spanish-american institute

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To:

Program Development, Planning and Review Steering Committee

From:

Standing Committee on Student Services

Committee
Members:

  • Paul Schiffman, Dean of Student Services
  • Thomas Schwenke, Dean of Administrative Services
  • Lyudmila Klavsen, Faculty Student-Services Associate
  • Maria Machado, Faculty Student-Services Associate

RE:

Student Services Standards

Standard 3: The program or language institution provides pre-arrival and ongoing orientation (1) to support students in their adjustment to the program or language institution (and to the host institution if applicable) and to the surrounding culture and community, and (2) to help them understand immigration regulations and procedures, as well as health and safety issues.

Standard 5: Students have access to health insurance if required and, in all cases students are informed about the need for adequate health insurance coverage.

Date:

July 16, 2013

STUDENT SERVICES STANDARD 3

Tasks:  Review and evaluate current orientation practices.  Develop, implement and evaluate changes as needed to assure clear, complete pre-arrival, initial arrival, and on-going orientation to the ESL-Plus Course of Study is being given to students to Institute and its policies.  This includes possible cross-cultural issues and all area described in the discussion for this standard.

Process: Click on Student Orientation from the Institute’s home page to go to http://www.sai2000.org/Handbooks/OrientationTOC.html. The Institute’s process for Ongoing Student Orientation is a five part program that supports students in their adjustment to the program and to the surrounding culture and community. The Orientation also helps them to understand immigration regulations and procedures, as well as health and safety issues. The five parts are:
        I.      Ongoing Student Orientation Overview
     II.      Adjusting to the ESL-Plus Course of Study
o       Pre-Enrollment
o       After Enrollment
o       After Starting Classes – Initial Period
o       Ongoing Mentoring and Orientation
   III.      Adjustment to the Surrounding Culture and Community
  IV.      Understanding Immigration Regulations and Procedures
     V.      Understanding Health and Safety Issues
o       The Importance of Medical Insurance
o       International Student Medical Insurance Information
o       Health and Safety Issues – In School
o       Health and Safety Issues – Outside School
 

Responsible Parties: The Committee on Student Services, as well as all Faculty Student-Services Associates and Faculty are responsible for supporting students in their adjustment to the ESL-Plus Course of Study and to the surrounding culture and community, and to help them to understand immigration regulations and procedures, as well as health and safety issues.

Timeline:      The Student Orientation process was implemented in March and April of 2013.

Documentation: The Student Orientation process can reviewed online at http://www.sai2000.org/Handbooks/OrientationTOC.html.

Assessment: Current Student Survey, Graduate Satisfaction and one-on-one spontaneous student comments and reactions are utilized for ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of these activities.

                                                                                                                                                                     

STUDENT SERVICES STANDARD 5

Tasks: Provide evidence that all students at all levels are informed of the need for adequate health insurance coverage.

Process: The Institute has introduced several steps to ensure all students at all levels are informed of the need for adequate health insurance coverage. They include:
·        The school catalog contains a section entitled The Importance of Health Insurance.
·        The school website contains health insurance information under Student Orientation.
·        Faculty Student-Services Associates point out the importance of health insurance during information interviews with potential students.
·        The following types of emails contain links to International Student Medical Insurance Information. The link is found as part of the signature section on each school correspondence. It is entitled “For International Student Medical Insurance Information:” http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student-health-insurance/ A list of where this link is found includes:
o       Signature line in all of administration and faculty student-services associates Institute email
o       Automatic response to the request for Admission Information Form
o       Online Student Newsletter
o       Welcome Student Enrollment Email
o       Come Early First Day Email
o       Reminder to Buy Textbooks Email
The Standing Committee on Student Services will review The Faculty Handbook to ensure it includes information of the need for adequate health insurance coverage.

Responsible Parties: The Committee on Student Services is responsible for reviewing the steps that need to implemented to ensure all students at all levels are informed of the need for adequate health insurance coverage.

Timeline:      The process to review and update documentation both printed and online took place between April 2013 and June 2013. Areas where documentation on the importance of health insurance has yet to be updated have been identified. It is anticipated the updates will be completed by the second week of August.

Documentation: Results are available for review online in the updated Faculty Handbook.

Assessment: Current Student Survey, Graduate Satisfaction and one-on-one spontaneous student comments and reactions are utilized for ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of these activities.