Baruch Introduces Interactive Tutorials for International Students

The International Student Services Center, working with e-learning specialists Kognito Solutions Inc. and the Baruch Computing and Technology Center, recently launched a new set of interactive online tutorials that provide comprehensive resources for current international students and detailed instructions for overseas applicants. The tutorials help both prospective and current foreign students to navigate through all aspects of the international student experience, from visa applications and immigration law to living in New York City.

The tutorials, averaging 40 minutes in length and designed to work on both dial-up and high-speed Internet connections, are much more thorough and sophisticated than comparable information sites at other colleges. There is one general guide for undergraduate students, along with separate guides for graduate students at the Zicklin School of Business, the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Public Affairs.

Arthur Downing, head of information and technology at Baruch, says that the need for the comprehensive tutorial arose because of significant and complex developments in the immigration process following the September 11, 2001 attacks. “We saw that students really needed a central knowledge resource,” said Downing. “Working with Kognito Solutions, we were able to develop tutorials aimed at students in all three units of the college.”

Baruch’s efforts to attract international scholars have not gone unnoticed—Stephen Goldberg, director of the International Student Service Center, was recently honored by the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office. The award recognized the assistance and advice that Goldberg has given to Taiwanese students during his tenure at the Center, as well as his sponsorship of educational exchanges between the United States and Taiwan. The award was the first of its kind presented by the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office, reflecting the more than 300 international students of Taiwanese origin enrolled at Baruch.