The Support the University of New Brunswick Gives to International

Students’ Spouses.

A Needs Assessment

4/10/2012University of New Brunswick

Prepared by: Valerie Lewis

The purpose of this needs assessment is to look at the support the University of New Brunswick gives to international students’ spouses for them to be functional within a new environment.

.

Table of Contents

Chapters Pages

Introduction.....................................................................................................3

Population........................................................................................................5

Methodology....................................................................................................6

Findings...........................................................................................................7

Recommendations.........................................................................................14

Conclusion.....................................................................................................20

Reference......................................................................................................21

Appendix A....................................................................................................22

Appendix B....................................................................................................25

Appendix C....................................................................................................29

2

Introduction

The University of New Brunswick has a population of about 1000

international students. These international students represent about 100

different countries. Of this population, about 1000 international students,

approximately 316 are graduate students, who are either doing their masters

or PhD. It is customary for older and more mature students to take along

their families when studying. Ninety-eight percent of the international

student population with spouses are male students and the other 2 percent

are female students with their husbands. The purpose of this needs

assessment is to look at the support the University of New Brunswick gives

to international students’ spouses, for them to function within a new

environment. The needs assessment seeks to find the gap between the

support that is given now and what should be given or what is expected.

The University currently provides support for international students

and their spouses through its International Student’s Advisor office. This

office employs two people— one International Student Resource Coordinator

and the International Students’ Advisor. The office provides support on

immigration matters, forums for such matters as settlement for new students

and their families, guidelines for working in Canada, and how to access

health care. Students are also free to make appointments to speak to the

International Students Advisors regarding any topics or issues that affect

them.

3

From discussion with the International Students’ Advisor and by

observation, it was concluded that most international students’ wives are left

at home every day with no friends or social life. Also, most are unable to

read or speak English or French. They are unable to conduct essential

business without their husbands. Some do not have a health card or a work

permit and as a result, most do not work outside the home. These spouses

also perceive that the locals are not welcoming to them.

The literature does not show that there are any studies done to support the

importance of spousal support in persuading further education/studies.

Hence, I will use few quotes from two spouses to show the importance of

their support.

One wife has this to say about her duties as a wife of an international

student:

“I feel that giving my husband respect, as well as supporting him in

his duties and studies, is my way of showing appreciation for him.

My being here also helps him to focus more on his studies because

he knows exactly what is happening to his family.”

Another one had this to say: “We are close and work together to

achieve goals. He would be lonely here without me. He would not be

able to concentrate.”

4

These heartfelt expressions show the importance of spousal support in study.

This kind of support benefits the student. It allows the student to focus on

his/her studies, without having to worry about the well-being of the family.

The goal is to look at ways in which UNB can provide:

1. Social experiences for these women at a reasonable, or no, cost.

2. Help them to speak English or French.

3. Integrate them into the Fredericton community.

4. Immigration advising

Population

The population studied for this needs assessment consisted of twenty-

three (23) graduate students. Twenty (20) of these were male and one

female. It also included twenty spouses, nineteen of whom were female, and

one lone male, along with the International Students’ Advisors. The age

range of the population was from age 26 to 45 and they were from such

diverse countries as Libya, China, Bangladesh, South Korea, and Saudi

Arabia. They spoke their own local tongues fluently, such as Korean, Chinese,

Arabic, and many other languages— some speaking as many as three

5

languages. The majority of the population spoke only a little English and no

French. The population has been in Canada between fifteen months to four

years. Most of the families have children in ages ranging from one year to

three years, with 99 percent of the families having one child and one percent

with two.

Methodology

The data was collected using a variety of methods, in order to

ascertain the information as best as possible over a period of two months

from February to March of 2012. To collect the data from the students, an

online survey was sent out via the international students’ news using Survey

Monkey. This survey was sent out twice, so as to capture as much of the

international students population as possible. The second half of the data

was collected using a paper-based questionnaire. This was handed out in

person after which interviews were done using a focus group setting, where

ladies met in a common group of interest (children’s play group) and held a

discussion. The researcher went twice, so as to garner additional

respondents, to get a more in-depth view of the issues that affect these

international students’ spouses, as well as to clarify information from the

previous week that was not understood. Some amount of data was also

collected via interviews with a few Saudi women. Small, informal talks were

also held with international students and their spouses throughout the

6

period. Data was also collected from the international students’ website and

informal interviews were done with the International Student Advisor.

Findings

Below are the findings from all of these data sources:

Frequency in Attending Programs

When spouses were questioned about the frequency with which they

attended the current programs that the university hosts for them, they said

they attended often. This was evident from the fact that most of the ladies I

met were at the children’s play group. The spouses also reassured me of

their commitment to attend any program that is put in place for them (see

chart 1). Spouses also rate the current programs they attend as excellent,

and say they learn a lot from the programs. They would be very interested to

see other programs that are geared toward them. However, they also point

to the fact that they only know about one program, the children’s play group

that was geared toward them.

Chart 1

7

Language Class

One of the most pressing concerns, among the international students

and their spouses, is the need to learn the English language. This, for them,

is a major issue, since most of them are very qualified in various fields such

as education, pharmacy, nutrition, and accounting, and many other

disciplines. They would like to work in Canada, in their area of speciality.

When questioned about the reason why they do not work, about 80 percent

gave the reason of not being able to speak or understand English

adequately.

This was what one lady had to say: “I am a pharmacist but I cannot get

a job because I don’t speak English” Also, when asked about their ability

to speak French, only 40 percent of the population could speak French a little

and the others not at all (see chart 2). This also affects their ability to

socialize because of the language barrier of communication between them

and the locals. They cannot understand each other.

8

Chart 2

The entire population of spouses are very educated and professional.

However, it is clear that these ladies are non-functional in Fredericton, since

the official languages are English and French and they do not speak either of

the two languages. Although French is also the official language, most would

rather speak English, since they think it is the language spoken mostly in the

town and around the world. One graduate PhD student (Female) reported

that her husband went to the multicultural office to ask for help with his

English. He was told that he is not a permanent resident and, hence, could

not access the services provided by the multicultural association.

Support for Parenting Strategies

Another pressing issue for the ladies was that of parental support.

9

Most of the international student wives are young mothers with children in

ages ranging from 1-4 years. For most of these ladies that I met, the process

of reproduction, prenatal care, and parenting is new to them. These ladies

have never gone through these processes of parenting before they entered

Canada. The ladies have suggested that informational sessions on prenatal

care would help to them to be comfortable and adopt to the same

understanding about child care and birth as Canadian women. They also

suggested that information sessions about parenting would be beneficial,

since they are new mothers immersed in a new culture that has different

standards and beliefs about child care and parenting, which for them are

new skills. As one mother said,

“This is my first child. I did not know what to expect at birth, what

to feed, or how to dress my child. We dress children differently in

Libya than in Canada. I do not go out often enough to see how

children are dressed.”

Social Women’s Groups

Another suggestion was to have a women’s social group, where

international women can share ideas about obstacles and successes which

can serve as insight /motivation for each other. This women’s social group

would help with the English language, provide social interaction, and provide

10

a forum and seminar about any burning issues (e.g. Child care,

immunization, etc.)

Support for Children’s Actives

In addition to parental support, another area of concern is support for

children’s social development. Children, for the most part, only socialize

with parents. They are introduced only to the official language of their

parents. Children get little or no time to be with their peers. Since most

parents are in class at the time of the play group (10 o’clock Thursday), they

don’t have the time to take them there and most ladies would be shy to be

outside without their husband. Parents are suggesting that children’s play

groups should be held in the evening and/or on weekends, so as to give

parents options as to times, and also to allow more children to participate.

Parents are also convinced that this would help them and their children

develop their English skills. Another support that parents crave for kids is in

the form of day care. Parents complain about the cost of day care and also of

the long waiting list that they are placed on. Students feel that this could be

remedied by the university having a low cost day care program for

international students.

11

Orientation Program to Involve Spouses

The students stated that although the present orientation programme

is good they would like it to be extended to their spouse. The spouses also

strongly suggest an extension in the orientation programmes to students’

spouses. They would also like the orientation to include a tour of the campus.

A tour of the town, trips to the malls, and other key shopping areas and

doctor offices would also be welcome. They also suggested the orientation

programme could provide tips about dressing appropriately in Canada, since

they are coming from countries such as Syria, Saudi Arabia, and China where

they do not experience such drastic weather change.

Helping Assess Spouses’ Qualifications

Another strong area of concern for both spouses was that of getting

qualifications assessed, since most of them were active professionals in their

countries. They stated that they would like to have an idea of what their

certification is worth in Canada, and about contributions they can make to

society while they are here. They stated that they don’t know where to go to

discuss this matter. One wife has this to say,

12

“I am a pharmacist but the university don’t offer any course in

pharmacist so I don’t know where to go to get my papers assess”.

Without a doubt some help within this area would be beneficial for the ladies.

Food Choices

It is difficult to find food from different cultures in Fredericton, since

the population of the different cultures is not large enough to support such

unique needs. Understandably, the international students have difficulty

finding ingredients to make dishes from their culture. This limits the choices

of the food that one eats.

“I couldn’t believe it, I lost 15 pounds in the first 4 months I

was here; we just did not know what to eat”.

Another factor that they cite is their inability to prepare foods/ dishes from

the Canadian culture, so as to help them to be able to eat more of the food

that they see around them.

Transportation Service

One very large concern that international students have is that of

transportation on Sundays. Since most of the graduate students are Teacher

Assistants and go to class all week, the students find it hard to do personal

shopping during the week. Students, therefore, do shopping on Saturdays

13

and Sundays. On Saturday, students find it a little easier to get around using

the limited bus service. On Sunday, there is no bus service— hence, students

have to walk. Also, graduate students reported that they are being put out of

“Safe Ride” * as of this academic year, with drivers citing that safe rides are

for undergraduate students and not for graduate students. Also their spouses

are not allowed to take Safe Ride, since they do not have an identification

card.

*Safe Ride is a means of transportation that is provided by the

University for Undergrad students in the evening (6-12pm).

Recommendations

The recommendations made below are suggestions and are meant to

service as possibilities and options regarding the situation that exists, rather

than as definite solutions. Suggestions presented here are based on our

focus group interviews, surveys, discussions, reviews of literature, personal

knowledge of a variety of factors, and my position as an international

graduate student, within a family. However, much of what is suggested in

the recommendations comes from spouses of international students and the

international students themselves.

14

Additional Staff at the International Students’ Office

In order to carry out all the necessary functions, I recommend that

additional staff members be employed by the International Students’ Office

either by means of spouses, or students to help provide newcomers with

some advice and orientation. This would alleviate the burden on the current

(two) staff and give students and spouses’ access to more personnel.

Language Classes

When you move to a different country or region, learning the local

language will definitely help you to communicate with the locals and

integrate into the local community. Doing so will demonstrate your interest

in and commitment to, being a part of the community and help you to be

better able to access services. It is with this view in mind that I make these

suggestions:

1. Extension on the English corner to include spouses of international

students.

2. Implementation of a Women’s Conversation Club where women speak to

each other using the two local languages. This will not only help the ladies to

learn the language, but also to form lifetime friendships.

15

3. Ask international students to voluntarily teach a language class on

rotating bases.

Support for Parenting

Parenting is one of the most important jobs a parent can do. It is said

that good parenting builds strong families, and strong families build strong

communities. When families migrate to a new culture, it is difficult for them

to understand the norms of the culture without any form of induction. In a

similar way, it is difficult for a young mother to totally understand how to

care for a child without any form of support from the outside world. It is with

this view in mind I made the following recommendations:

1. Request that volunteers from the School of Nursing have talks with

international students’ spouses. This could be set up to be a part of the

nursing students’ grades.

2. Invite doctors and nurses to sessions and workshops about

parenting.

3. Request volunteers from the education counselling department.

Again, this could be a part of student grades.

Social Groups for Women

16

It is recommended that a woman’s social group be held once per week

Women’s social groups could be used to discuss parenting, help to develop

language skills, share ideas about food, culture, job searches, and any other

important issue.

Children’s Play

From my observation at the children’s play group, most of the children

at the play group average about two years old, and are from different

ethnic backgrounds. I observed these children socializing with each other

without reservation. This group also brings together adults that share the

same interests and passions. Taking this into consideration, it would be

recommended that the program be extended from once a week to twice, to

include a weekend day to get more parents out.

1. School age children to participate, so as to get a wider mix of age

groups. This could help to boost the small children’s language skills

2. To give parents who are busy during the week the opportunity to

participate.

3. Ask for volunteers from the education department to help with

home work sessions for children

17

Orientation Program to Involve Spouse

According to (Info- Line, ASTD, 2000, p1) Orientation is a process … not

an event. It is part of the overall integration of new employees or people

into the organization or community by which the organization / community

helps the new hire / residents to adapt to the work environment / community

and the job. .. Successful orientation speeds up adaptation process, helping

new employees/residents feel comfortable at the job/community. An

unsuccessful orientation can mean more than slow adaptation for

employees, it can mean no adaptation.” It is with this statement in mind that

I make the following recommendations:

1. Extend orientation not only to students, but to their family at large.

2. Have orientation not just the first week, but over a period of time

with different events.

3. Make orientation time flexible— not just week days but include

weekends, evenings, and mornings so everyone gets a chance to be

involved.

4. Make orientation current and relevant (e.g. demonstrations of how

to dress for winter, how to read a bus map, etc.)

Helping with Assessing Spouses’ Qualifications

18

After conducting my interviews with the spouses, it is surprising to

learn that most of these ladies are professional women, who gave up their

jobs to chase their husbands’ dreams. It was noted that these ladies are

from various careers such as teachers, pharmacists, accountants, computer

specialists, and many other professions. Recognizing this, I recommend that

a committee be set up at the International Students Advisors office, which

can look at their qualifications. Also locally, the International Student Advisor

could provide sessions, regarding places where qualifications can be

assessed.

Food

In order to stay healthy one needs to eat foods from the entire food

groups daily. It may be hard for international students to find the food they

love and enjoy in a small town like Fredericton, where the population is

predominantly Canadian. To help to alleviate the burden of food choice a

number of things can be done:

1. Continue to tell students where the different stores are located

during orientation.

19

2. Give students a hand book with basic Canadian recipes for which

ingredients are readily available, for e.g. meat, burger etc. Also include

places /sources of international food in town in the handbook.

3. Once per month, set up what is known as international quisling,

starting with a few Canadian dishes first, and then extending this to other

countries. Dishes would be prepared in view of the students / spouses.

4. Ask international students to share easy to cook recipes.

Transportation Service

Transportation in Fredericton is a big problem. In order to help

international students and their spouses to deal with this situation, the

university can do other things along with giving them the bus passes they

currently enjoy:

1.Provide international students with taxi discount.

3. Have talks with the undergrad office, to allow international grad

students and spouses to take Safe Ride.

20

Conclusion

The needs assessment carried out in this activity was meant to look at

the support the University of New Brunswick gives to the spouses of

international students, for them to be functional within a new environment. It

explores some of the problems that the spouse faces, and gives

recommendations that can be used as a guide to implement changes where

necessary.

21

Reference

ASTD. (2000). Successful Orientation Programs. Info-line , 1.

22

Appendix Ahttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LVQMS7K

UNB Support Given to the Wives of International Students (Students Survey)

TO: International studentsFrom Valerie LewisRE: Needs Assessment

The purpose of this survey is to complete my requirement for a course. It will also provide information that may be of use to the International Student Advisor, regarding ways in which they can improve and include more programs that are beneficial to the wife/ spouse of international students. The information you provide will help them look at ways in which they can help spouses of international students settle in Fredericton /Canada. It will also aid them in finding ways to reduce, and remove, some of the barriers that your spouse faces as the spouse of an international student.This survey will ask questions about the present program that UNB offers to you, your spouse's experience as an international student’s spouse, and about other programs that you would like to be put in place to benefit you as a foreigner. They would like to learn more about the barriers that may affect your ability to find employment. Your participation in this survey is completely anonymous. Survey results will only be reported as a group, not as individuals. Your responses will in no way affect your access to any programme that you now enjoy at UNB. If you have any questions, please email me at i1q04@unb.ca

1. How long have you been here at UNB?

How long have you been here at UNB?

2. How many members of your family are here with you?

23

How many members of your family are here with you?

3. Describe how well your spouse can speak and understand English?

Describe how well your spouse can speak and understand English?   Poor

Barely Acceptable

Fair

Good

Excellent

4. What is your area of study and what level degree will you receive after you have completed your studies?

What is your area of study and what level degree will you receive after you have completed your studies?

5. If you were speaking to someone from your country, who wants to come here (UNB) to study and bring their wife/family, what advice would you give them?

If you were speaking to someone from your country, who wants to come here (UNB) to study and bring their wife/family, what advice would you give them?

6. if you were to travel to Fredericton with your family again, what would you do differently?

If you were to travel to Fredericton with your family again, what would you do differently?

24

7. What kind of support would you like UNB to provide for your family?

What kind of support would you like UNB to provide for your family?

8. How would you rate the support that UNB gives now?

How would you rate the support that UNB gives now?   Poor

Fair

Barely Acceptable

Good

Excellent

9. Which programs that the University offers now are most beneficial to your family?

Which programs that the University offers now are most beneficial to your family?

10. What programs would you like UNB to implement?

What programs would you like UNB to implement?

25

Appendix Bhttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LD88B73

UNB Support Given to the Wives of International Students (Spouse Survey)

TO: International studentsFrom Valerie LewisRE: Needs Assessment

The purpose of this survey is to complete my requirement for a course. It may also provide information to the International Student Advisor, regarding ways in which they can improve and include more programs that are beneficial to you, as the wife/ spouse of an international student. The information you provide will help them look at ways in which they can help spouses of international students settle in Fredericton /Canada. It will also aid them in finding ways to reduce, and remove, some of the barriers that you face as the spouse of an international student.

This survey will ask questions about the present programs that UNB offers to you, your experience as an international student’s spouse, and about other programs that you would like to be put in place to benefit you as a foreigner. They would like to learn more about the barriers that may affect your ability to find employment. Your participation in this survey is completely anonymous. Survey results will only be reported as a group, not as individuals. Your responses will in no way affect your access to any programme that you now enjoy at UNB. If you have any questions, please email me at i1q04@unb.ca.

1. What is your gender?

What is your gender? Male

Female

2. How long have you lived in Fredericton?

How long have you lived in Fredericton?

26

3. What country are you originally from?

What country are you originally from?

4. What is your official language?

What is your official language?

5. Do you have a health card?

Do you have a health card? Yes

No

6. Please use the rating scale to answer the following questions,

Not at all very little pretty well very well to

How well do you speak English?

How well do you speak French?

7. Do you work outside the home?

Do you work outside the home? Yes No

If not, why?

27

8. Do you attend any programs that the university now offers?

Do you attend any programs that the university now offers? Always

Very often sometimes rarely never

If yes, please specify which program(s):

9. Please use the rating scale to answer the following questions:

Poor Fair Good Excellent

Would you say that the current programs that are offered now to international students’ wives are beneficial?

How would you rate these programs?

10. If UNB provided programs for you, would you attend?

If UNB provided

Programs for you, would you attend? Always

Very often Sometimes Rarely Never

28

Please comment:

29

Appendix C

Question for Focus Groups

1. What are your expectations as the wife of a graduate student?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

2. On a weekly basis, how many times do you get out of the house?____________________

3. What skills do you have?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

4. What skills would you like to learn?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

5. What programs would you like to be involved with?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

6. What type of services would you like UNB to provide for you?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

30

_________________________________________________________________________

7. What facilities would you like UNB to provide for you as a group?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

8. Report any experiences you have had, as the wife of a UNB international student, whether it be a

positive or a negative experience.

_________________________________________________________________________

31