Victoria Johnson serves as Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Piano Pedagogy and teaches piano pedagogy and applied piano and supervises the group piano program and the Music Academy (LSU's preparatory division). Dr. Johnson earned the Bachelor of Arts in Music and German from Luther College. She earned the Master of Music in piano performance from Bowling Green State University and completed additional studies at the Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat, Munster, Germany. Dr. Johnson recently completed the Doctor of Philosophy in music education with an emphasis in piano pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma. She served as OU's Interim Coordinator of Group Piano and Undergraduate Pedagogy during the 2000-2001 academic year and received one of three campus-wide Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards. Dr. Johnson has written articles for Keyboard Companion, Alfred's Piano Rendezvous and Piano Pedagogy Forum (a web-based periodical), and has presented at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, the Louisiana Music Teachers Association State Convention, the University of Oklahoma Seminar for Piano Teachers, the Luther College Dorian Keyboard Festival, and numerous local music teacher meetings. She is a member of the Adult Learning Committee of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, the Music Teachers National Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda. Her pedagogy teachers have been Jane Magrath, Reid Alexander, Barbara Fast, Anna Belle Bognar, Virginia Marks, and Cathy Albergo. Johnson's former faculty appointments include four years as Alumni Lecturer in Music at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, as well as positions teaching group and private piano for children at the Harper Music Academy and North Central College Piano Academy in suburban Chicago.
Victoria Johnson
School of Music
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
225.578.3261
vjohns7@lsu.edu
Ronald Cushing is Director of International Student Services at the University of Cincinnati. His presentation, How to Help Your International Students Adjust to Academic and Professional Life, addressed the legal, academic, and personal adjustment issues facing foreign students.
Legal Issues
The United States Department of Homeland Security's Student in Exchange Visitor Information System (SIEVIS) tracks international students' adherence to regulations governing living arrangements, degree programs, employment, and foreign travel. Violation of regulations may result in termination from SIEVIS and deportation. According to Cushing, six major legal issues impact foreign students:
- Optional Practical Training requires application for a work permit from the Department of Homeland Security, a process that takes 90 days. Music students might play with a professional orchestra under this option.
- Curricular Practical Training is authorized by the university's international student office, not the Department of Homeland Security, and must be an integral part of the student's curriculum.
(Cushing suggested that professors consider building professional requirements into coursework, so that students may take advantage of this option.)
Academic Issues
The biggest academic hurdle facing international students is the English language, as many students come to the United States with very weak English skills. This challenge is magnified for doctoral students, who must take written and oral comprehensive exams, write numerous papers, and complete a thesis or dissertation. As a result, foreign students at the University of Cincinnati take an average of 10 years to complete a doctoral degree, whereas domestic students generally finish in six years.
International students also must adjust to differences in the classroom. According to Cushing, in many foreign cultures, students are expected to "sit, listen, and regurgitate," rather than understand, theorize, think critically, and produce original work. Additionally, professors in other nations have an almost "Godlike" stature; as a result, foreign students are often very uncomfortable asking questions, sharing opinions, or voicing disagreement in the classroom.
Personal Adjustment Issues
International students typically face several personal adjustment issues. First, they have left family, friends, and normal ways of doing things behind, and must adapt to an entirely new environment. Even trivial items such as doing laundry and making meals can present significant challenges. Second, foreign students often find that studying and making friends in a new culture are much more difficult than they had anticipated. Finally, students must take conscious steps to become integrated into American life. This is a particular concern in music schools where there is a large international community. Students often congregate with others from their own country, forming "national clumps," and do not get to know many American students. Furthermore, music students spend countless hours practicing and performing; therefore, they rarely have time to take advantage of special programs for international students that can help them improve their English skills and develop an understanding and appreciation of American culture.
Every day, international students deal with a variety of legal, academic, and personal adjustment issues that domestic students do not. An awareness of these issues can help university professors give foreign students the assistance, support, and empathy necessary to live and study comfortably and successfully in the United States.
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