ELI News

The moon is out, and the city of Beijing is winding down. Meanwhile, Syracuse University student Qichen Chang has cracked open his notebook for an evening of studying. Tonight’s lessons are Probability and Statistics and English for Academic Purposes. Tucked away in his dorm room, Chang scrolls through his computer and immerses himself in notes from a Syracuse University lesson. Taking his first two semesters of Syracuse study at a local learning center in China, Chang has spent this time wisely, participating in a higher education program that is preparing him to progress to a summer semester in the United States at Syracuse University and proceeding then into his sophomore year at Syracuse. It won’t be long until he’s working face to face with his instructors in Syracuse, New York, and part of the community of learning on campus.

The International Year One Program (iY-1) offers international students unprecedented access to U.S. higher education. Syracuse University, in partnership with Interlearn, Inc., has developed a special blended first-year university learning curriculum for students in designated countries. This program provides students with a practical education and a more simplified college application process that is both rigorous and inclusive.

“The iY-1 program allows Syracuse University to take the lead in offering an innovative and transformative international program,” said Stephen Larsen, founder and CEO of Interlearn. “This program provides students extensive preparation for study in the U.S. and access to Syracuse University in a way that is meaningful to them and their families. Our mission is to bring talented students the higher education opportunities that can change their lives and benefit their communities.”

Structured for Success

Across the U.S. an astonishing number of international students face significant challenges in finishing their degrees. This can be for social, personal, cultural, and academic reasons. Students cite a range of challenges, most of them directly related to making the tremendous jump to a new culture and different approach to learning while far away from family support.

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For Chang, obtaining a degree at an American university was a powerful personal goal. On social media, Chang saw his friends attending architecture classes at Syracuse University, and while he wanted the “American university experience” too, he wasn’t sure how to get there. Then on Syracuse University’s website he found the International Year One (iY-1) Program, a program that provides U.S. education through transitional stages for international students.

“For me, the iY-1 program is the entrance to higher education in the United States,” Chang said.

Whether it’s an intensive English for Academic Purposes course or a dynamic economics course, each class has acted as a building block to prepare Chang for his time in America. It has allowed him to create his own opportunities and to study subjects he might not have considered, he said.

The structure of iY-1 is not your typical international education program. Before students fly overseas and begin curriculum at Syracuse, students spend the Fall and Spring semesters studying on-site with instructors at their local educational institution and online with Syracuse University faculty.

“The iY-1 Program offers international students a unique entry ramp to begin their higher educational journey,” said Ryan O. Williams, associate dean of the College of Professional Studies. “The combination of academic English preparation with credit-bearing courses, and online learning blended with on-ground instructional support in students’ home countries, empowers students to overcome language and cultural barriers, benefit from a customized support structure, and acclimate to university life in the United States before they arrive.”

“Through iY-1, students are prepared to succeed,” Larsen said. “The program offerings and engagements allow students to get accustomed to the rigors of U.S. academic study while they have support systems around them to help prepare for the enormous leap of leaving home to study halfway around the world in a new culture and with sometimes unfamiliar learning approaches.”

In the Fall semester, students take two credit-bearing undergraduate level courses coordinated with English for Academic Purposes coursework, which provides students with opportunities to engage in activities in English that encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and independent learning. In the spring semester, the credit-bearing class load increases and students may choose their track of study leading into engineering, the sciences, business, health professions, and a wide variety of other fields. Then, students spend their summer at Syracuse University. With a first year of study completed, students are supported socially and academically through their transition into the University and campus life. By the end of the summer term, students are ready to join the Syracuse University student body as sophomores.

“In mid-May, we were delighted to welcome our first cohort of iY-1 students to the Syracuse University campus,” Williams said. “For all of us who worked so hard on this project, it was a moment of pure joy to greet the students in person, to introduce them to their new home in Central New York, and to observe how this unique program had transformed the group.”

A Trio of Learning Environments Offers Student Support

It’s not just the academic opportunity that iY-1 provides. For some international students, attending university in the U.S. can be an isolating experience. With iY-1, students enter a program that honors community. Students travel through the program with a cohort and are provided access to continuous program support by advisors and instructors.

“There is the on-the-ground community in country, the synchronous online community, and the asynchronous online community,” said David Patent, online instruction coordinator for International Programs at the College of Professional Studies.

In the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters, Patent designed, taught and managed the English for Academic Purposes courses. The online synchronous component involved one hour-and-a-half-long class each week taught by the Syracuse University instructor, while the in-person component involved nine hours of on-the-ground instruction at an educational institution in China. Additionally, the course provided an asynchronous online instruction component. The combination of these three learning environments enabled students to receive consistent support and cultivate a community both online and in-person.

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“We spent two semesters in China. The courses included online sessions taught by teachers at Syracuse University and offline courses taught by local teachers,” said Jin Chai, an iY-1 student. “All the classes were taught in English, which laid a good language foundation for our next three years of student life at Syracuse University.”

Just The Beginning: Global Expansion and Advanced Degrees

Although iY-1 is currently only available to students in China, the program plans to extend to teaching centers in a range of countries.

“Interlearn is growing with Syracuse University and our partners worldwide. We are building new teaching centers not only in China but also in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia. Students in these countries represent the diversity and inclusivity that American colleges and universities highly value. We are working with our partners to reduce the overall cost of programs, and to expand degree options to include a range of associates, bachelors, graduate and professional degrees. Interlearn is excited about the opportunity to meet the new challenges and opportunities this expansion will allow, and we are proud to be a part of building for Syracuse University an expanding international presence and an ever-growing global alumni base,” Larsen said.

To learn more about iY-1, visit professionalstudies.syracuse.edu/academics/international-programs/international-year-one-iy-1-program.

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About the College of Professional Studies

The College of Professional Studies is a global, inclusive and future-facing college, providing access to diverse students and learners seeking a Syracuse University degree, credential, certificate or education experience.

About Interlearn, Inc.

Interlearn is a global education company committed to expanding access to quality higher education through transformative teaching and learning.

By Hope Alvarez

The Fulbright program is a widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program that offers accomplished students and scholars from around the world the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research and exchange ideas. Scholars travel to the United States to immerse themselves in culture, local geography and academics in order to advance their education. The English Language Institute (ELI) at University College (UC) has been the recipient of the Fulbright English for Graduate Studies grant for five years. The grant provides English writing and language skills to students planning to continue their studies in the U.S.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was offered virtually, which meant that students and instructors had to adjust to a new way of learning and teaching. “Although it was certainly a very different experience than in-person classes, I was able to develop relationships with some of my students, particularly through virtual office hours,” says instructor Constance Walters. “I really appreciated and enjoyed that face-to-face time with them and the comments they wrote at the end of the course made it clear that they really appreciated that time, too.”

The high standards set by the instructors at the English Language Institute motivated Nanan Nuraini to learn and participate in each session and assignment. Nuraini lives in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, with her two children. Her husband worked in Africa but returned to Indonesia to take care of their children while Nuraini waits for her visa to be processed for her anticipated arrival in the United States. Nuraini has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Padjadjaran University in Indonesia and a master’s degree in psychology of education from the University of Bristol, U.K. When she arrives in the U.S., she will begin working on a Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Nuraini was grateful to be accepted into the Fulbright program because she knew that developing her English language skills would strengthen her contributions in the field of neuroscience and psychology.  While she said that initially, the virtual learning classroom was challenging, it became easier as the students School of Education to begin a master’s program in instructional design and assessment. She said the virtual ELI program was comparable to in-class instruction. The program was beneficial and gave her the resources she needs for future research. “Learning how to structure a paper, write an abstract and an introduction was really useful,” she says. She also learned about possible funding sources for research projects. Because Tretiakova will continue her studies at Syracuse University, she found the introduction to campus—the library, business incubator and other facilities—will help her feel at home.

“The immersive program is designed to give graduate school students an academic English course as well as an introduction to a broad array of University resources to help them get the most out of their academic experience,” says David Lind, director of ELI. Eight schools/colleges and departments across campus participated in teaching the students about culture, history, diversity and inclusion, and the many resources available at the library.

University College staff held a panel discussion for the students that focused on the history of African American civil rights both past and present. Tyler Bell, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Education, Marsha Senior, director of the HEOP Program and assistant director of student administrative services at UC, and Nichole Henry, UC’s director of admissions, led the discussion. “We utilized visual thinking strategies to analyze a collage of images that have impacted underrepresented and marginalized communities in 2020,” says Bell. “The students thought that this was a very powerful lecture and genuinely learned a lot regarding the historical and contemporary implications of events affecting African Americans as seen through their verbal engagement and continuous comments throughout the presentation.”

Indonesian student Tryanti Abdulrahman thought the panel presentation fit well with her class discussions about slavery in the U.S. “I learned a lot on this topic through the lens of injustice,” says Abdulrahman. “The most provoking part of this topic was when our instructor Connie Walters asked us to connect the story to the history in my country.” As a result, Abdulrahman said she has become more culturally responsive and understands how sensitive the race issue is.

Abdulrahman grew up in Gorontalo, a province on the island of Sulawesi. She now lives in Bekasi, a city in West Java, Indonesia. She earned a master’s degree in multicultural education in foreign language teaching from Ohio State University and plans to complete a Ph.D. in reading and literacy for early and middle childhood education at Ohio State University. “My continued studies would provide me with the knowledge and expertise in reading and literacy as well as knowledge about the world, social relations, identities and power,” says Abdulrahman.

In addition to learning about the history and culture of the United States, the scholars found many other beneficial aspects of the Fulbright English for Graduate Studies program. Tretiakova, who has never studied abroad, found the teaching approach much different than what she experienced in Russia. “It was a very valuable experience,” she says. “The teachers provided a logical and clear framework on what needed to be done and provided different methods for research and the logic of each.”

“I appreciate that our instructors gave us meaningful materials and provided clear instruction. Homework and class activities focused on academic language development while teaching us the academic tools we need,” says Abdulrahman. The program provided training on plagiarism, giving the students a better understanding of intellectual property and how to cite works correctly. “I have learned about plagiarism before but with this instruction, I gained a deeper understanding and passed the plagiarism certification test.”

The students who were interviewed said that the most valuable part of the three-week virtual program was the poster project and presentation that was part of their final assignment. “It required me to study my topic in depth and apply the theories and practices of the English language,” says Abdulrahman.

“While all of the lessons were valuable, I think learning how to create and present a poster was the most beneficial,” adds Nuraini. “I had the opportunity to create a poster in a limited time, using minimal resources and then present it to teachers and fellow Fulbright students. While I was anxious to present it, it was a wonderful experience. I now have all the resources I need to perform my best in the upcoming Ph.D. program at the University of Missouri.”

“The Fulbright Program was a chance of a lifetime for me,” says Tretiakova. “It will allow me to advance and to move to an absolutely new level of professionalism.”

“I want to thank the English Language Institute at Syracuse University for a great program,” says Abdulrahman. “The classes challenged me to think, perform and grow to a higher level. The virtual program offered quality program content and a high standard of excellence. I want to thank my instructors for facilitating such a positive learning environment and teaching me lessons that I will carry over into my life’s journey. They truly made this three-week program one of the best I’ve ever had.”

Cuban native Yusdanie Fernandez, the son of a farmer and a teacher, lived in small town situated between the mountains and the sea. After completing high school Fernandez graduated from college with a degree in nursing and began his medical career as a neonatal intensive care nurse. Later he became an intensive care nurse in the cardiovascular unit.

In 2015, he completed his studies in medicine and became a doctor. His diploma came with an offer to provide medical services in the Cuban medical missions in Venezuela. “I was in a small indigenous town called San Carlos del Rio Negro,” he says. “It was in the jungle of the Venezuelan Amazon next to the Black River and was only accessible by plane. I was able to learn about the culture of the Yanomami Indians and offer them health services in a small hospital that had an emergency room.”

After a year in the Amazon, Fernandez arrived in Miami, Florida, with the help of a religious organization that assisted immigrants looking to resettle in the United States. He soon relocated to Syracuse with the hope of continuing to work in the medical field. Currently, Fernandez manages an Embassy Suites Hotel while he navigates the process and paperwork necessary to become certified to practice medicine in the United States.

Rosa Gomez received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Calixto Garcia University in Havana, Cuba, followed by specialized training in the ICU. She earned a master’s degree focused on women’s health and has worked as a nurse for 26 years. Since arriving in Syracuse three years ago, Gomez has been working as a medical assistant with the hope of earning the credentials needed to work as a primary health care nurse.

The dream of becoming a doctor came true for Alexander Gonzalez Delis when he completed his studies at the Superior Institute of Medical Sciences in Santiago de Cuba. With two post-graduate degrees in family and one in ophthalmology, Delis worked in three different countries before coming to the United States. His exemplary work as a doctor earned him honorary citizenship in Brazil.

These three individuals and 11 others are sharpening their English language and written skills at the English Language Institute (ELI) through a partnership between University College and Le Moyne College. The Welcome Back Center at Le Moyne is part of the national Welcome Back Initiative which addresses the need for more culturally and linguistically diverse health professionals living in Central New York. The center was made possible through the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Grant, which helps re-train foreign medical professionals.

Jordan Burns, the recruitment specialist in the ELI, says that the relationship with Le Moyne College was established to develop pathways for students to complete English language training to prepare them for college and careers. “Because of our existing relationship with Le Moyne, they requested we partner with them to provide training to these medical professionals,” says Burns. “We were able to develop an appropriate course of study for the students, test them and enroll them in a matter of weeks.”

“The purpose of the center is to help these students get re-certified in the United States so they can practice medicine again,” explains Liz McCaffery, director of the Welcome Back Center. “Developing the students’ English language skills is an integral part of their success and preparedness. The certification process is very complicated and expensive. If our students don’t speak English well, it’s difficult to navigate.”

McCaffery says that immigrants who want to become medical doctors in the United States have to register with the U.S. government as a foreign student through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECSMG). “The registration process can be cumbersome and there are a lot of steps.”

Delis says that despite his current medical skills, it’s been very difficult to join the health system in the U.S. “Since I’ve arrived in Syracuse, I’ve been searching for opportunities to improve my skills,” say Delis. “The programs at Le Moyne and Syracuse University are making it possible to pursue my goals.”

Olga Oganesyan, assistant director of the ELI, says the participants are taking their learning experience very seriously. “The exam the students are required to take to practice medicine in the U.S. covers not only medical knowledge and terminology, but language skills as well,” she says. “The students are doing very well and are active participants.”

ELI instructor Michelle Sands says that the students are working to overcome barriers such as spelling, pronouncing and writing medical terms in the English language. While her students from Cuba spent several years studying English in medical school, they didn’t anticipate moving to the United States and therefore, did not always retain all of the information.

Sands’ students agree that reading comprehension is a difficult part of the medical board exam, specifically extracting the necessary information to finish within the time limit. “The students in my class are doctors or registered nurses,” explains Sands. “Their ultimate goal is to become certified to practice medicine in the United States.” The English language instructors at the ELI use a variety of strategies to help them achieve that.

“I’m very excited to be receiving this training that will open doors for me to continue to dedicate my life to health care,” says Fernandez. “My experience at the English Language Institute has given me resources I didn’t have.” He says that the ELI instructors consider the various cultures of their students when teaching them the different and rules of language. Other students in the program are from Haiti, Congo, Rwanda and Dominican Republic.

There are many aspects of living in the United States and Central New York that the medical professionals appreciate. Fernandez loves living in Syracuse where the lakes and forests are enhanced by the rich history of the region.

Rosa appreciates visiting downtown during the summer while working to obtain the tools she needs to become a nurse. Gonzalez says that being part of Syracuse University is one of the best things that has happened in his new life in America.

Each one of them appreciates the opportunities afforded them through the programs offered at Le Moyne College and University College’s English Language Institute.