Degree Name
MA in International Education
Abstract
The design for an International Student Orientation outlined in this Course-Linked Capstone (CLC) has been created for use by the Office of International and Advanced Studies at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) in Saginaw, Michigan. A need for a redesign of this program arose when the institution increased its international student intake by about 300 students in a year's time. The new five-day program exists to prepare newly-arrived international students for the academic and cultural aspects of attending a higher education institution in the United States. It will also provide them with a taste of campus and student life that are largely included within the U.S. college experience. Following a needs assessment that was heavily based on student evaluations of past international orientation programs, one could easily see that the current international student orientation needed to be rebuilt to better personalize the orientation experience, while more effectively conveying essential information for the future success of each student at SVSU. The entirety of this design focuses around Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory while incorporating aspects of nonwestern learning perspectives. Special attention is placed on the intentionality of each activity or event, and the logistics of the orientation are clearly outlined. A comprehensive assessment and evaluation process is included for the purpose of gathering feedback to ensure that future orientations remain relevant to the students for which they are designed to serve.
Disciplines
International and Comparative Education
Recommended Citation
Morehead, Kendra, "A Personalized Approach to International Student Orientation at Saginaw Valley State University" (2016). Capstone Collection. 2878.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/capstones/2878