Advising & classroom resources

Connect with International Education & Engagement (IEE) if specific concerns arise.

Teaching & Advising

• Get to know your international students– learn how to pronounce their names (visit the Namecoach resource here), what brought them here, and what their interests and strengths might be.
• Recognize that language proficiency is not always the primary barrier to academic success; most international students struggle more with academic writing and the volume of reading assigned. Help international students to prioritize readings and refer students to resources on campus.
• Students may have accents, please be willing to be patient for students to say what they need. 
• A fast pace of lecture makes effective note-taking difficult for students, particularly for non-native speakers of English.
• Add visuals and closed captions for recordings to support understanding and comprehension. This is even helpful for native speakers. Reinforcing content by modeling/showing visuals can be helpful for retention.
• Be observant of the usage of American jargon when addressing international students. While colloquialisms are common to American students, international students may have no frame of reference for some phrases.
• Repetition is key; Speak slowly and repeat often.
• Encourage students to utilize office hours, explain what office hours are for, and send follow-up emails to provide information in writing.
• Each student has different immigration and visa requirements and restrictions, including rules on course selection.  The wrong advice can have serious implications.  Please contact the International Student & Scholar Advisor with any questions.

Groups/Among Students

• Promote smaller conversations among students in the classroom; for example, talk to your neighbor for a few minutes, or use writing prompts to give all students time to compose their thoughts.
  • Consider assigning groups in class so as to avoid international students being challenged to find a group. Other students may unintentionally assume that an international student doesn't understand and will need support.
• Be observant of what students say and yourself and how they might be based on cultural stereotypes/assumptions.
• Do not group international students’ experiences altogether; remember that each student has unique culture and thoughts.
• Do not expect one student to have the answers to what life is like for an entire culture/race/ethnicity/nationality.

Assignments

• Distinguish between assignments where the thinking/process issues are most important (and grammar is less important), and those assignments that need to be polished/summative/final where grammar issues are important.
• Academic integrity norms are different in some cultures. International students are not necessarily aware of the American norms in how to paraphrase or the mechanics of how to translate things into their own words, especially if English is their second language.
• International students do not always learn US English in their home countries; British English is frequently taught in many countries.

If any questions arise, please contact international@uwlax.edu or 608.785.8016.

• Start talking to students early in their first year of study and consider when the best time is for a student to go abroad/away. 
• Encourage students to browse the UWL IEE Education Abroad website.

Education Abroad/Away 101 

• Students must attend an Education Abroad 101 Session before they can meet with education abroad advisors. Please promote 101 and direct students here to learn more about studying abroad/away.
  • Students only have to attend a session once. It is offered multiple times a week every week during the year and lasts approximately 30 minutes.
• All faculty/staff are welcome to come to a session if they would like to learn more about education abroad/away as well.

Timeframe

• • Students can study at any time once they are sophomore standing; for a semester, an academic year, a summer term, or a winter term.  
    • Students planning to go abroad/away in their senior year or last semester may encounter more challenges with financial aid funding and/or timely transfer course completion. 
  • Students start narrowing down narrowing down their choices 1 year - 9 months before their desired term abroad. Typically, these are the application deadlines (but always direct the student to their direct program to confirm);
    • September 15: Winter, Spring Programs
    • March 1: Summer, Fall, Academic Year programs  
    • February 15: National Student Exchange (NSE)
    • Faculty-led programs can be earlier and will vary by program.

Academic Considerations

• All majors and fields are eligible to study abroad/away (even those with health career aspirations). There are many options, but we encourage students to plan ahead.
• UWL International students can study abroad.
• Help students identify which courses, gen eds, and electives they still must complete at UWL. 
• Offer advice regarding any courses that may not or should not be taken abroad/away (if applicable)
  • NOTE: Students can take their last 30 credits abroad or away. 
• If a semester program does not fit into their curriculum/schedule, suggest they look at a summer or winter program. 
• To transfer courses back from abroad/away students must follow the processes on our Transferring Courses page.
  • All students planning to study abroad must complete an Education Abroad Academic Plan.
    • Students must get their courses approved through this process, we will not accept any approvals that where not received through the academic plan.
    • On the plan it is stated “It is your responsibility to find the classes you want to take at the program abroad and find the equivalents, but you should meet with your academic advisor to discuss your plan and how your courses fit into your program.”
  • Students studying in the U.S. through NSE must follow the off-campus course transfer process with Records and Registration.
• Help students plan their course schedule upon their return to UWL (if applicable). 
• Don’t be surprised to get a message from a student who is studying overseas or away as the UWL registration period approaches. They may need to have their advising hold removed in order to register for courses and might need advice on next semester's courses. 

Finances

• Refer students to IEE & Financial Aid for financial aid and financing questions. You can direct students to our afford page.
• For most of our programs financial aid will apply.
• There are many scholarships available just for study abroad.

Internships & Undergraduate Resources 

• If a student is interested in internships and/or research abroad, please refer them to IEE as there are often time-required assessments and visa issues that must be discussed with the student prior to departure. You can refer them to our page on internships & research. 

Identities Abroad

• Personal identity can impact a student differently while abroad/away. Identities Abroad/Away & Testimonials is a great space to help students think about their identity in choosing a location; the site has identity specific resources and student testimonials to help students plan their experience.

Supporting students to speak meaningfully about their time abroad/away should begin before a student departs for their program, not just after they return.  Advisors can help students go beyond the basics by asking questions to help students better prepare, better experience, and better reflect on their time. 

Program Selection

• Have you attended and Education Abroad 101 session?
• Have you started searching programs on IEE's website? 
• What programs most interest you?  What classes can you take in that program? 
• Did you know that you can talk to an education abroad/away advisor if you have unanswered questions? 

Before Departure

• What led you to choose this program? 
• How would you describe your feelings about going on your program (i.e. nervous, excited, unsure)? 
• What are you most excited to experience in this program? 
• What do you think will be one of the most challenging aspects of your time in the program? 

During Program

• What has been your easiest adjustment? 
• What are you most surprised about by your host country/culture? 
• How do you think this experience will complement your education at UWL? 
• What are your plans upon your return? 

After Program

• What do you feel the most accomplished about? 
• What's one thing you would have done differently? 
• What would you tell an employer who is unsure about the benefits of education abroad? (Hint:  check out the Eagle Advantage tips) 
• How has your transition been upon your return home and campus?  Is there anything that would be helpful to you? 

General Information

• What is an Education Abroad Academic Plan?
  • The academic plan is the form in which students must complete to plan the courses they wish to take abroad and get approval for them to transfer back as specic UWL credit.
  • Plans are submitted to IEE through a DocuSign form and then each course is sent to the correct department for approval/denial. Students cannot receive approval any other way.
  • Courses taken abroad that have not gone through the plan or were denied approval will transfer back as general elective (GEL 000L) credit.
• All information IEE provides to students is available on our Transferring Credits webpage.
  • Under the Education Abroad tab you will find detailed instructions on the plan process and the link to the DocuSign form.
  • It mentioned that it is the students’ responsibility to find their courses and UWL equivalents.
  • Students studying abroad must fill out an Education Abroad Academic Plan, and it must go through the DocuSign process.
    • Students studying away in the U.S. through NSE must follow the off-campus course transfer process with Records and Registration.
  • When a student completes an academic plan, IEE uploads a copy of it to their Navigate profile for advisors to access, so as to see what courses they plan to (and have actual approval to) complete abroad.

Department Approvers

• Students will complete an academic plan through DocuSign that IEE will forward on to the correct departments for approval. If you are the assigned approver for a department’s course listed you will receive an e-mail from “International Education & Engagement via DocuSign” with instructions and a link to review the course(s).
• If you are confused by a student’s comments, syllabus, description, etc., you can reach out to them directly to get more clarification or information. Their name and e-mail will be on the second page of the document.
• Students might ask for multiple classes to transfer in as the same UWL equivalent, this is usually so they have options for that credit not to actually take them all.
• Students cannot "double dip" a class taken abroad can only transfer in as one course. For example, if they are taking a "History of Spanish Art" course it cannot come in as HIS 100 and ART 100 they can only receive credit for one or the other.

Approver instructions for reviewing courses on academic plans.

Review Courses
Examine the courses listed on the academic plan and determine if your department can approve them as equivalents. Syllabi or course descriptions will be provided. If you want more clarification, you can reach out to the student directly.

Suggest Alternatives
If you deny a course, please suggest an alternative if possible.

Approvals
When approving a course, you’ll be asked if you’d like to approve it for the next 5 years. This means the course will be pre-approved for all students during that time, and added to IEE's previously approved database which is viewable to students on our transferring credits website.

Wrong Approver?
Do not sign plans for courses outside your department. If you receive a request meant for another department or different recipient, contact us before signing so we can reassign it. Once signed/declined, the approver cannot be changed.

For any questions or misdirected approval requests, contact IEE at international@uwlax.edu 

GoinGlobal

GoinGlobal is a career resource that focuses on global job markets, internships, and professional opportunities. With country and city-specific guides, visa information, and cultural insights, it’s designed to support international career development and cross-cultural success. Many tools can be helpful for helping students navigate study abroad.

FACULTY:  For a faculty login access to GoinGlobal & Handshake, please contact UWL Career Services at career@uwlax.edu or call 608.785.6950. 

• Please note:  If you have Handshake access, GoinGlobal is imbedded in the Handshake app.  Log in, click on RESOURCES, select the GoinGlobal resource link, again click on the blue GoinGlobal link, and start exploring!
• ALL students have access to GoinGlobal via their Handshake accounts.  

GoinGlobal is the leading provider of both country-specific and USA city-specific career and employment information. Our unlimited access subscription database features 38 Country Career Guides, 53 City Career Guides for the United States and Canada, corporate profiles and more than 16 million internship and job listings within the USA and around the world.

Both the GoinGlobal Country Career Guides and the City Career Guides provide professional advice and insider tips on such topics as:

• Job search tools - online and face-to-face resources
• Employment trends in major industries - learn more about growing industry areas and focus your job or internship search!
• Executive recruiters and staffing agency contacts - great contacts for students and alumni/professional job seekers
• Work permit regulations - clearly explains the important details for international students and professional job seekers
• Salary ranges and cost of living data - take the guesswork out of planning for career moves and relocations
• Professional and social networking groups - get a head start on making connections for career development
• Résumé/CV writing guidelines
• Interviewing and cultural advice

Each Career Guide contains more than 500 employment resources, all with detailed explanations and hot links directly to the latest information. All USA City Career Guides include links to H-1B visa employers for every state!

The Key Employer Directory features corporate profiles for 450,000+ companies in industries such as consumer goods, consulting services, finance, and information technology. A mixture of local and multinational employers for more than 190 countries are featured and include data on sales, revenues, brands, officers, key contacts and more. Use the profiles to prepare for interviews or find business intelligence facts on specific companies.

Cultural Wizard
Available in GoinGlobal & Handshake

Become more effective in your communications across cultures and interact more successfully with friends and colleagues from around the globe - compliments of GoinGlobal in partnership with CultureWizard by RW3 LLC.

CultureWizard, created by created by RW3 LLC, is an online and mobile platform designed to enhance your global mindset through videos and webinars, articles on global business skills, quizzes, self-assessments and more.

With CultureWizard you can:

• Graphically compare your culture profile to 160+ other cultures.
• Prepare for study abroad, international internships or a global career by learning how to adapt your style according to culturally-acceptable norms.
• Increase team effectiveness – manage, lead and communicate more successfully with people from different cultures and countries.

When you access CultureWizard by RW3 LLC below, you will be required to set up a personal account on their website. Watch the "What is CultureWizard" 30-second intro video!

A great place to start your journey with these unique, interactive tools is to select Global Mindset from the

 homepage menu and then Culture Calculator Suite. This assessment tool is an engaging way to graphically compare your preferences with other cultures and provide insights on how to bridge differences.

So log on via Handshake & GoingGlobal today and get started!

GoinGlobal Logo

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