Monika Kansai (CQU) and colleagues asked academic and professional staff what they can do to assist students from Indian subcontinent countries – there’s a bunch to be done, including by managements

They report focus-group findings in a new journal paper which demonstrates academic and professional staff both recognise they need to engage with student understandings of teaching and learning, including in academic cheating.

“The ‘colonial hangover’ model of higher education, whereby the onus on acculturation is solely on the student is unsuitable as all participating staff considered themselves to have a significant role to in alleviating subcontinent students’ cross-cultural challenges,” they write.

The research identified key areas, where they and their employers can help, * institutional actions to alleviate cross-cultural challenges * peer to peer mentoring * skills and mental health support services for subcontinent students, and * staff training in cross-cultural awareness.

And then there is one up that it is all up to institutions to address.

“Recruiting subcontinent students seeking immigration opportunities via university enrolment was a significant finding of the focus groups.

“Focus group participants suggested that a greater effort needs to be made by universities to ensure overseas agents and recruiters are providing the right information to potential students, including the temporary nature of their legal status in Australia and the requirement to observe the conditions of their student visas.”