Challenges International Students Are Facing During the COVID-19 Crisis
Melissa Hawkins, the International Teaching and Learning Specialist at the UAB Center for Teaching and Learning, recently had a chat with leadership at INTO UAB and the UAB English Language Programs team. Melissa wanted to know what challenges UAB international students are facing during the unprecedented impact on campus life the COVID-19 virus has generated.
Some students are feeling pressure from parents or governments about the need to return home, but most decisions about going home are deeply complicated by questions about airport closures and border-crossing issues. Students are profoundly worried about the summer semester and whether their classes will be meeting in person or online, reports Susan Blazer, Program Manager of the UAB English Language Programs. INTO UAB staff have particularly noticed high levels of anxiety from South Korean and Chinese students. In general, they note that symptoms of depression and anxiety are higher than normal.
Currently, some international students are isolated in dorms or in apartments, without much interaction or support. Students may need groceries but may not know about Blazer Kitchen or about the possibility of ordering groceries online. Many international students do not have transportation.
For students who are from high context cultures, as many of ours are, there is a sense of safety in knowing how to act in an environment, how to get things done, and what roles and actions are and are not appropriate. According to Amy Snow, the Academic Director of UAB’s English Language Programs, many students are operating with a heightened sense of needing to know the proper order of how to handle daily life right now. Not knowing, and a fear of behaving in an inappropriate manner accidentally during times of social upheaval, can cause great stress.
So what can we do to help?
UAB international students are all encouraged to use the INTO UAB/ISSS Virtual Welcome DeskINTO UAB/ISSS Virtual Welcome Desk for help connecting students to immigration information, information to assist with daily life quandaries during this time, or assistance connecting with other resources available to help. In short, the Virtual Welcome Desk is serving as a one-stop-shop for international students right now, and you can encourage students to start there. Kyle Bailey, the Director of Student Experience for INTO UAB, is personally overseeing the Virtual Welcome Desk and will ensure that UAB international student needs are addressed in a caring manner.
It is useful to remember that many of our students are from educational cultures in which students do not normally reach out to professors for help. Because most people revert to their home culture tendencies during times of stress, international students may be quite reticent to tell professors of issues that they are currently having in meeting the demands of an assignment or of doing online research. Even finding quiet spaces to study since the library and other key study areas have physically closed may be challenging, reported David Hoffman, Executive Director of INTO UAB.
If you have attended Global Awareness workshops this year, you may also recall hearing that the majority of our international students are from relationship-oriented cultures (in contrast to the task-oriented culture of the U.S.). Thus, your international students are likely to sincerely appreciate whatever you can do to reach out to them. Ask them about their families and how they are faring with getting groceries and staying safe (maybe share how you are handling it, too). Ask specifically and directly whether they are encountering any challenges in getting their coursework done. Also, here’s a hint for communicating with the indirect styles of many of our students’ cultural backgrounds: Don’t ask how they are doing with yes/no questions. (Are you having any challenges in getting your coursework done?) Ask instead with open-ended questions. (What challenges are you having in getting coursework done these days?)
Let your international students know, with sincerity and openness, that we are all struggling through this time, and that communicating about any needs, whether with you or through the INTO UAB/ISSS Virtual Help Desk, is important and encouraged.
