Welcome

Overview

Dr. Lauren G. Bent
Assistant Dean of Campus Life
and Director of International
Programs
For Hire: International Students

Learning Outcomes
 Understand international student trends in
U.S. higher education
 Identify the benefits of hiring international
students and graduates
 Become familiar with basic employment
authorization of international students and
graduates
 Learn about internationalization initiatives at
Merrimack College

Definition of Terms
 International Students:
 are seeking a degree or studying abroad at
Merrimack College; AND
 were not born in the United States and are not a
U.S. citizen; OR
 do not have a green card granting permanent
residency (i.e. resident aliens).
 F1 students: seeking a degree at Merrimack
College
 J-1 students: studying abroad at Merrimack
College.
 SEVIS: Student Exchange and Visitor

Definition of Terms
Employment is any type of work performed for
services provided in exchange for money, tuition,
fees, books, supplies, room, food or any other
benefit. If a student receives no pay or other
benefit for the work performed, this activity is not
generally defined as employment and may be
considered to be volunteer work. However, a
student may not work without payment for a job
that would otherwise be paid to someone else.
(Retrieved from Babson College)

International Student Trends in U.S.
Higher Education
 228,467 new international students studied in U.S.
colleges and universities in the 2011-2012
academic year.
 New international student enrollment- students
enrolling for the first time at a U.S. institution in fall
2011- increased 6.5% over the previous year.
 764,495 international students in U.S. colleges-
3.7% of students enrolled in U.S. colleges and
universities are international.
 Last year, Merrimack hosted 163 international
students (7.5% of student population)
(Information retrieved from Open Doors (2012) Institute of International Education)

Top 10 Places of Origin
 China: 25.4%
 India: 13.1%
 South Korea: 9.5%
 Saudi Arabia: 4.5%
 Canada: 3.5%
 Taiwan: 3.0%
 Japan: 2.6%
 Vietnam:2.0%
 Mexico: 1.8%
 Turkey: 1.6%

Top U.S. States hosting
international students
 California: 6.5% increase
 New York: 4.5% increase
 Texas: 0.2% decrease
 Massachusetts: 6.6% increase
 Illinois: 6.4% increase
 Pennsylvania: 9.5% increase
 Florida: 9.6% increase
 Ohio: 7.0% increase
 Michigan: 3.6% increase
 Indiana: 10.4% increase

Benefits of Hiring International
Students
To compete in a global economy, businesses need
global talent.
 International candidates speak the language of
the countries where organizations are doing
business or seeking new opportunities for growth.
 Because it can be difficult for employees on a
work visa to change jobs, international employees
are less likely to leave unexpectedly. This lowers
your costs for talent recruitment in the long-term
while also creating loyalty among your employees.
(Retrieved from Dartmouth College)

Benefits of Hiring International
Students
 They bring
valuable new
perspectives and
problem-solving
skills to the way
companies do
business.

Benefits of Hiring International
Students
 International students who want to study and work
in the US or another foreign country have
tremendous adaptability and perseverance. They
are accustomed to managing change after having to
adjust to another part of the world with different
customs and a different way of life.
 If an international student has a specialized skill set
or range of global experiences that the employer
desires, he or she may be a better fit for the position
than available US candidates.
 International employees make it easier for
companies to attract and retain a diverse workforce.

Employment Authorization for F-1
International Students
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
 Must relate to student’s major and the experience must
be part of the program of study. If the experience is not
required, the student must be earning credit for it.
 Students must have been enrolled full-time and in good
academic standing for one academic year; graduate
students may begin CPT during their first semester if
their academic program requires this type of
experience.
 CPT may be either full-time or part-time (less than 20
hours per week); If a student completes 12 months or
more of full-time CPT, he/she is ineligible for OPT,
however part-time CPT will not prohibit students from

Employment Authorization for
F-1 International Students
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
 OPT must relate to student’s major or course of
study.
 Student may apply for 12 months of OPT at each
education level; 17-month extension is available
for students in STEM majors.
 Student must apply for work authorization by
electronically filing a Form I-765, “Application for
Employment Authorization,” with U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS) and paying a
filing fee.

Employment Authorization for J-
1 International Students*
Academic Training (AT)
 Must relate to student’s major and the experience must be
part of the program of study. If the experience is not
required, the student must be earning credit for it.
 The maximum period of AT that can be authorized is 18
months, but it cannot be longer than the total length of
student’s program of academic study (i.e. if a student is
enrolled in a 4 month program he/she would be eligible for
a 4 month period of AT).
 Ro be eligible, students must be enrolled full-time; be in
good academic standing; obtain a specific offer of
employment that is directly related to their field of study;
and be recommended by an Academic Advisor for specific
training

Initiatives at Merrimack College
Internationalization Leadership Team: Comprehensive
Internationalization
 Goal 1: Ensure the development of international, multicultural, and
multilingual competencies among all constituents of the Merrimack
College community
 Goal 2: Increase the number of international students at Merrimack
College while creating a welcoming and supportive infrastructure to
promote their integration, persistence, and success
 Goal 3: Increase student participation in meaningful off-campus
and/or study abroad programs in which students are appropriately
challenged and supported through immersion experiences
 Goal 4: Develop a sophisticated organizational structure with
comprehensive policies and procedures to manage college-wide

• Welcome Dinner
• Errands (Shopping, cell
phones, bank accounts, etc.)
• SEVIS and Community
Standards Sessions
• Day trip to Boston
• Academic Orientation for
International Students
• Merge into new student
orientation
• NEW! First Year Experience
for International Students
International Student Arrival and
Orientation

Social and Cultural
Events
 International Assistant
Program
 World Peers student
organization
 Thanksgiving for
International Students
 Thanksgiving Host family
program
 Global Trivia
 Global Village
 International Tea
 Leadership Roles

Study Abroad at Merrimack
College

Study Abroad at Merrimack
College
 Lauren will send slide information!

Wrap-up/Discussion
Thank you!
Questions?
bentl@merrimack.edu

Evolving Talent Strategy to Match
the New Workforce Reality

Millennial Employees
Work/life balances is one of the most significant
drivers of employee retention and a primary reason
this generation of employees may choose a non-
traditional professional career track.

Key Findings
Many Millennial employees are unconvinced that
excessive work demands are worth the sacrifices to
the personal life.

Key Findings
Millennials employees (and non-millennial
employees) want greater flexibility at work, and some
will exchange pay to make this happen.

Key Findings
Millennials say that creating a strong cohesive, team-
orienting culture at work and providing opportunities
for interesting work-including assignments around the
world- are important to their work happiness, even
more so than their non-Millennial counterparts.

Key Findings
While the same basic drivers of retention exist in both
Millennials and non-Millennials, their importance
varies.
Millennials placing a greater emphasis on being
supported and appreciated.

Emotional Connection to the
Workplace

Balance and Workload
• Work/life imbalance
• Impact of workload
• Manageability of the workload

Engaging Work, Development and
Opportunities
 Work that is interesting and meaningful
 Support for professional development
 Knowledge and influence about opportunities

People and Teams
 The team (co-workers)
 Mentors and supervisions
 Friendship and work

Competitive Pay and Job
Opportunities
 Perceived pay equity
 Job opportunities internally vs. externally

Emotional Connection = Retention

Creating a Millennial-Friendly
Workplace

Create a Flexible Work Culture

Fully Leverage Technology

Increase Transparency Around
Compensation, Rewards and
Career Decisions

Build a Sense of Community

Evaluate the impact that Millennials
may have on the contingent workforce
strategy of your organization.

Invest Time, Resources and
Energy to Listen and Stay
Connected With Your People

One Size Does Not Fit All

In Conclusion…
To foster a greater sense of commitment among
Millennials it will be necessary for organizations to
transform the core dynamics of the workplace.
Take away questions…
Long-term, how will this shape our workforce?
Will their beliefs change over time?

Student Panel

Thank You

Nuts and Bolts of a
Successful Internship

What is an internship?
A carefully monitored work or service experience
with intentional learning goals which actively
reflects learning throughout the experience.
May Be:
 Paid or unpaid
 Full or part time
 Duration varies but generally 3 to 6 months
 Includes learning objectives, reflection and
evaluation

Why hire interns?
 Consider the value of your time and mission of the
company
 Think about projects, short-term tasks and
department needs
 Consider processes in your company that are
inefficient or in need of modification
 Develop a pipeline of future hires

$10 Tasks vs. $100 Tasks
Consider the value of your time
 Take a moment to jot down all the “ten dollar tasks” you
perform which could be delegated to a $10/$15 hourly
intern and allow you to focus on $100 tasks.
 What are some projects and department needs which
could be met using an industry-specific short term labor
pool?
 What are those $100 tasks you may need assistance
with?

Value of Interns
 Opportunity to gain access to high-quality, highly
motivated talent
 Tap into sources of innovation and process
improvements
 Benefit from a cost-effective and flexible workforce
 Freedom for professional staff to pursue more creative
projects
 Your image in community is enhanced by contributing
your expertise to an educational enterprise

Getting Started: Internal Assessment
 Assess your needs: current and projected
 Need help on current project, starting a new project,
expertise in specific field?
 Consider strategic allocations of time and labor
 Do your research: talk to managers, career centers,
mentors
 Write a plan of action: be clear about why you are
hiring an intern
 Recognize your commitment in serving as host and
mentor to interns

Getting Started: Intern’s Role
 Write a job description. Structure position with goals
and timelines to ensure success while developing an
intern’s role and responsibilities:
 Work plan should minimize menial tasks
 Emphasize experiential learning
 Develop soft skills: presentations, interactions with
professionals, networking
 Identify a supervisor for day-to-day direction, assigning
tasks and professional development
 Provide a workspace: desk, telecommunications,
parking

 Work with career centers to post opportunities
and develop a relationship.
 Align your needs with institutions who have industry-
specific programs
 Establish a contact person at college where recruitment
takes place
 Choose your interns as carefully as a permanent
employee
 Identify rate of pay
 Know the legal implications of hiring interns
 Inform career centers of internship hires
Recruitment

Managing The Intern
 Set proper precedent first week of hire
 Provide detailed work plan and deliverables with
associate timelines, identify supervisor and review
with intern
 Give intern the resources needed to get job done
 Provide plenty of feedback and evaluate progress
routinely.
 Students want to know what they are doing well and
recommendations for improvement
 Provide a final evaluation of performance
 Report a hire to career center

Legal Issues
The U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) restricts an
employer’s ability to use unpaid interns but does not limit an
employer’s ability to hire paid interns. Interns do not need
to receive compensation if they qualify as trainees.
DOL criteria for determining trainee status:
 Interns cannot replace regular employees
 Interns are not guaranteed a job at the end of the
internship
 Interns are not entitled to wages during the internship
 Interns must receive training, even if it somewhat impedes
the work of your organization
 Interns must get hands-on experience with equipment
and processes used in your industry
 Interns’ training must primarily benefit the intern, not the
company

The O’Brien Center :
Your Partner in Success
2nd floor, Sakowich Campus Center
www.merrimack.edu/obrien
978.837.5480
careerservices@merrimack.edu