Ways we can support graduate fields
- Attend your orientation. We can give a brief presentation of what we offer, take part in an orientation resource fair, or introduce ourselves during an orientation lunch. If you don’t have room in your schedule to invite us, you can add this Welcome to Cornell from ELSO letter to your orientation packet and this slide to your orientation slide deck.
- Visit a classroom. We can give an overview of what we offer in a course that includes many writing or speaking tasks, help lead a writing workshop or peer review activity, or lead an activity on cross-cultural communication.
- Provide data: Are your students using ELSO services? We collect data on student participation in ELSO courses and are making this data available to you (click here for data by college) (raw data is here). You can use this data to find out how many of your students are taking advantage of what ELSO has to offer.
- Share materials. We have developed resources related to writing with AI, academic integrity and AI, and handouts on writing, presenting, and pronunciation, made available through our ELSO program Canvas site, in which you are welcome to self-enroll. We invite you to make use of these materials.
- Meet with you. We are available to work with you to investigate a pedagogical or advisory challenge related to students who use English as an additional language.
Ways you can encourage students to use ELSO services
- Make room for students to take ELSO courses. ELSO courses are 1-credit, half-semester, and pass/fail. To help students have room in their schedule for these courses, programs can allow ELSO credits to count toward degree requirements as “professional skills” credits or electives.
- Encourage students to take ELSO courses. Students may have the misconception that ELSO courses are for students with low English proficiency and focus on discreet language skills, like grammar rules. They may not be aware that ELSO courses are taken by students who seek to enhance their communication skills, build community with other speakers of English as an additional language, and make steady progress toward degree requirements and professional goals. When advanced students take our classes for the first time, they tell us they wish they had found our classes and programs earlier. Your encouragement can make a real difference in helping students find ELSO.
- Make ELSO visible in your communications. Add ELSO to the list of academic resources on your website, include ELSO events in your newsletter, feature ELSO on the screens in your building. To learn about ELSO events, join the ELSO listserv. For materials for websites, newsletters, and screens, visit the ELSO website or contact ELSO.
- Raise awareness of ELSO among graduate faculty. Students often learn about resources through faculty. To raise awareness of ELSO among faculty, graduate fields may include information about ELSO in orientations for new faculty, new GFAs, and new DGSs. And we are happy to visit faculty meetings to give short presentations.
Contact ELSO to learn more, to schedule a consultation, orientation presentation, or classroom visit, or for brochures to make available to students or faculty.