Foundations of International Student Advising
While the growth of international education and international student enrolments has changed the way we provide services to students over the past decade, the principles of effective and accurate student advising remain key to successful student experiences. This session will outline the fundamental elements of effective student advising, and the required knowledge and skills to:
Successfully support students
Develop and deliver support programs and information
Seek out productive networks, and
Locate sources of information for professional development.
Areas covered will include working with culturally diverse student cohorts, the role of student advising in dealing with issues and critical incidents, meeting legislative requirements under the National Code, working effectively in the organisation and cultivating volunteer teams. The workshop draws on a number of case studies for participants to analyse and problem-solve. It is suitable for specialised advisers, teachers, administrators and other professional staff who work directly with international students. It is most suitable for people who have fewer than three years experience in international education. Some of the material used in this workshop was developed by Professional International Education Resources.
Swinburne Associate Director | International Student Advisory and Support
Desma is the Associate Director, International Student Advisory and Support at Swinburne.
With over 22 years in International Education working at Canadian High Commission; DIAC student policy; global mobility; student support; Desma has facilitated workshops and written submissions for ISANA; Government roundtables; consultative stages of policy development; created policies in HEd; had various consultant roles and tutored critical incident management.
Desma has been Subject Matter Expert on award winning teams managing risk and safe communities and a member of Swinburne’s Incident Management Team. In 2021, a Swinburne led consortium won a Best Practice award in the IEAA Excellence Awards for their Food Delivery Driver Training program.
Desma offsets work tensions as an obsessed dragon boat racer and successfully competed internationally in the Australian Auroras DBS (dragon boat squad) over 6 years.
Managing Critical Incidents involving international students
A critical incident involving a student is distressing for families, friends and staff. The effective management of any critical incident is important. Not only is it important to assist and support affected parties, but it is also important to ensure that the situation is not worsened through mismanagement.
This workshop is designed for those that work with students at any level. It deals with the practical issues of preparation, planning of policy and dealing with actual critical incidents. The 2.5 hour session aims to give you the resources and knowledge to devise or revise policy and procedural guidelines for a critical incident.
Participants will be encouraged to share scenarios and cases.
Program outline:
- Definitions and Examples of a critical incident
What is a critical incident? - Critical Incident preparation and response
Pre-incident preparation and responses - Policy Development
Looking at resources and guidelines in developing policy and procedures - Self Care
Who looks after us?
| The Palladium Group
Mary Ann Seow is a former National President of ISANA International Education Association in Australia, a position she was honoured to serve for two terms. Mary Ann has been involved in international education since 2000 and was awarded life membership by ISANA International Education Association in 2019. She arrived as an international student from Singapore to study at Finders University in Adelaide and has worked in the higher education sector in a variety of roles. Mary Ann is currently applying lessons learnt working with international students to her role as Manager, Scholarships and Mobility for Australia’s New Colombo Plan.