A new admission pathway aims to help international students build stronger academic and social networks while engaging more with campus life at the University of Guelph.

Many international students need to spend their first few semesters at U of G building their English proficiency through language courses. These courses focus on skills such as reading, writing, listening, speaking and grammar.

These students generally won’t start degree-credit courses until their English language courses are complete. Sometimes, this can take a year or longer.

That traditional stream meant international students had challenges interacting with students in their field of study until they had already been on campus for a significant amount of time.

U of G’s new Integrated Admissions Pathway combines select degree-credit courses with English language courses in a supportive environment. Students can now start taking degree-credit courses while also developing their English skills. It allows students following the pathway to build connections with other students in their degree programs in addition to the students in their language courses.

“The creation of this new pathway aims to prioritize English language training while providing better support for our international students on campus,” says Michelle Fach, director of OpenEd.

“We are pleased to roll out a newly designed pathway that aligns with the University of Guelph’s Strategic Mandate Agreement to build international capacity for growth and change.”

The Integrated Admission Pathway is an initiative of English language programs at Open Learning and Educational Support.