. Are international students represented at

all levels throughout the university?

X

Discussed idea of having a

specific trustee post

reserved for non-EU

international student in

future.

17. If your union has student trustees, do you

receive applications from international

students? If not what could you do to

encourage applications from International

Students?

X