Puncky Heppner, PhD, knows what it's like to be an international student crossing cultural borders. The psychology professor emeritus at the University of Missouri (MU) was a Fulbright scholar in Taiwan, Ireland and Sweden, and those cross-cultural experiences made such an impression that he felt compelled to pioneer programs that would help international students who came to study within his department — the department of educational, school and counseling psychology (ESCP) in the College of Education at MU.
"Once you've walked the hardship road of being a foreigner studying in another country, you have more compassion for others who are on such a cross-cultural journey," he says.
Here are some of the programs he and his ESCP colleagues helped to start:
- Half-day orientation: International students learn about topics such as academic expectations in this country, cultural history and why multicultural issues are important here.
- Psychology of Crossing Cultural Borders: This three-credit class addresses psychological processes when crossing cultural borders and covers topics such as how to make cross-cultural friendships and the importance of class participation.
- American Host Family Program: This program matches an international student with an American family. This allows international students to experience American culture firsthand and ask questions, practice speaking English and share their cultural perspectives.
- Career counseling practicum: International students have the opportunity to elect a practicum on campus in which they work as a career counselor for other international students, who are often better served by a counselor who understands their unique challenges, Heppner says.
- Cross-cultural Immersion Program: Students and faculty from ESCP immerse themselves for about 10 days at National Taiwan Normal University, and the following year, the Taiwanese faculty and students come to the University of Missouri.