Demystifying Career Support for International Students and Their Visa Sponsorship

Career Level: Basic-level career services professionals
Competency: Working with diverse populations
Fee: $69 (member); $89 (nonmember);

Summary
Career support to international students is an area that has been overlooked by many U.S. higher education institutions and professional organizations. U.S. universities do not give timely attention to international students’ career interests. Moreover, regardless of the evidence of international students’ contribution to the U.S. workforce and technological and societal development, many employers are hesitant to hire international students due to the visa sponsorship “headache.” This is a warning sign for the U.S. higher education institutions given that the domestic enrollment is decreasing, and international student enrollment market is competitive. This is also a tremendous loss for U.S. employers who miss opportunities to hire the best and brightest talents from the world.

Following this program, you will be able to:
- Illustrate the needs of enhanced career supports to international students;
- Generalize the mystifying visa sponsorship issue; and
- Synthesize best practices of providing career supports to international students.
Presenters

Ling LeBeau, Director, International Student Success, Syracuse University - The College of Arts & Sciences
Ling G. LeBeau is Director of International Student Success at Syracuse University. LeBeau is a scholar practitioner in the field of international higher education and academic advising with years of experiences in teaching, advising, research, and administration. LeBeau has served in various professional roles at five universities. Her work experiences range from teaching undergraduate and graduate students, advising international students and scholars, directing study abroad programs, developing international partnerships, to leading and implementing campus internationalization initiatives. LeBeau was Senior/Chief International Officer at Western Carolina University for five years prior to Syracuse University. She serves on multiple leadership committees of AIEA, NAFSA, and NACADA, and frequently presents and publishes on issues of international higher education and academic advising. LeBeau’s research interests include international student success, global learning, curriculum internationalization, international partnerships, assessment, student and faculty mobility. LeBeau holds a PhD in Higher Education and MS in Language Education from Indiana University Bloomington.

Kelly Roberts, Assistant Director, Tufts University
Kelly Roberts is assistant director, career advisor, for government/international affairs in the Career Center at Tufts University in Medford, MA. Previously she worked in NYC in the international education field for 19 years as an immigration specialist/international student adviser. Roberts has served on NCDA’s International Student Services Committee and is currently co-leader of NAFSA’s United Nations Special Interest Group. She has served as the primary NGO representative for NAFSA at the United Nations since 2009. She has presented at the UN, European Association of International Educators, AIEA, Model UN, and national and regional NAFSA conferences about engaging youth through university partnerships with the United Nations since 2008. She has served as secretary and vice-chair for the NGO/UN Department of Global Communications Executive Committee Board for more than six years including as chair of the youth subcommittee.  Previously, she was nominated to serve as co-chair, youth subcommittee of the conference planning committee for the annual UN DGC NGO conferences in France, Mexico City, Australia, and Germany. She was recognized and awarded by her peers in fall 2018 for her work co-planning the first International Education Day at the UN. She received her M.S. in adult education and human resource management from Fordham University.

Katherine Marie Hellman PhD, Director, International Student & Scholar Services, Washington State University
Kate Hellmann, Ph.D., is a faculty administrator and researcher in the field of international education and TESOL with nearly two decades of experience. She has a Ph.D. in education with a focus on international education and a master's in applied linguistics. Dr. Hellmann directs Washington State University’s International Student and Scholar Services, which supports the internationalization of the Washington State University system by providing a comprehensive suite of aligned linguistic, regulatory, social, and cultural programs to all international students and scholars to increase their success and retention in the WSU system. This includes teaching academic English and bridge programs, immigration and holistic advising, retention services, advocacy, career services, and more for the WSU system. Together, the faculty and staff foster an inclusive and welcoming international community for students and scholars. Dr. Hellmann conducts research on faculty experiences with international students in the classroom and beyond, international students and scholars, innovative teaching methodologies, and integration of domestic and international communities in the context of global learning. Her research and practice focus on the internationalization of higher education in the United States.