My peers and I were assigned to analyze the UBC webpage for a program called “Work Learn International Undergraduate” through the lens of an international student. We defined an international student as a student who is attending UBC but is from a country outside of Canada and is paying international fees. An international student might also have language and culture barriers with extremities varying between each person. Upon exploring the degree to which this webpage is accessible to international students, I have concluded that its inaccessibility can serve as an example as to why opportunities to get involved on campus are NOT equal. From my perspective, it is not a matter of whether or not there are opportunities for everyone, but rather an issue of whether these opportunities are effectively presented in a way that is welcoming and accepting of our diverse student population.
Being domestic students was a clear barrier for my group. This is why it is extremely important for us, and for these programs, to adopt Mead’s concept of “taking the role of the other.” By taking the role of the other, we are able to get insight on what it is like to be in the shoes of an international student which helps us understand how they might be perceiving these opportunities that are presented to them. For instance, since this is a program for international students, it should be written in a way that reaches out and tends to the needs of international students, eliminating as much of the barriers as possible. Thus, in order to achieve equality, such webpages should be especially accommodating to international students in the same way any other program would be easily accessible to domestic students. For example, due to potential language barriers, my group decided that the simplicity and clarity of language and sentence structure were the most important criteria for assessing accessibility. If international students do not understand certain portions of the information presented to them, not only will they feel confused and frustrated, but they might also feel intimidated and discouraged, causing them to hesitate about applying for these opportunities. Additionally, if they continue to feel alienated because of their language barrier, they may be less inclined to explore other opportunities on campus.
Furthermore, I believe that in order for opportunities on campus to be equal, programs should consider the diversity of students, specifically their individual experiences. For example, attending a post-secondary institution in a different country requires international students to experience socialization, in which they must learn the norms, attitudes and values of our culture. More specifically, getting involved on campus requires anticipatory socialization, which is the process of learning to take on the values and standards of groups and organizations that one aspires to join. On the webpage of our program, my group noticed that a lot of assumptions were being made and certain information, that international students may not be familiar with simply because they are not from Canada, was being skimmed over or skipped altogether. It is unfair for programs to expect international students to understand everything they mention since they are clearly still being socialized into our culture. Therefore, it is important for UBC to approach this with more awareness and consideration, providing as much clarity as possible.
Overall, I do not believe there are equal opportunities on campus to get involved. In my opinion, it is the small details, which begin to accumulate, that makes students doubt their competence and their role as a valued member of UBC, leading them to alienation and ultimately preventing them from exploring opportunities on campus.