How to Become a Foreign Students Director

Citing long waits, denials and visa cancellations that take away from teaching time and academic progress, presidents and chancellors from nearly 30 colleges and universities in Illinois are pushing for lawmakers to do more to help international students and scholars who face new obstacles tied to immigration policy.

“International students and visitors enrich the academic experience for all students, while contributing to Illinois’ economy and competitiveness,” University of Illinois President Tim Killeen said in a statement Monday.

Along with heads of other public and private universities, Killeen signed a letter to the state’s congressional delegation conveying “concern about changes in immigration policy and procedures that undermine the ability of our institutions — and the state of Illinois — to continue benefiting from the important skills and contributions of international students and scholars.” Leaders of DePaul, Loyola, Northwestern and Western, Eastern and Southern Illinois universities also signed.

The letter urges lawmakers specifically to consider expanding so-called dual intent to student visas, which would leave open the prospect of the students later seeking permanent U.S.

For many Chinese students abroad, that means worrying about family at home and, in some cases, enduring unwanted attention from classmates.

Nigeria spends about N1 billion annually on scholarship for foreign students studying in the country, the Director, Federal Scholarship Board, Hindatu Abdullahi, has said.

For example, in neighborhoods adjacent to campuses, landlords have turned single-family homes into makeshift dormitories marketed to foreign students, raising the ire of the community.

And, because of the foreign students’ lesser English skills, there are professors who believe it is more difficult to teach a class — although one researcher at the UW thinks it makes professors raise their game.

MOST COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS say international students are a huge plus for the schools, allowing local students to study with and learn from people from around the world without ever leaving home.

Many students who come to the United States come for the same reasons that people have always come to America — because they don’t want to be pigeonholed in a system that takes no interest in their specific dreams and wishes.

Study Group’s services are designed to enrich students’ experiences and assist them in succeeding both academically and professionally.

Once students arrive on campus, Study Group assists its university partners in creating a nurturing environment for students to improve their English language proficiency and acculturate to life in the country where they are studying while taking courses in their chosen degree program.

Here, international students work on their English language proficiency, are taught study and presentation skills, how to adjust to the Western style of education, and more.

Domestic students learn some of these basic skills while working their first job either before or during college.

"The students learn that the soft skills taught in the workshops could be applied in a strategic way and make them better job candidates," says Randy Hardwick, director of the Roosevelt University International Study Center.