Working Together to Support
International Students’
Well-Being
November 7, 2012
Berkeley International Office and
Counseling & Psychological Services
* Outcomes
* International Student Population
* Advising Challenges
* Student Concerns
* Cultural & Educational Differences
* Challenges Accessing Mental Health Services
* Case Studies
* Resources
*
1.
2.
3.
Explore the challenges advisors face
when working with international students
* Understand the key challenges faced by
international students
* Enhance awareness of educational and cultural
differences
* Discuss how these differences impact advising
sessions and service delivery
Discuss Skills & Strategies for Referral
with Campus Partners
Strategies for Self-Care
*
* International Students
*UC Berkeley currently hosts 4,926
international students (not including students
at Summer Session or UC Extension).
*In Fall 2012, 1,878 students began a new
program of study.
*57.84 % of all students are undergraduate
level.
*42.16 % of all students are graduate level.
*
*
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT
2003-2012
*
Top Graduate Programs of Study
Top Undergraduate Programs of Study
Rank
1
2
3
Major
Undeclared: College of
Letters & Science
Total
Economics
Electrical Engineering &
Computer Sciences
157
Rank
1
1108
Major
Business Administration
(M & PhD)
Total
175/38
2
Law-LLM (M)
143
3
Electrical Engineering &
Computer Sciences (PhD)
135
147
4
Statistics
94
4
5
Chemical Engineering
83
5
6
Business Administration
70
7
Applied Mathematics
61
Mechanical Engineering
61
9
Architecture
53
10
Civil Engineering
46
Mechanical Engineering
(PhD)
Computer Science (PhD)
124
94
6
Business Administration:
Eve & Weekend (M)
7
Civil & Environmental
Engineering (PhD & M)
8
Economics (PhD)
62
9
Physics (PhD)
61
10
Chemistry (PhD)
52
77
76/42
*
* Talk to your neighbors about advising
challenges that you face when working with
international students.
* US & Campus culture shock
* Language barrier
* Taking on too much, rushing to finish
* Isolation
* Cultural issues- hierarchy, shame in asking for assistance,
privacy
* Academic differences & expectations
* Financial issues
* Pressure from home/family
* Limited options when in academic difficulty
* Visa/immigration Concerns
*
* Student Concerns
Personal
* Finances/Financial support
* On-campus employment
* Post-graduation
employment
* Housing
Social & Cultural
* School/life balance
* Communication & Cultural
Differences
* Friendships with Americans
* Understanding spoken
American English
Academic
* Keeping up with reading,
writing assignments
* Discussion participation
* Difficulty participating in
study groups, group work
* Relating to US classmates
*
Personal
* Finances/Financial Support
* Departmental
funding/support
* Post-graduation employment
* Housing
* Understanding US medical
insurance & services
* U.S taxes
* School/life balance
*
Social & Cultural
* Communication &
cultural difference
* Understanding spoken
American English
* Friendships with
Americans
* Understanding American
values
Thinking Critically……………………….........…...Rote Memorization
Interactive Classroom…………...……………….........…..Lecture Style
Self-selected classes…………...………………..Pre-established classes
Citing………………………...............................................…...Copying
Competition………………………...............................…...Cooperation
Direct Communication…………...………….. Indirect Communication
Focus on Originality………….........………………..Focus on Tradition
Focus on Individual………….............…………..Focus on Community
*
* Challenges Accessing
Mental Health Resources
• International students may not
realize that they need help for
emotional or mental health
problems.
• In general, very few international
students receive counseling or
therapy from a professional
*
* Note that many
Top Sources of Support
1
Friend
2
Family Member
3
Roommate
4
Significant Other
5
Religious Counselor
international students
may not seek support
from anyone
*
* No recognition of need
* Prefer to deal with issues on their own
* Perception that stress is normal at the university
* Support from other non-clinical sources
* Don’t perceive needs as serious
* Lack of time
* Think problem will correct itself
* Question whether therapy is helpful
* Worry about what others will think
* Privacy concerns
*
*
*
*
Mental Health Service Utilization by Depression Severity
and Student Type
1
0
Service Utilization
Low
High
-1
Domestic
-2
-3
-4
-5
International
Depression Severity
Mental Health Service Utilization by Depression Severity and
Race
3
2
1
Service Utilization
*
0
-1
Asian
Low
High
Black
-2
Hispanic
-3
Native American
-4
-5
-6
White
Depression Severity
*
1st
only point of contact
*
*Counseling is NOT mandatory, on the other
hand, it is important to inform the student and
make referrals as needed
* Respect privacy but do not guarantee confidentiality
* Listen attentively, express concerns about the overall well-
being
* Discuss,as needed, the potential implication on academic
status
* Provide referral information and resources
* Try to get others involved: friends/family/mentor/advisor as
necessary
* Consult with CPS staff/coworkers/supervisors as needed
* Consult with BIO advisors as needed to understand signs or
access other services
* If it’s an urgent situation: Call police (911) or use crisis
services.
* Tang Center is open from 10am-5pm, Monday-Friday for walkin counseling.
*Case Studies
* A 20 year old Chinese female student in her 2nd
semester at Cal.
* Intends to pursue Business major. She really wanted to
study Art History, but parents expect her to study
Business.
* Comes to your office after being cited for plagiarism by
a professor.
* States that she has been experiencing stomach issues
which put her behind in course work.
*
* What are your initial reactions? What do you think is
going on for Lisa?
* What further information would you like to obtain
about Lisa?
* Are there assumptions that you may be making about
Lisa as she sits with you in the office?
* Where are the boundaries in what you can do in your
role?
* What are the resources for Lisa and how can you
connect her to them?
* What if Lisa seemed shy about speaking to you in
English?
* What if Lisa told you…
* She lives alone, has few friends
*
*
*25-year old married male senior transfer international
student from Chile, majoring in Psychology
*Walked in for dropping classes past the deadline
*He is currently on academic probation (GPA dropped
from 3.0 to 1.5 due to failing of 3 classes last semester).
He has missed more than 50% of his classes this
semester.
*Started crying 5 minutes into the conversation, saying “I
am not sure how long will I be able to make it…” and
“…nobody cares about me…”
*When asked later, stated that his father passed away
recently in a car accident back at home and his wife
filed for divorce about 2 months ago.
* What stands out about the case? What are some of your
concerns about the student?
* How do you make referrals?
* What if the student is resistant towards the idea of
counseling?
*
* Resources & Self-Care
* Recognize and accept limitations
* Consult and refer to professional counselor whenever appropriate
* Set appropriate boundaries
* You are not alone! Seek social support from coworkers/supervisors
* Self-care: regular eating/sleeping schedule, exercise, interpersonal
relationships, hobby/interests, relaxation, etc.
*
*
www.uhs.berkeley.edu/students/counseling
*Counseling for students
* Brief individual and couples counseling
* Drop-in counseling for urgent concerns
* Groups
* Career counseling and assessments
* Psychiatric services
*Consultation and Outreach Services
* Workshops for students and student groups
* Training for faculty and staff
* Phone consultation about students of concern
* Support after campus deaths or traumatic events
*BIO Services & Support
Programs
*Individual Daily Drop-Ins & Appointments
*Academic & Personal Adjustment
*Financial Issues
*Campus Policies
*Visa Related Matters
*Employment Benefits
*Fall & Spring Orientations
*Workshops & Webinars: Financial aid, academic success,
career exploration, personal success
* http://Internationaloffice.berkeley.edu