The start of the school year has made Saint Louis University a home-away-from-home for many students from both the United States and abroad. For most students the transition from their native country to the United States, more specifically St. Louis, is a process that SLU hopes to make as easy as possible.
“They do a good job in the International Services Office, from pick-up to getting used to SLU,” said Fei Wang, a John Cook Business School senior from China.
Wang first arrived at SLU two-and-a-half years ago and now serves as the International Student Senator for the Student Government Association. However, Wang’s transition was a relatively easy one, as she was fortunate enough to have a roommate willing enough to help her with her English skills and Biology homework, not all international students report having the same experience.
“When I came here it was difficult. Even going shopping, the basic stuff, it took six months to a year to be comfortable with that,” said Wenquiang Miao, a Parks College senior who came to SLU three years ago.
One problem that international students may encounter upon arriving at SLU is the language requirement.
“An international student can apply and come to SLU without taking [either] the [Test of English as a Foreign Language] or [International English Language Testing System], but they are tested when they get here, which can kind of shock the students and their families,” said Diana Pascoe, Director of SLU’s English as a Second Language and English for Academic Purpose programs.
If a student does not test high enough on their language tests, they are then placed into a full-time ESL program instead of an academic major. Depending on ability ESL can last from one to four semesters. Only after achieving the required test scores are students then permitted to take undergraduate classes, though they often take some ESL classes as well.
While the ESL program focuses primarily on basic English skills, SLU’s EAP program is attempting to overcome the “culture and content” barriers.
“Little things like deadlines or attendance can throw a student off and we try to catch those,” Pascoe said. Once a student becomes more familiar with the English language, they are able to take part in the EAP program.
Having been in action for the past three years, EAP offers international students a curriculum that combines both English language and American culture lessons.
Some students score too low on their tests for the ESL programs offered by SLU and are instead recommended to take the appropriate level courses at the University of Missouri in St. Louis. While they are still considered students, they must use the MetroLink to attend classes on the other campus. SLU has not determined if it will cover the transit costs for this program. At least one student has left SLU because they were unwilling to make this commute.
Dai Xi, a second-year student at SLU who is now considered a freshman after taking one semester of ESL classes last year, has her own opinion on the ESL program. “I don’t think [ESL classes] are so useful, they’re teaching the basic English we began learning in China, we just didn’t pass the exam. many of us are nervous [taking the tests], our future is at stake, they should give us more opportunities to take the tests.”
Still Pascoe is confident in the present system.
“The EAP does prepare them and we have a pretty large ‘graduation’ rate considering the amount of students we have,” said Pascoe.
The residential life for international students is also a major change and takes some time to become accustomed to the differences in culture.
“We work to create a more welcoming, positive experience,” said Alvin Sturdivant, Director of Housing and Residence Life. “This year we were definitely more prepared, it’s been more of coordination efforts with faculty, enrollment management.”
According to Sturdivant, there are several cross-cultural issues that his staff has become used to dealing with every year. Many international students come from countries with lower drinking ages and different or lack of restrictions on smoking. Co-habitation policies must also be clearly stated.
“In a lot of Asian cultures they are more family oriented, they spend more time around each other, we want to make sure they stay on the right side of the co-habitation rules,” Sturdivant said.
The health and well-being of students must also be taken into consideration for SLU’s international student population.
“For a student from an Islamic country, there are rules on male-female interaction, our full and part-time staff is trained to handle this [situation].”
Another challenge facing the international community upon arrival in the U.S. is nutrition.
“This year we are putting a lot of concern on nutrition and food on campus, especially for international students,” Wang said.
“The food was difficult to adjust to; it was so sweet. I didn’t feel the food was well cooked,” said Chunwei Xu, a sophomore finance student.
Currently there is a group of SLU staff from various departments that are working with Chartwells to address dietary needs of international students. One success they had last year was that after receiving student feedback, a daily rice bar was instituted in Reinert dining hall.
As the president of the International Student Federation and the International Student Senator, Wang will be working with the Doisy College of Health Sciences and students in the nutritional sciences programs to help create healthier food plans.
While students are thankful for the assistance offered by SLU’s various departments, many internationals simply want to become a part of the normal campus. The students contacted by The University News said that they benefited most when they were immersed in SLU academic classrooms.
“With academic classes we can use the writing center which is very helpful, ESL doesn’t have that,” said Xu. “If we take academic classes we learn better and faster.”
Additional reporting by Matt Wilhelm.
