Fostering International and Multilingual Student Success

This cohort is facilitated by Dr. Ann Smith, Internationalizing the Campus and Curriculum (ICC), and Dr. LeeAnne Godfrey, Minnesota English Language Program (MELP), whose positions are supported by the International Student Academic Services Fee. This cohort will be integrated with our spring 2024 workshop series: Conversations Centering International and Multilingual Students.

This semester-long program will bring together a small cohort of instructors and instructional staff every two weeks via webinars, discussion/reflection, and action planning (total of ~15 hours) to learn and support one another in efforts to better engage international and multilingual students in class. Participants will read a common text and will delve into the topics of each chapter of Fostering International Student Success in Higher Education (Shapiro, Farrelly, & Tomaš, 2023): 

• Introduction: Back to Basics (foundational information)
• Supporting Cultural Adjustment and Inclusion 
• Supporting Language Development with Linguistically Inclusive pedagogy 
• Effective and Equitable Assignments and Assessments 
• Supporting the Whole Student Across the Curriculum 

Shapiro, S., Farrelly, R., & Tomaš, Z. (2023). Fostering international student success in higher education (2nd ed.). TESOL Press International Association and NAFSA.

This professional development topic is important for the following reasons: 

• In 2022-23, there were more than 1 million international students (IS) in the U.S. (source: IIE, Open Doors Report), and institutions of higher education are seeking to increase IS enrollments, including the UMN. 
• International students' classroom experiences must be improved, as international students often report marginalizing classroom experiences, to the point of feeling invisible, and are sometimes fearful due to xenophobic responses and microagressions. 
• The benefits of global diversity are well established in the literature, but to be fully realized it requires knowledge, intention, and skill on the part of instructors to ensure all students feel valued and engaged. 
• Alignment with:
  • Campus Internationalization and DEI efforts 
  • UMN’s MPact 25 Strategic Plan (Commitment 4: Community and Belonging)
  • UMN Regents Policies on International Education and Engagement and the Teaching and Learning section of the Mission Statement 

This is an overview of the cohort calendar; more detailed information will be provided to participants. For this cohort to be as effective and meaningful as possible, attendance is critical. If you are interested in this cohort, review the calendar carefully to ensure your availability. Please connect with the facilitators if you have any conflicts. Aside from the kick-off and final wrap-up meetings, all cohort discussion meetings will be 1 hour long and TBD based on participant schedules and locations.