| ACADEMIC
INCIDENT REPORTS SINCE SUMMER 2002 |
| WORLDWIDE & COUNTRY
STATISTICAL REPORT |
Among
176 NMSU students who have studied
in universities abroad, 46-26.1% experienced incidents
which they felt were
serious academic adjustment events. Adjusting
to integrating and studying in universities abroad
ranks as the most
common problem reported by NMSU students who study
abroad. These
events occurred in 16 -64% of the 25 countries
in which
they had studied at universities. Obviously,
countries in which many NMSU students have studied
in universities ( Australia, France, Germany,
Mexico, Spain, UK) have the potential to have more
reported incidents than those in which fewer students
study
abroad. The data show that about 1 out
of 4 of students experiences some serious adjustment
to studying in university based academic programs
abroad.All countries
in which students have studied at universities
are listed below by# of participants, #
of incidents, % experiencing a problem:
|
Country
|
Academic
Adjustment Incidents
|
Argentina
|
002
|
001
|
050.0%
|
Australia
|
023
|
008
|
033.3%
|
Austria
|
0
01
|
000
|
000.0%
|
Belize
|
0
01
|
000
|
000.0%
|
| Brazil |
0
01
|
000
|
000.0%
|
| Canada |
0
06
|
000
|
000.0%
|
| China |
0
08
|
000
|
000.0%
|
| Costa
Rica |
002
|
001
|
050.0%
|
| Ecuador |
0
01
|
001
|
100.0%
|
|
Country
|
Academic
Adjustment Incidents
|
| Finland |
04
|
0
01
|
025.5%
|
| France |
020
|
010
|
050.0%
|
| Germany |
011
|
0
05
|
045.5%
|
| Japan |
0
01
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| Korea |
0
03
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| Malta |
0
04
|
0
03
|
075.0%
|
| Mexico |
023
|
0
01
|
0
04.3%
|
| Netherlands |
0
06
|
0
03
|
050.0%
|
|
Country
|
Academic
Adjustment Incidents
|
| Netherlands |
0
06
|
0
03
|
050.0%
|
| New
Zealand |
0
03
|
0
01
|
033.3%
|
| Russia |
0
01
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| South
Africa |
0
01
|
0
01
|
100.0%
|
| Spain |
030
|
0
03
|
010.0%
|
| Sweden |
0
05
|
0
02
|
040.0%
|
| Switzerland |
0
03
|
0
02
|
066.7%
|
| Thailand |
0
01
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| UK |
015
|
0
03
|
020.0%
|
|
One
factor that may affect academic adjustment in university
integration programs is language skill. Among 82
students who evaluated their language preparation
to study regular
courses in the language of instruction of the host
university, 28-34.1% reported that their
skills were inadequate (but none was reported for
German). The
data show
that students may need, while on exchange,
to take additional language study before taking
courses
taught in the local language. Above all they
need realistically to evaluate their language skills
to make sure they can succeed while studying in
the local language. |
Country/Language
|
Inadequate
Language Skills
|
| SPANISH |
# |
#
Problem |
|
Argentina
|
002
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| Costa
Rica |
001
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| Ecuador |
0
01
|
0
01
|
100.0%
|
| Mexico |
023
|
014
|
060.8%
|
| Spain |
024
|
0
04
|
016.7%
|
| PORTUGUESE |
|
| Brazil |
0
01
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
|
Country/Language
|
Inadequate
Language Skills
|
| GERMAN |
# |
#
Problem |
|
Austria
|
0
01
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| Germany |
0
06
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| Switzerland |
0
00
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| FRENCH |
|
| France |
010
|
0
02
|
020.0%
|
| Switzerland |
0
02
|
0
01
|
100.0%
|
|
Country/Language
|
Inadequate
Language Skills
|
| JAPANESE |
#
|
# Problem |
|
| Japan |
011
|
0
06
|
054.6%
|
|
Some
NMSU students also study in academic programs taught
by U.S. professors, including NMSU professors. Others
are engaged in internships. Reported below are adjustment
issues reported by students in these programs. |
Type/Country
|
Adjustment
Incidents/US Taught Programs or Internships
|
Student
Teaching or Education Internships
|
|
| Belize |
0
04 |
0
01 |
025.0% |
| NMSU Group Travel Program |
|
| Brazil |
011
|
0
00
|
000.0%
|
| US
Taught Programs |
|
| UK |
025
|
0
03
|
012.0%
|
|
| Description
of Serious Incidents Reported |
The
academic adjustment incidents experienced by NMSU
students studying abroad are summarized by type
below, with abbreviated quotes from the students'
descriptions (some reported incidents below were
not rated serious):
|
| Registration,
Scheduling, & Educational System |
Argentina: • Technical
problems with registration for final exam--threat
of not receiving credit for the class. Finland: • It
is more of a self initiative, self-study type
of system. Students who have troubles with self
motivation may have trouble adjusting. France: • Academics
in France are very different from America and
took awhile to get used to it..... • Schools
not well equipped, but the academic expectations
are high and difficult to meet. • Graded
on the same scale as French students and we had
no coordinator to speak to on our behalf.• Confusing
system regarding registration, exams, etc. Do
not expect any order,
clarity, or technology. Classes offered are posted
on a bulletin board 1-2 days before they start,
and that is all. • Registration
is difficult and chaotic, no catalogs, schedules,
and you have to fight for your classes. Classrooms
change several times. • Student didn't
know where to meet for the first day of classes.
One class was cancelled and wasn't sure credit
would be provided for course substituted. • One
pre-approved course not offered and was difficult
to contact Lyon advisor about alternate course
descriptions. ... Japan: Placement
2nd semester was unsatisfactory. Felt scheduling
not as helpful for continuing students. Netherlands: • no
advising on classes and it was a hassle to sign
up for classes. • Many courses listed as
available were cancelled. Sweden: The
period system doesn't allow you to pick all the
classes you want considering they are taught
the same time. UK: • Registration
was nearly impossible. • Policy of some
schools that cannot take courses from different
colleges. For example, if you enter the design
engineering school, you cannot take classes from
Archeology!
|
| Course
Organization, Expectations, & Evaluations |
Australia: • Self
taught, no advisors to talk to, all tests are essay,
and hugh projects. No guidance by professors.• Different
teaching methods; Swinburne used the Harvard style
of writing and citation (get free booklet in library
at front desk).Canada: • There
are few discussions, projects, term papers, readings
of source material, presentations. Finland: • Difficult
to adjust to not having regular lectures two to
three times a week. France:• Hard
to get good descriptions of courses offered to
international students. • Professors don't
make course objectives clear, and use poor evaluation
methods. Little informationn provided about content
of courses. • Every professor taught differently
but for the finals they expected us all to take
the same exam; there was no text, just up to the
professor's information. • I never got a
syllabus for any of my classes. Germany: • You
only go to specific course about four times four
nine hours a day. • ... a bit disappointed
with content and actual instruction of classes. India: U.S.
organized program did not follow the syllabus so
none of the objectives were met. Japan: Except
for Japanese classes, the others were hit or miss
in quality. Malta: • The
evaluation of grades (one exam at the end of the
semester, no course work), and the exams often
don't cover what was taught in class. Mexico: • Prerequisites
for Theory and Policy of International Econ different
from ours. • One professor flunked me because
I was not at the final group presentation. • A
teacher was not motivated. Always wanted to speak
English.Netherlands: • There
is no homework and the entire grade is based on
a final exam. Spain: • Some
courses I took were continuations of the previous
semester, and the grading system was severe. Switzerland: • Was
difficult to get permission to take exam separate
from local students and to use a dictionary.
|
| Professors & Other
Instructional Staff |
| Ecuador: • Professors
didn't help as promised and didn't show up for
final exam. France: • Unorganized
professors. • Student assigned to help with
course selection did not have adequate information. • Unorganized
professors orientating un-oriented students. Malta: • ...
professors not available, classes often cancelled,
students address professors and others always in
Maltese, not English. New
Zealand: • No
help from professors who didn't really care if
I understood materials. Spain: One Spanishy culture
and civiliztion course had several professor changes
and professor's book was poorly written. UK: British
Studies: NMSU professor teaching a course had to
leave early due to family illness, so hard to adjust
to substitutes. |
| Language
Course Availability & Language Skills |
Costa
Rica: • Spanish
language courses were hard to get into and expensive
to take (not included in ISEP benefits). • Spain: After
enrolling in courses taught in Spanish, I realized
my Spanish wasn't up to Spain's standards
and I had to take lower level courses in order
to understand. • I ended up taking courses that
were way out of my Spanish level. It was not
supposed to be allowed, but I slipped through
the cracks.
|
| Attendance
Policy |
| Spain: Strict
attendance policy |
| Home
Institution Transfer Issues |
Germany: • Basically,
if I didn't pass or take a certain class, then
NMSU wouldn't give me credit for another.
|
