Dr Clint Arizmendi1
1Sonder Australia, Surry Hills, Australia
International student enrolments – especially in higher education and VET – have increased significantly, almost doubling in the past decade to approximately 500,000 in 2018[1]. As intake has increased, so too has the emphasis upon Australian academic and social inclusivity. A primary focus being the safety and welfare of the students and the sustainability of the sector. A key challenge for service providers is to prevent, or stop, exclusionary practices such as racialised violence, housing exploitation, lack of transport access, employment exploitation and racial and sexual harassment[2] that can negatively affect students. However, this is difficult when service providers are unaware of such practices or when students are unsure of where to go to when experiencing them. Addressing this challenge requires collaboration between stakeholders such as universities, support services and students. Integrated stakeholders that have suitable methods and channels for communication with the student are often better placed to enable them than those who do not. This presentation is about understanding international student needs to inform stakeholder understanding and service delivery. It will present a snapshot of active user[3] data (n = 124) collected from January 2018 – June 2018. It highlights the most common types of requests for direct assistance made by international students in need of critical and non-critical support, ranging from assault, injury, and being lost to appointment and accommodation support, and student advocacy. The analysis provides insight into the types of international student needs and highlights the importance of stakeholder coordination and communication when managing such incidents to ensure academic and social inclusion.
[1] Australian Trade and Investment Commission (2018). 2018 – International Student Data – For Australian education institutions – Austrade . [online] Available at: https://www.austrade.gov.au/australian/education/education-data/current-data/summaries-and-news/summaries-and-news [Accessed 4 Jun. 2018].
[2] Jakubowicz, A. and Monani, D. (2015). Mapping Progress : Human Rights and International Students in Australia. Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, [online] 7(3), pp.61-80. Available at: http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/mcs/article/view/4473/5103 [Accessed 7 Jun. 2018].
[3] An, “active user” is defined as a user who has used the Sonder App three or more times.
*2018 International Student Data For Australian education institutions. Retrieved 27 May 2018, from https://www.austrade.gov.au/australian/education/education-data/current-data/summaries-and-news/summaries-and-news
Biography:
Dr Clint Arizmendi joined the Sonder Australia team after spending fifteen years specialising in research and analysis in both the public and the private sectors. Originally an international student from the USA, Clint understands the importance of balancing the desire to explore and experience all that Australia has to offer with personal safety and wellbeing. As the Manager of Operational Intelligence, he is responsible for predictive systems and proactive methods that ensure Sonder members are aware of incidents that may affect their journey.