International students come to Saint Louis University through either direct entry or through INTO SLU. Regardless of their point of entry, international students bring a wealth of diverse perspectives and experiences to the St. Louis campus, enriching learning for all students.
Depending on their backgrounds, language proficiency, and other matters of context, international students may need a range of additional supports from instructors specifically and from the University more generally. Of course, many international students will come with deep knowledge of U.S. and western academic norms and with English as their primary or native language. And many domestic students also may struggle with the cultural norms and expectations of university-level classrooms and/or writing in academic English.
Therefore, consistent with evidence-based practice, the Reinert Center advocates that instructors take a proactive, culturally responsive approach to course design and pedagogy in order to create inclusive, learning-focused courses for all SLU students, in addition to responding to the specific needs individual international students may have.
To support instructors' work with international students, the Reinert Center offers a range of opportunities, from a year-long community of practice (the Culturally Responsive Teaching Academy), to supporting individual instructors through confidential consultations, to leading workshops and conversations within academic units. Additionally, we are working to develop web-based resources to support SLU instructors.
To talk with someone about your own teaching, you may request a consultation by completing this form. To request a facilitator for a workshop or discussion with a group of faculty or graduate student instructors, contact the Reinert Center at cttl@slu.edu.