For study abroad students, provide contact information for local American consulates and American medical centers with on-site staff who can help with mental and physical health services that may not be provided in the country they’re studying in.
In addition, offer opportunities where students can build relationships with other international or study abroad students and professionals in the community. This can help them make connections and bolster their confidence when they see respected and successful community members from their culture or home country outside the institution’s walls. For example, to ensure the safety and comfort of its students of color, global engagement professionals at HBCU Tennessee State University are mindful to offer programs in more diverse countries where students will find a community that they can relate to.
And the University of Delaware ensures international students have dedicated career services programs to help support their unique needs and secure a pathway toward professional development and career competencies.
Merge Technology with Human Connection
While innovation is critical to engaging students and streamlining specific processes, it’s most powerful when coupled with a human element. For example, connect campus counseling centers with study abroad students so they can provide virtual therapy sessions while traveling.
This can be done by providing faculty and advisors directly for incoming students, but it’s vital to also create relationships with staff at institutions in the countries where U.S. students are studying. The administrators at these institutions should be able to monitor study abroad students for possible mental health struggles, such as being disengaged in activities and struggling academically.
Simply put, be aware of students whose grades or attendance fall behind and proactively offer support to help set them up for successful outcomes and ensure they feel welcome on campus. Personal interactions must be at the center of every student experience, and technology complements this by enabling more communication with students while allowing advisors more time to engage with students and set them on the right path to thrive.
Offer Support During Holidays
Even though holidays provide many local students with a much-needed break and time with their families and friends, it’s also a time of isolation, anxiety, and depression for students away from their home country, especially when they’re missing significant holidays or events on their home campus. Take this time to communicate with students via email, social media, and text to offer counseling resources and schedule video check-ins so they feel supported during a difficult time. For international students, organize an event for those left on campus or connect them with local families who can host and introduce them to an American holiday.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Friendship
As we saw during the pandemic, isolation can devastate a person’s mental health. International students are away from everything they know and everything that makes them feel comfortable, so sometimes, they tend to isolate themselves. Providing opportunities to make friends outside of their comfort zones can significantly impact their well-being. For example, Baylor University offers the Global Friendship Program, which pairs international students with a peer on campus who try to help acclimate them to campus life.
Providing these support services to international and study abroad students enhances the overall student experience and outcomes and increases recruitment and retention rates among global learners at their institutions of study. In addition, having the right people, technology, and counseling services in place will set an institution’s global engagement department apart from others. Most importantly, it will provide these potentially vulnerable students with the mental health support they need to succeed in their area of study and achieve their post-graduation goals.
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