International Students
The number of international students in classes at UC Denver is small but growing. International students come to UC Denver from the International College site in Beijing, China, as well as exchange programs sponsored by UC Denver and other U.S. colleges, and international recruitment programs. CLAS courses also serve international students in other UC Denver colleges, especially the College of Business. UC Denver currently has over 600 international students in degree programs.
It is important for faculty to have a basic understanding of some of the immigration laws and regulations that govern international students during their stay in the U.S. Regulations place limitations on the flexibility of programs, off-campus employment, minimum grades, visa status, etc. Additionally, international students who are sponsored by their home government may have additional restrictions on grades and length of stay.
UC Denver is approved by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to issue Certificates of Eligibility for student status visas (F-1) and by the U.S. State Department to sponsor exchange visitor students and scholars visas (J-1).
In order to maintain immigration status at UC Denver, an international student must:
- attend the school whose document was used to gain admission to the U.S.,
- complete a minimum number of credit hours each semester (12 for undergraduate and 5 for graduate students)
- keep a valid passport at all times, and
- not accept unauthorized employment as defined by INS or a UC Denver official.
Faculty must keep these regulations in mind when teaching and advising international students. Falling out of immigration status is very serious for international students and adversely affects their ability to remain at UC Denver. Faculty should consult with the Office of International Education (OIE) when academic issues may affect a student's immigration status.
Office of International Education, Lawrence Street Center, Suite 923
Phone: 303-315-2230
Fax: 303-315-2246
E-mail: international@cudenver.edu
Frequently Encountered Situations
Student claims to be an international student, but faculty is not sure.
The Admissions Office typically assigns student numbers beginning with an 800 (800, 801, or 802) to international students, rather than using social security numbers. However, an 800 student number does not guarantee international student status. International student status (Y/N), visa type, and citizenship are provided on SIS screen 009.
International student asks for special accommodations based on limited English skills.
The language of instruction at UC Denver is English. International students must meet English proficiency (525 TOEFL) to gain admission to the College. Some international students may have limited classroom English skills. Faculty should contact the OIE for international students with severely limited English skills. At the discretion of faculty, the following accommodations are acceptable in CLAS: use of dictionary at all times (including examinations) and extra time for in-class examinations.
International students work in groups for all assignments.
International students seek academic support and often work together. Through course syllabus and discussion of class policies, faculty should emphasize when an individual effort is required. Faculty must avoid the hasty generalization that cultural differences promote cheating among international students. Faculty should establish written guidelines for all students for group and individual efforts on graded assignments.