International Students

• Why La Trobe
• Courses and research
• Apply and accept
• Fees, scholarships & US Financial Aid
• Predeparture and arrival
• Accommodation & life in Australia
• Education Abroad programs
• International student services
  • Programs and activities
  • Support services
    • International Student Advisory Network (ISAN)
    • Sponsored students
    • Academic expectations
    • Career Support
    • International Student Barometer (ISB)
  • Leaving La Trobe
  • ESOS Compliance
• Contact La Trobe International

What is the ISB?

The ISB is the world’s largest student survey providing benchmarks for international student satisfaction. More than 700 universities and colleges in 22 countries have adopted the ISB, collecting and comparing feedback from over 900 000 students to date. All levels and years of study are covered, from first year undergraduates to final year PhD students.

The ISB provides La Trobe University with an understanding of the whole international student experience. Through the confidential information our international students provide us, we are able to evaluate what we are doing well as a university and in what areas we need to improve. Feedback from past surveys have resulted in the University providing more resources to improve in certain areas and build on our current strengths. La Trobe University has participated in the ISB since 2008.

The 2011 ISB results

La Trobe University received positive results from the 2011 ISB. Compared to other Australian universities, our international students identified the living and support area as more satisfactory while arrival and learning area as slightly less satisfactory.

Key area	Number of La Trobe international students who responded	La Trobe satisfaction	Australian universities satisfaction	Worldwide universities satisfaction
Arrival	282	85%	87%	86%
Learning	1143	82%	83%	85%
Living	1106	86%	85%	86%
Support	1050	88%	87%	89%

There were several elements within each area key area of student satisfaction at La Trobe which students identified as very satisfactory. These included:

Key area	Element with very high student satisfaction
Arrival	University orientation Opportunity to meet staff upon arrival
Learning	La Trobe University’s expert lecturers Online and physical library
Living	An environmentally-friendly attitude Safety
Support	Provision of multi-faith facilities Counselling Service Clubs, societies and student associations

Our international students did identify some key areas within the University that were less satisfactory, and
La Trobe has made steps to improve these key areas and is continually aiming to improve its services.

Key area	Elements which could be improved	Steps La Trobe University has taken/will be taking to improve this area
Arrival	Accommodation Office	Finding suitable accommodation, especially for newly arrived international students, can be particularly challenging. La Trobe University has identified the establishment of an Accommodation Advisory Service who will assist students in finding off-campus accommodation and guide students through any issues related to their accommodation, as a planning priority.
Learning	Curriculum Design	In May 2009, the University’s Academic Board approved an ambitious program of curriculum review and renewal across the University to ensure that undergraduate students benefit from the best possible curriculum design under the Design for Learning (DFL) project. The overall project, which is ongoing from 2009 – 2013, will consist of a number of inter-related initiatives (sub-projects) across all faculties. It will address, amongst other things, the first year experience, curriculum design guidelines, course mapping, and the evaluation of learning outcomes and standards.
	Career advice	Over the last 12 months the La Trobe Career Development Centre has undergone many changes and offers students more opportunities to participate in career events and workshops, a Career Mentoring program, and to benefit from career advice.
Living	Financial support and living costs	In 2011 La Trobe University expanded the International Student Services (ISS) team. More staff are now available to meet with international students and discuss any issues, including those related to students’ financial circumstances. The ISS team provides international students with resources and accurate information regarding the cost of living in Australia.
	Interaction with students from other cultures	La Trobe has set up the LACE program to facilitate social events that match up international students with students from other countries, including Australia. Students who participated in the LACE program experience many benefits, including increased confident when socialising with students from different cultures. To learn more visit the LACE webage.

 

Congratulations to Chon Yee Lee, Lianne Vreeburg, Angela Serrano, Yuwei Zhang, and Shitij Tyagi for winning the 2011 ISB Lucky Draw from La Trobe University.