Academic advisors, staff, department coordinators, program directors, and other campus partners play an important role in helping Cal State LA students navigate international education and global learning.
This page is designed to help campus colleagues identify the right resource, make appropriate referrals, support international students and exchange students, and connect students with global learning opportunities.
Help Students Get to the Right Place
International education often crosses academic, immigration, financial, enrollment, and student-support systems. Advisors and staff do not need to become experts in all of them.
The most helpful thing you can often do is recognize when a question may have an immigration or international-program dimension and connect the student with the appropriate office before an action is taken.
Quick Referral Guide
| Student Question or Need | Primary Referral |
|---|---|
| F-1 or J-1 immigration status | International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) |
| Dropping below full-time enrollment | ISSO before the student drops the course |
| Online or hybrid enrollment and immigration requirements | ISSO |
| Internship, CPT, OPT, or employment authorization | ISSO |
| I-20, DS-2019, international travel, or visa-related questions | ISSO |
| Degree requirements, major requirements, or graduation planning | Academic advisor, department, or college |
| Registration, enrollment transactions, or academic records | Appropriate academic or Registrar resource |
| Study abroad program selection or planning | Office of Study Abroad (OSA) |
| How study abroad coursework applies to the student's degree | Academic department or college, in coordination with OSA |
| Faculty-Led Program concept or development | Director, International Programs Office |
| COIL or international university partnership | Director, International Programs Office |
F-1 & J-1 Students: When to Refer to ISSO
Academic advisors and staff should continue advising international students on the academic and University matters within their normal areas of responsibility.
Immigration regulations, however, can interact with decisions that may appear to be purely academic. When an action may affect an F-1 or J-1 student's enrollment, program, employment, or academic timeline, the student should consult ISSO before the action is finalized.
Before You Make This Change
Encourage an F-1 or J-1 student to speak with ISSO before taking action involving:
- Dropping below full-time enrollment
- Withdrawing from the University
- Taking a leave of absence
- Changing degree level
- Changing major or academic program when immigration documentation may need to be updated
- Extending the expected graduation or program-completion date
- Completing the degree earlier than expected
- Changing enrollment modality in a way that may affect immigration requirements
- Participating in an internship, practicum, or employment experience
- Taking an academic action that may substantially change the student's enrollment or program status
ISSO can determine whether an immigration action is required before or alongside the academic change.
Advisors & Staff Should
- Advise students within your normal academic or administrative area
- Help students understand degree requirements and academic sequencing
- Recognize when an academic decision may have an immigration dimension
- Refer immigration questions to ISSO
- Encourage students to consult ISSO before making potentially significant enrollment changes
- Work collaboratively with ISSO when academic and immigration issues overlap
Leave Immigration Advising to ISSO
Immigration questions can be highly dependent on an individual's status, documents, academic history, and circumstances.
Refer questions about:
- Maintaining F-1 or J-1 status
- Full-time enrollment requirements
- Online-course limitations
- CPT, OPT, or employment authorization
- International travel and reentry
- I-20 or DS-2019 documents
- Program extensions or immigration deadlines
- Changes that may affect SEVIS
International Student Advising
Academic Advisors & Study Abroad
Academic advising can determine whether study abroad feels realistic and academically possible for a student. Advisors can help students plan early, identify appropriate timing, and understand where international coursework may fit into the degree.
Advisors Can Help With
- Identifying semesters that may work well for international study
- Degree sequencing and graduation planning
- Strategic use of electives, General Education, major, or minor coursework
- Helping students plan far enough in advance
- Connecting international study to academic and career goals
- Encouraging students who may not initially see study abroad as an option
Office of Study Abroad Can Help With
- Program exploration and selection
- Study abroad pathways and program types
- Application processes
- General study abroad cost and funding information
- Exchange and affiliate program questions
- Predeparture preparation
Academic departments and colleges retain responsibility for determining how international coursework applies to degree requirements.
Five Questions to Ask a Student Considering Study Abroad
- What are you hoping to gain academically, personally, or professionally?
- When in your degree plan might international study fit best?
- Which degree requirements could potentially be completed abroad?
- Have you completed Study Abroad 101?
- Have you met with the Office of Study Abroad to explore programs?
Help Students Discover Global Learning
Advisors and staff are often among the first people students turn to when thinking about academic opportunities. A simple referral can help make global learning part of a student's academic plan rather than something discovered too late.
Ways to Promote Global Learning
- Include study abroad links in advising resources and newsletters
- Encourage students to complete Study Abroad 101
- Share relevant study abroad and exchange opportunities
- Talk about international experience as part of academic and career development
- Encourage students to begin planning early
- Invite the Office of Study Abroad to advising events or student programs
- Share Faculty-Led Program opportunities when available
- Help students recognize that global learning can also happen without semester-long travel
Supporting International Students
International students are Cal State LA students first. They use the same academic, advising, tutoring, career, health, basic-needs, and student-life resources available across the University.
At the same time, navigating an unfamiliar university system while managing immigration requirements can make ordinary academic and administrative processes more complicated.
A Good Referral Is Often the Best Support
Help international students connect with the same campus resources you would recommend to other students while using ISSO specifically for immigration and SEVIS-related questions.
If you are unsure whether a student's situation may have an immigration consequence, refer the student to ISSO before the student takes action.
Supporting Inbound Exchange Students
International exchange students attend Cal State LA temporarily while remaining connected to a home university abroad. They may need additional help navigating course enrollment, prerequisites, departmental permissions, and academic expectations.
Their course choices may also need to satisfy requirements established by their home university.
Visiting Scholars & Academic Departments
Visiting scholars typically begin with an academic relationship. A faculty member, department, college, center, or other academic unit may identify an international scholar they would like to host for research, teaching, consultation, observation, or another approved academic activity.
Departments should begin the process early and avoid making commitments about immigration sponsorship, program dates, employment, or compensation before the University's visiting scholar and J-1 requirements have been reviewed.
Chairs, Program Directors & Administrators
International Programs can also assist academic leaders and administrative units when an issue extends beyond an individual student or scholar.
Connect With International Programs About
- International university relationships and partnership opportunities
- Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
- Faculty-Led Program concepts and development
- International visiting scholars
- International student enrollment issues that may have broader program implications
- Academic or curricular changes that may affect international students
- Inbound or outbound student exchange relationships
- International initiatives involving multiple campus units
Looking for Faculty Resources?
Faculty can explore COIL, Faculty-Led Programs, visiting scholars, international partnerships, international research and creative funding, and ways to integrate global learning into the curriculum.
Who Do I Contact?
International Students & Scholars Office
F-1 and J-1 immigration, SEVIS, enrollment-related immigration questions, employment authorization, immigration documents, and J-1 scholar immigration processing.
Office of Study Abroad
Student study abroad advising, program exploration, semester and academic-year programs, exchange, affiliate programs, and study abroad outreach.
Faculty-Led Programs
Faculty-Led Program ideas, feasibility, development planning, and the Faculty-Led Program Design Studio.
COIL & Global Partnerships
COIL collaborations, international faculty relationships, university partnerships, and other global academic initiatives.
Research Funding
External research funding, proposal development, institutional submissions, research compliance, and sponsored research support.
Not Sure Where to Start?
If an issue crosses several areas or you are unsure which international program resource is appropriate, contact the International Programs Office.
Campus Partnerships Make International Education Work
International education touches advising, curriculum, enrollment, student support, faculty engagement, immigration, and academic administration. Strong coordination across these areas helps students navigate Cal State LA successfully and makes global learning more accessible.
When in doubt, connect the student or issue with International Programs early. We can help identify the appropriate next step.