International students join to discuss their special issues
By: Abigail Raymond
Issue date: 4/14/06 Section: News
Originally published: 4/14/06 at 12:43 PM EST
Last update: 4/14/06 at 12:43 PM EST
Originally published: 4/14/06 at 12:43 PM EST
Last update: 4/14/06 at 12:43 PM EST
In response to the low attendance, the panelists expressed interest in creating an International Student Advisory Committee, which would serve to centralize the problems and concerns of international students and relate them to the ISSS office.
"A group of four or five international students [on this committee] would meet with me maybe once or twice a quarter to tell me what's going on out there, what are the issues," Trayte said. "Something where I could bounce ideas off of you and you could bounce them back off of me."
Aguilera believes the most significant accomplishment made at the meeting was the potential committee.
"Today we're not going to reach a conclusion … I think this has to be a consistent thing that needs to be done on a monthly basis."
On-campus job opportunities were another hot topic discussed, since it is very difficult for international students to obtain jobs off campus due to excessive paperwork and fees. The panel assured the students that there are plenty of part-time job opportunities available on campus, but also decided at the meeting to include contact information for those jobs on the ISSS Web site.
Overall, students seemed pleased with the ISSS and their services, and feel integrated with the University community. The problems mentioned dealt primarily with immigration issues, which are already addressed in a separate quarterly meeting.
"The University has really increased enrollment [of international students] without all aspects of the University knowing what that means," Duffy said. "International students are a unique population … they have certain needs, and that's what the ISSS office does."
"We try to at least inform the administration, what is the gap in informing the student, where is it that we can at least, if not help, communicate better from the University to the student before anything happens." Lau Chan said.
Lau Chan and Duffy hope that the University will hold two International Student Town Hall Meetings per year, one in the fall and one in the spring.
"A group of four or five international students [on this committee] would meet with me maybe once or twice a quarter to tell me what's going on out there, what are the issues," Trayte said. "Something where I could bounce ideas off of you and you could bounce them back off of me."
Aguilera believes the most significant accomplishment made at the meeting was the potential committee.
"Today we're not going to reach a conclusion … I think this has to be a consistent thing that needs to be done on a monthly basis."
On-campus job opportunities were another hot topic discussed, since it is very difficult for international students to obtain jobs off campus due to excessive paperwork and fees. The panel assured the students that there are plenty of part-time job opportunities available on campus, but also decided at the meeting to include contact information for those jobs on the ISSS Web site.
Overall, students seemed pleased with the ISSS and their services, and feel integrated with the University community. The problems mentioned dealt primarily with immigration issues, which are already addressed in a separate quarterly meeting.
"The University has really increased enrollment [of international students] without all aspects of the University knowing what that means," Duffy said. "International students are a unique population … they have certain needs, and that's what the ISSS office does."
"We try to at least inform the administration, what is the gap in informing the student, where is it that we can at least, if not help, communicate better from the University to the student before anything happens." Lau Chan said.
Lau Chan and Duffy hope that the University will hold two International Student Town Hall Meetings per year, one in the fall and one in the spring.
