Talking Stick - May/June 2013 - 19

housing experience, it is impossible
for them to fully understand what a
residence life experience would be like,”
says Katie Tudini, senior international
student advisor at Georgia Institute of
Technology in Atlanta.
In addition to not having a full
context for the experience they are diving
into, many arrive earlier than their
domestic peers. Because international
students often arrive on campus outside
of scheduled move-in periods, any
accommodations that can be made for
their check-in and transition can set the
tone for their residential experience and

the new student to the International
Student Center. When new arrivals
come, they are ready to check them in,
issue keys, and escort students to their
assigned buildings,” Duncan explains.
The tour team also shows new students
areas such as community bathrooms
and laundry rooms and are available to
answer questions about campus and
explain the role of the residence life staff.
For international students who
arrive without a firm plan about where
to live, even entering into a housing
contract can be an unexpected foray into
the legalese that accompanies both the

a recognition that led Old Dominion
to change one of their policies. A
deposit had previously been required
of all residential students, which was
then credited to their spring semester
balances. As a result, international
students who were on campus for only
a semester were being penalized for
canceling their contract and would thus
forfeit their deposit. Old Dominion was
able to change the policy to waive the
deposits, better serving the international
student population and tailoring a
process to the actual experience.
The differences in cultural values

The dIfferences In culTural Values and norMs as InTernaTIonal
sTudenTs TransITIon To caMpus lIVIng In The unITed sTaTes can
Influence TheIr undersTandIng and expecTaTIon of polIcIes.

begin to shape their expectations in a
positive way. “Most often these students
arrive to an empty campus. Since these
students typically arrive when the
residence halls are closed, there are few
staff and services available. Typically
residential staff are in training or not
yet on campus for them to interact
with or ask questions of. This can be a
very isolating experience for the new
international student who is unfamiliar
with campus,” says Gwendolyn Duncan,
coordinator of administrative operations
at Southeast Missouri State University in
Cape Girardeau.
To combat the isolation and begin
to connect international students with
the campus community, Southeast
Missouri State hired a group of
returning international residents to help
orient new international students. “The
team is composed of students from the
predominant groups. Prior to the start
of new arrivals, the team is given a tour
of our facilities and trained on the use
of keys, building access, where dining
services are located, and how to direct

world of contracts and that of higher
education. Knowing that this is an area
where domestic students also struggle
– trying, for example, to understand all
the expectations and penalties of the
housing agreement – additional effort
and energy with international students
may benefit all parties greatly. “Our
operations staff members spend a lot
of time working with our colleagues in
international programs to be prepared
for overcoming communication barriers,
knowing how to proactively answer
questions, and providing clarifying
information that the international
student may not even think of, like
helping them understand that if they
sign up to live with us that it is for the
whole year and they cannot simply be
released from their agreement because
they find something cheaper in three
weeks,” explains Dan Terrell, associate
director of housing and residence
life at Old Dominion University in
Norfolk, Virginia. International students
sometimes need accommodations that
account for their specific circumstances,

and norms as international students
transition to campus living in the United
States can influence their understanding
and expectation of policies. “We spend
a lot of time trying to proactively
prepare students, both domestic and
international, for lifestyle differences
when living with a student from another
country. Most notably, we often have
roommate problems when roommates
want to have guests or visitors of the
other sex. This creates issues for some
of our international students who are
uncomfortable due to religious or
culture differences where, for example,
females do not have male visitors in the
bedroom,” explains Terrell.
Cultural differences also extend to
communication styles. “Staff should
be aware of research done about
communication and conflict styles by
individuals such as Edward Hall and
Mitchell Hammer. Both individuals’
work helps to understand different
patterns or norms in cultures,” says
Tudini. Hammer, for example, proposes
an intercultural model for dealing with
May + June 2013

19
Talking Stick - May/June 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2013
