Supporting international students who arrive late requires a multifaceted approach that addresses their unique challenges and facilitates their integration into the academic environment. Faculty have a vital role in ensuring late-arriving international students feel welcomed, included, and supported. By creating a sense of belonging and helping students navigate the challenges of arriving late and adjusting to a new culture, faculty can make a meaningful difference in their academic and personal success.

Creating a Warm and Inclusive Environment

1. Acknowledge the Challenge

• Use empathetic language to recognize that arriving late can be stressful and isolating (visa, travel, housing) and assure them they can still succeed.
• Use clear, plain language and avoid assuming prior knowledge of institutional systems.
• Reinforce where and how to ask for help (email, office hours, discussion boards).  You may have to repeat this several times over the semester.

2. Foster Cultural Sensitivity

While fostering a culturally inclusive classroom is part of our overall design, sometimes in the hurry to get students “caught up” we may forget some common principles.

• Avoid assumptions about prior knowledge or norms.
• Be mindful of language barriers and cultural differences in communication styles.
• Avoid making negative assumptions about commitment or preparedness.
• Acknowledge the extra challenges of adapting to a new academic culture under time pressure. 

3. Connect to Campus Resources

Georgian offers immense resources to support all our students.  With the fire hose of information coming at late-arriving international students, it can be a lot to absorb. It is helpful to provide links or contacts for academic supports.  It is also helpful to provide these links in multiple places and multiple times over the semester.

Student Resources

• Supporting academic and personal resilience
• Accessibility Services - Georgian College 
• Accessible Learning and Accommodations at Georgian College: A Faculty Guide 
• Tutoring
• Math and Writing Help 
• Writing Help 
• Language Help 
• Testing Services Home
• Peer Mentoring

Academic Catch-up Strategies

1. Prioritize Orientation to the Course

Establishing strong relationships with international students is essential for their academic and social success. Faculty can provide personalized support by being approachable and available for consultations, which can help students navigate the academic system and address any immediate concerns they may have upon arrival. ¹ This is particularly important for students who may experience stress related to late enrollment and the adjustment to a new educational context. ³

• Schedule a brief 1:1 or small-group check-in to walk them through the syllabus, course expectations, and grading. That personal connection will go a long way in making the student feel connected and included.
• Offer a condensed orientation guide—highlighting the most critical information.
• Assign a peer buddy or small group in your class to help them catch up. Connect them to the College Peer Mentoring for informal Q&A and social support.

2. Share Missed Content

Upload recordings, slides, and notes to Blackboard. Offer a brief one-on-one or small group recap session if possible.

• Post lecture recordings (or narrated slides) in the LMS so late arrivals can watch what they missed.
• Share class notes, key slides, and reading lists promptly.
• Create a “Start Here” module in Blackboard summarizing key activities, resources, and due dates from the first week or two. 

3. Flexible Assessment Options

Allow extensions or alternate formats for early assignments. Consider formative assessments to ease students into the course.

• Extend due dates for early, low-stakes assignments without penalty.
• Allow alternative catch-up tasks if certain activities (like in-class participation) were missed.
• If group work has started, help them integrate into teams smoothly rather than leaving it to students to manage.

References

1. Arthur, N. (2017). Supporting international students through strengthening their social resources. Studies in Higher Education (Dorchester-on-Thames), 42(5), 887–894. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1293876

2. Fadeke Adeola Atobatele, Percy Chris Kpodo, & Isabel Obiageli Eke. (2024). FACULTY ENGAGEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUCCESS: A REVIEW OF BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences, 6(3), 440–459. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijarss.v6i3.968

3. Mccullough, K., Gibson, N., Graf, A., Beament, T., Adama, E., Ferguson, N., Kirk, D., & Muge, J. (2024). “It was difficult to understand the system”: developing a coordinator role to support international nursing students- A qualitative study. Comparative & International Higher Education, 16(3), 250–261. https://doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v16i3.4945

4. Kilmartin, S., McCredie, T., Baker, S., Laffernis, F., & Due, C. (2024). Supporting Those Who Provide Support : What Do University Student-Facing Staff Say About Training for Working with Diverse Cohorts? Student Success, 15(1), 73–85. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.3085

5. Jean-Francois, E. (2019). Exploring the perceptions of campus climate and integration strategies used by international students in a US university campus. Studies in Higher Education (Dorchester-on-Thames), 44(6), 1069–1085. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1416461