Town Hall Partnership with AIEA to Support Chinese Student Success
Title slide of New Mind Education’s presentation
On April 8, Karin Sandler and Susan Chuang from New Mind Education were joined by Dr. Bailian Li from NC State to deliver a virtual session at AIEA's Town Hall entitled, "Supporting Chinese Students' Success in the New Normal: Reflection and Reimagination." Attendees of this presentation were Senior International Officers (SIOs) from leading American universities. More than 170 participants registered for this event, reflecting some of the highest attendance at any of the AIEA town hall events in recent months.
In the session, they shared the results of their research which identified key areas for additional support for incoming Chinese students, reflected upon traditional support systems for this population, and discussed unique solutions and opportunities that leveraged technology and other lessons learned during the pandemic. They also shared information about their new program offering, the UPP Pre-Arrival program, designed to meet the unique needs of Chinese students attending any US university. This three-week online program combines practical communication skills, one-on-one coaching and bilingual support helping students to feel confident and ready for their university studies. It will be available to students this summer, with registration opening May 1st.
Observable behaviors and perspectives stem from significantly different cultural values.
The issues of student success and engagement among Chinese students are well-observed and ongoing challenges for US universities. Beyond language skills, Chinese students also face hurdles with their understanding of academic expectations and cultural adaptation which has their roots in the Chinese education system.
As the coronavirus pandemic forced universities to shift their instruction and services to a virtual environment, it also provided them with an opportunity to experiment with traditional programming and its delivery. With the advent of the “new normal,” a number of new possibilities are now available to higher education institutions, allowing them to reimagine their offerings in order to better engage Chinese students and support their development. New Mind Education’s innovative programming couldn’t be better positioned to meet the unique needs and challenges many international students will face this Fall.
Poll results from the session support New Mind’s findings
AIEA , the Association of International Education Administrators, is a member organization that equips leaders to shape the future of higher education in a global context. It is the only association dedicated exclusively to senior leaders in the field of international education.
Click here to view the full recording of the session, courtesy of the AIEA blog.