Committee to help international student with concerns
CSU international students with issues they would like addressed
or who feel uncomfortable around campus now have a place to get
heard.
The International Student Advising Committee, created this
semester by the Department of International Student and Scholar
Services, provides international students with the ability to
address concerns to the administration.
The committee, currently comprised of eight members, meets twice
a semester to discuss issues that have been brought to them by
other international students, such as visa issuance, health
insurance, cultural awareness and communication/language barriers.
The committee has met twice, with the most recent one Tuesday.
The members of ISAC also advise officials at the university
about concerns and discuss ideas on what can be done to address
those issues.
Kristy Magner, an employee of International Student and Scholar
Services, said that when ISAC needs to address a concern, the
administration would try to get the proper parties involved.
“If there is a concern with a specific department, we will bring
a spokesperson from that department and see if there is a way to
make things smoother,” she said. “In general, we try to bring
someone related to talk about possibilities.”
Sangita Kalarickal, a member of ISAC, feels the committee can be
a success, but only if enough students know about it and
participate in it.
“The success of this group depends on the participation from the
students, and this in turn depends on the education of the students
about this committee,” she said in an e-mail. “We feel that it is
important that we get the word out to all international students
that there is a peer group they can go to, if there is an issue
bothering them.”
Mark Hallett, director of International Student and Scholar
Services and primary organizer of the committee, said some of the
reasons for creating the committee were because of recent changes
to international student laws and an increase in workload to the
International Programs office because of those changes. Hallett
also said another reason for creating the committee was that some
international students may not feel as comfortable around campus
because of events in the last few years, and having a way to
address the issues that concern them might help change their level
of comfort.
“Those kind of things create a feeling different from before,”
he said.
Hallett added that the main emphasis of the committee is to
provide a means of communication between students and
administrators.
“I think it’s always useful to have input from those you serve,”
he said. “You want to maintain good communication.”
Carla Puky-Wust, an international student pursuing a second
bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, said that has not felt
uncomfortable around campus but that ISAC will be beneficial for
international students.
“I think ISAC will give international students a chance to voice
their concerns and serve as a link between them and the rest of the
CSU community,” she said.
Raji Edayathumangalam, a member of ISAC and a fifth-year
international student from India seeking a doctorate in
biochemistry and molecular biology, said that while she has not
encountered many issues at CSU, it doesn’t mean that other
international students haven’t, so she is ready to be a voice for
them.
“Just because I did not face many issues does not mean that
other people are not facing issues. I often came across many people
facing several issues,” she said. “However, many of them may not be
able or willing to communicate it in public. I am willing to be the
spokesperson for such people since issues faced by one individual
concern more than just that one individual.”
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