2008 Woodie Awards
International students experience unique opportunities studying at Union
Katie Brown
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: News
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Compared to the majority of the students who make up the Union community, the ratio of the international students who attend Union is very small. They are, however, an important component to the population of the campus.
These international students who travel from all different countries around the world are given the opportunity to study at Union for a term, a year, or all four years of their college education.
One program that the international students are involved with is the United World Colleges (UWC), which sponsors students who choose to study at Union for four years. This organization is unique in that it is the only global educational movement that brings students together from all over the world with the specific aim of encouraging peace and international understanding. Its mission statement declares that "UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future."
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Stephen Leavitt, thinks that the international program at Union is a vital part of the community.
"I believe that international students offer an important dimension to campus life, providing for a more diverse campus and offering their peers perspectives on different parts of the world. The programs that we offer for international students at Union focus on the key issues of orienting them to the campus and helping them to navigate through the student community," Leavitt stated.
While the international students stay in the United States, they are offered special trips to nearby cities, such as New York and Boston, to learn about the American culture. They also hold an International Festival once a year in order to display their cultures from their respective countries to the students at Union.
However, with Union being such a small college, its atmosphere presents both advantages and disadvantages to the international students.
"One of the key advantages for international students in coming to a school like Union is that they have the opportunity to get to know faculty and administrators quite well, with a lot of individual attention, they would not be able to get at larger schools. The atmosphere at Union provides them with a very focused exposure to American culture through a small and cohesive community," comments Leavitt.
These international students who travel from all different countries around the world are given the opportunity to study at Union for a term, a year, or all four years of their college education.
One program that the international students are involved with is the United World Colleges (UWC), which sponsors students who choose to study at Union for four years. This organization is unique in that it is the only global educational movement that brings students together from all over the world with the specific aim of encouraging peace and international understanding. Its mission statement declares that "UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future."
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Stephen Leavitt, thinks that the international program at Union is a vital part of the community.
"I believe that international students offer an important dimension to campus life, providing for a more diverse campus and offering their peers perspectives on different parts of the world. The programs that we offer for international students at Union focus on the key issues of orienting them to the campus and helping them to navigate through the student community," Leavitt stated.
While the international students stay in the United States, they are offered special trips to nearby cities, such as New York and Boston, to learn about the American culture. They also hold an International Festival once a year in order to display their cultures from their respective countries to the students at Union.
However, with Union being such a small college, its atmosphere presents both advantages and disadvantages to the international students.
"One of the key advantages for international students in coming to a school like Union is that they have the opportunity to get to know faculty and administrators quite well, with a lot of individual attention, they would not be able to get at larger schools. The atmosphere at Union provides them with a very focused exposure to American culture through a small and cohesive community," comments Leavitt.
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