International Affairs

What’s driving the international student boom at ��ϸ��-Dearborn?

lblouin — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 20:01:02 +0000

What’s driving the international student boom at ��ϸ��-Dearborn? lblouin Wed, 01/11/2023 - 15:01

Bharat Kudachi, an electrical engineering master’s student and recent president of the Indian Graduate Student Association (IGSA), was one of the first people to notice that 2022 might be an explosive year for international student enrollment. The particular leading indicator he was watching was a surging number of students on the IGSA WhatsApp group, which most incoming Indian students join so they can pick the brains of current students. On the one hand, the growth was exciting. But because IGSA also helps students with things like rides from the airport and finding housing, Kudachi and IGSA treasurer Siddharth Jain immediately began thinking about logistics. In particular, Kudachi was concerned about finding everyone a place to live. Here at ��ϸ��-Dearborn, of course, the university doesn't operate any residential housing, so international students typically land either at The Union or two nearby apartment complexes with a university-operated shuttle service. Kudachi checked, however, and those three venues were already running at or near capacity. So in April, he decided to drop a quick email to Trista Wdziekonski, executive director of graduate enrollment management, just to make sure this issue was on the university’s radar. Kudachi remembers the subject line included the phrase, “Quick Reply Needed.”

Kudachi got that quick reply. Not surprisingly, Wdziekonski had been closely watching the numbers too, and she was also seeing a potentially historic international student class on the horizon. During the pandemic, most universities, including ��ϸ��-Dearborn, saw a drop in international student enrollment. Now, applications were not only rebounding but blowing past pre-pandemic levels. Because international students tend to apply to a greater number of schools and admitted students must also complete additional steps like I-20 forms and visa interviews, Wdziekonski knew that the number of applicants doesn’t translate into number of enrolled students. But if historic trends held, it could easily be the biggest class of international students ever at the university. When everything fell into place in August, that’s exactly what materialized. At the start of the Fall 2022 semester, 870 international students on F-1 or J-1 visas were taking classes at ��ϸ��-Dearborn, comprising more than 10% of total enrollment at the university. Three hundred sixty one of them, or around 40%, were brand new this year.

Dig into the numbers and you’ll find lots of interesting storylines. As in past years, students from India are by far the biggest group by country. They make up 71% of the total, indicating the strength and durability of one of our longest-running international student pipelines. Also dominant: the College of Engineering and Computer Science, home to 82% of our international students, which is a clear demonstration that our STEM programs continue to be the big draw. Graduate students make up 88% of the total, which interestingly, runs counter to the nationwide trend, which is tilted 60/40 toward undergraduates. The group is also increasingly diverse. 2022’s class has students from 49 countries. And though students from India are the biggest community, eight countries are represented by populations in the double digits, four of which have more than 20 students (China, Lebanon, Oman and Nigeria). On the flip side, for 23 students, they’re the only ones from their country. For another five students, there’s just one other person from their country

International student enrollment by country

As you can see, students from India make up the vast majority of international students at ��ϸ��-Dearborn. The "Other" category, shown above, represents students from Albania (3), Brazil (3), Egypt (3), Italy (3), Singapore (3), Argentina (2), Armenia (2), Sri Lanka (2), Thailand (2), Turkey (2), Botswana (1), Costa Rica (1), Ethiopia (1), Ghana (1), Indonesia (1), Ivory Coast (1), Japan (1), Kenya (1), Kuwait (1), Mexico (1), Norway (1), Peru (1), Philippines (1), Romania (1), Russia (1), Rwanda (1), Saudi Arabia (1), South Africa (1), UAE (1), Venezuela (1), West Bank (1), Yemen (1) and Zimbabwe (1). Graphic by Violet Dashi

So what’s driving this big uptick in enrollment? Wdziekonski and her colleague Francisco Lopez, ��ϸ��-Dearborn’s director of international affairs, cite a range of factors. As with many things, the pandemic is still exerting an influence. Specifically, travel restrictions, drawn-out timelines for student visa processing, and general financial instability over the past two years caused many international students to delay their study abroad plans. Now, with COVID-19 reaching a less disruptive endemic phase and visa processing getting back to normal, Lopez says the dam of “pent-up demand” is bursting. Nationwide, international student enrollment at American universities nearly bounced back to pre-pandemic levels this year. On average, colleges reported an average increase of 7% in new international students, though levels have varied by institution.

Still, this national trend doesn’t explain everything that’s happening at ��ϸ��-Dearborn, where total international enrollment is up more than 45% over pre-pandemic levels. Though it’s hard to say definitively, Lopez and Wdziekonski suspect a couple contributing factors. Perhaps most importantly, engineering and computer science continue to be the most popular disciplines for international students nationwide, and we happen to have strong programs in these areas. These disciplines are also popular among students from India, where we’re drawing the lion’s share of our students. In addition, Lopez says we have very high rates of students landing professional opportunities outside the university, both during their studies, known as Curricular Practical Training (CPT), and after they graduate, known as Optional Practical Training (OPT). “In a normal pre-pandemic semester, it was common to process 60 to 80 CPTs, and the most pre-pandemic CPT authorizations we processed was about 100,” Lopez says. “This fall, we authorized over 180 — about an 80% increase. So out of 398 eligible students, about 46% received CPT.” Lopez says stats are a little harder to gauge for OPT, the U.S. government program that allows students up to 36 months of post-graduation employment without having to change their immigration status. But participation is undoubtedly high at ��ϸ��-Dearborn: Since 2019, we’ve averaged about 440 OPT students per semester. “Our international students are getting incredible placements while they’re studying with us and killer jobs after they graduate,” Wdziekonski says. “And that’s about the best marketing you can have for incoming students.”

In fact, Wdziekonski and Lopez say word of mouth is likely another big reason for the recent surge in international student enrollment. When students have a positive experience at ��ϸ��-Dearborn, they naturally tell their friends and family about it, which spreads the word to new potential students in a very authentic and organic way. As with other types of immigration, sometimes populations reach a critical mass, and an area becomes known more generally for being a welcoming spot for a particular group. We could be reaching such a tipping point, for example, with career-focused Indian students who are looking for programs in engineering and computer science. And even among our students who are the only ones from their countries, Wdziekonski says she knows of at least one new student who’s “nursing along five or six others” back home who are now interested in studying here. “If a student has a good experience, that word of mouth thing can happen really quickly,” she says.

International student enrollment by college

Graphic by Violet Dashi

The new ways we’re getting the word out to international students could also be playing a role. During the pandemic, info sessions for prospective students all flipped to an online format, and Wdziekonski says this model frankly worked better for international students. Lopez says they’ve also worked really hard to include topics that transcend academics. “We’re including more information about the visa process, or how to find housing, or making sure that students are well-prepared for life in Dearborn and know what to expect before they arrive. And you see students in these sessions using the chat to network and share their WhatsApp groups, which I think is a really positive sign.” Parallel to some of the challenges faced by first-generation domestic college students, Lopez says this style of outreach and networking can be particularly crucial for students coming from countries that don’t have an established history of sending students to American universities.

Unsurprisingly, this growth spurt hasn’t occurred without some growing pains. As Kudachi anticipated, housing was the biggest challenge this fall. As the numbers of new students continued to rise, and with spots in the usual apartment complexes filling up, he and other members of IGSA did what they do and flipped into troubleshooting mode. They started calling around and, before long, discovered a fourth apartment building near campus that still had dozens of leases available. He looped in folks at the university, who stepped up to help with some additional logistics, like convincing the building manager that an I-20 form is a good stand-in for a credit report. The facilities team joined the effort and arranged a new shuttle route. And IGSA opened up their WhatsApp group so students from any country could network, find roommates and find a couch to crash on temporarily if all else failed. “Obviously, it can be very stressful to have your plane ticket and not know where you’re going to be staying when you arrive,” Kudachi says. “We didn’t want to leave anyone in that situation. So we put a call out to all the members of IGSA, and so many people volunteered to share their homes. I think being a student, we’ve all been in the same place, so they understand what it feels like.”

Under Bharat Kudachi's leadership, the Indian Graduate Student Association stepped up to help find housing for a historic class of international students. Photo courtesy Bharat Kudachi

In the end, everyone found a permanent place to stay, though some students did end up outside the four-building network that’s served by the university shuttle. For these students, Uber is often their costly alternative to get back and forth to campus. Even for students living in places served by the shuttle, transportation can be a regular challenge. The shuttle takes students to and from campus several times a day, and on the weekends, to three different grocery stores, including an Indian grocery. But outside of that, students are on their own for say, a Target run, a mid-week resupply, a trip to a restaurant or a visit to the doctor. Kudachi says students more often turn to the WhatsApp group to catch a ride with someone who has a car rather than public transportation, which he says just takes way too long to get anywhere. In fact, Lopez and Wdziekonski say housing and transportation really need to be thought of as a single challenge. “I think that’s the big question: Is there a certain capacity or limit when it comes to our international student enrollment, given the unique situation of our campus?” Lopez says. “We’re a commuter campus, there’s not very good public transit in our area, students from abroad don’t typically have cars, there are only so many units within walking distance, and even fewer that are served by a university shuttle. So it’s a really interesting opportunity, because the demand appears to be there. But it’s probably going to take a creative solution.”

On that front, Wdziekonski says the university will soon be launching a working group to deal directly with this housing-transportation dynamic. They’re currently looking into a better system for roommate matching, as well as new agreements with leasing companies to hold more spots for international students. But given the additional complicating factor of a nationwide housing shortage, more outside-of-the-box options are also on the table. For example, their team recently learned of an apartment building that has traditionally served senior residents that had enough openings to potentially justify another shuttle route. Similarly, there are neighborhoods within commuting distance to Dearborn, like Detroit’s Rosedale Park, with high concentrations of seniors who would like to “age in place” in their homes, but who might benefit financially from renting a room to a young person. For Wdziekonski, the immediate question is whether these kinds of nontraditional housing situations would appeal to our students. And even if they did, any location beyond walking distance would still need an accompanying transportation solution.

As the university and student organization partners like IGSA sort through these larger logistical issues, they’re also focused on improving the non-academic experience of international students. As a newly arriving Indian student, you may not face a huge challenge finding a community. But if you’re the only one from your country, it can be far trickier to make friends and build professional connections. To that end, the university helped launch the Graduate International Student Organization (GISO) in 2019, which Wdziekonski says was inspired by the widely successful IGSA model. And they’re constantly trying to think of new ways to expand cultural opportunities for students, like planned trips to downtown Detroit. This year, the Student Activities Board organized a trip to Cedar Point, which was hugely successful and disproportionately enjoyed by international students.

Francisco Lopez, ��ϸ��-Dearborn’s director of international affairs, says the university is increasingly focused on enriching the non-academic lives of international students. Lawn games available for free checkout at the Student Engagement Center give students new ways to hang out and be social on campus. Photo courtesy Office of International Affairs

Amidst these uncertainties and challenges, there is no doubt opportunity. This surge in international students accompanies the start of a long-anticipated decline in domestic student enrollment, owing to Michigan’s aging population and shrinking classes of high school seniors. Having solid plans to accommodate growth in international student enrollment could be key to maintaining the university’s financial health and growing its cultural vitality. Many of the details of that effort will fall to folks like Lopez and Wdziekonski, who tend to mull over the finer points of this puzzle even when they’re not at work. But in some sense, it will be on all of us. At a recent town hall, in a discussion of hybrid work, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Gabriella Scarlatta reminded faculty and staff that our international students are one of the reasons to have a strong physical presence on campus. “If they are here, our campus is all they have,” she said. “They don't have another community, they don’t have their family to go back to, they don’t have their friends to go back to. They only have us. That’s why we need to show up and be here for them.” Now representing 10% of the student population and growing, it's a group that's increasingly defining the identity of ��ϸ��-Dearborn.

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Story by Lou Blouin

International Affairs

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Wed, 01/11/2023 - 19:53

The university welcomed its biggest class of international students in 2022-23. What’s behind the surge — and is it a sign of things to come?

Following a huge post-pandemic bounce in enrollment, international students now represent one in 10 students at ��ϸ��-Dearborn. Photo courtesy Office of International Affairs

Welcoming Wolverines help connect international students to opportunities

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 19:33:23 +0000

Welcoming Wolverines help connect international students to opportunities Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/23/2022 - 15:33

This article was originally published on October 11, 2021.

Richa Chachra traveled more than 10,000 miles to ��ϸ��-Dearborn, choosing the campus over others across the U.S. based on professor research expertise and strong connections with industry.

But what Chachra, a graduate student from India, didn’t know is that there’s a strong support system in place to make sure she gets the most out of her time as a Michigan Wolverine.

“I want to contribute my learnings to solve problems and innovate new ideas, whether be with transport, medicine, entertainment, space or the environment. The more experience I get, the better prepared I will be,” said Chachra, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Data Science. “I thought I might have to pay extra and find someone to help me update my resume for U.S. employers — for example, I learned that in the U.S. it’s important to keep it to one page and include keywords — or to help me with interview questions. But these things were already available here and part of what we were learning. ��ϸ��-Dearborn does a mind-blowing job.”

Chachra was impressed that Career Services holds resume workshops, mock interviews and virtual career fairs, including one event that is specifically designed for companies interested in connecting with international students. She said Talent Gateway challenges give a fun way to get connected and develop leadership skills, like critical thinking and self reflection. And advisers closely mentor students to steer them to opportunities that may be right for them. (Many of these services fall under campus’ Experience+ collaboration.)

And, rounding it all out, she said the Office of International Affairs (OIA) has friendly staff members who students can go to with any questions.

“When you are stuck and can’t figure something out, they’ll help find all possible solutions to what you ask and they are so quick and nice,” Chachra said. “It’s not just one person there — it’s the whole team. Everyone is so helpful.”

OIA Director Francisco Lopez said it’s important to make sure students are comfortable on campus and supported with needed resources. There are monthly workshops, social mixers, speakers, and active student organizations like the Graduate International Student Organization and the Indian Graduate Students Association. Both campus groups help all international students with logistical needs like transportation, and social needs like fun activities and friendship.

The Graduate International Student Organization's cardboard boat took first place during a 2021 Homecoming. event.

“Traveling to another country to learn is truly life changing and transformative. We want to make sure they take full advantage of what we have to offer on campus and beyond,” Lopez said. “We have an environment where we know their names and they know ours so we can be their go-to people. Having a welcoming community is a game changer because students talk with us, giving us a better idea of the experiences they want while living and studying here.”

Knowing how important professional connections are to students, Lopez said the campus community is always looking to find ways to work with industry.

He said the vast majority of campus’ International students land U.S. work opportunities like internships and co-ops through special work authorizations that are processed by the OIA. Following commencement, students can stay for an additional year to gain work experience — and up to three years if they are in a science, math, engineering or technical (STEM) field. Recent campus-connected opportunities have led to working with Ford Motor Company, Amazon, DTE Energy, Google, Tesla and more.

Lopez said, on the flip side, the campus also works with industry to help answer questions they have about employing International students for internships for co-ops. “Sometimes companies may think there is too much additional paperwork involved, but there isn’t because students are sponsored by our F-1 Visa. It’s important, whenever possible, to dispel any misconceptions.”

Global Education Director Scott Riggs said that having a strong International student population is beneficial for all students, especially in a global economy. Students representing more than 50 different countries — like India, China, Kenya, Oman, Germany and Brazil — are currently learning at ��ϸ��-Dearborn.

Chachra said Riggs was a tremendous help prior to her internship interviews when he prepared her with the types of questions she'd be asked. Riggs is also frequently at Mardigian Library’s Conversation Circles and recently taught a group of International students how to play the popular Michigan card game Euchre. On Oct. 20, he’ll lead Conversation Circles around the topic of Quidditch Matches, a game made popular by the Harry Potter series.

“Our campus has a long history of appreciating cultural diversity,” he said. “We want to continue fostering a sense of community and belonging for all students on campus, and our International students are an integral part of our community.”

Campus’ International student population is growing — Lopez attributes this to campus’ talented and caring faculty and staff, along with the success of the students, who then share their positive experiences with others. There was a 2020 dip in population due to COVID-related travel restrictions, but the campus is now nearly back at pre-pandemic enrollment levels.

Chachra is one of the students who shares how pleased she is with her U.S. college choice. She conducts data-mining research with Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Yi Lu Murphey. She completed a data science summer internship with DTE Energy, which focused on renewable energy. And she just accepted a co-op opportunity with DTE Energy for the academic year.

“What I saw online before coming here is true. There are a variety of industries and companies to work with. The professors are conducting valuable research and are very responsive to questions. Everyone is so accessible,” she said. “No matter the field I work in, I want to examine the information we have to find ways to make the world a better place. What I am learning here will help me do that.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury. If you have questions about becoming an International student or about the ��ϸ��-Dearborn International student experience, please email OIA Director Francisco Lopez.

International

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College of Engineering and Computer Science

Graduate Studies

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Mon, 10/11/2021 - 05:00

Campus’ international student population is rebounding after a pandemic decline, thanks to students who share their positive experiences and to dedicated faculty and staff.

College of Engineering and Computer Science graduate student Richa Chachra on campus in Fall 2021.

Lecturer Amira Shourbaji is the latest ��ϸ��-Dearborn faculty member to land a Fulbright

lblouin — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 14:42:37 +0000

Lecturer Amira Shourbaji is the latest ��ϸ��-Dearborn faculty member to land a Fulbright lblouin Wed, 06/19/2019 - 10:42

��ϸ��-Dearborn lecturer Amira Shourbaji

��ϸ��-Dearborn faculty are on a bit of a roll when it comes to Fulbright fellowships. Back in March, we got word that three professors from the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters received 2019 awards. That included linguistics professor Daniel Davis, who’s traveling to the Philippines to study how the English language influences culture there and vice versa; Assistant Professor of History Anna Mueller, who’s working on an ethnographic project focused on northwestern Polish villages in the second half of the 20th century; and Professor Bill DeGenaro, who’s in Jordan developing higher-education curriculum for teaching writing to multilingual learners.

Now, add English Language Proficiency Program Lecturer and CEHHS alumna Amira Shourbaji to the list of Fulbrighters. In the fall, Shourbaji ('07 M.A., '17 Ed.D.) will begin a 10-month fellowship in Bahrain, where she’ll lead English-language classrooms at the country’s main teacher’s college. In some ways, it’s a natural extension of her work at ��ϸ��-Dearborn, where her day-to-day involves helping international students who are provisionally admitted to the university meet their English proficiency requirements. But Shourbaji also sees it as a bit of a role reversal — since she gets to be the newcomer this time around.

“When I told my students, who are mostly from the Arabian Gulf, they were giving me all kinds of tips and words of support — which is really fun because it’s normally what I do for them,” Shourbaji tells us. “Now, I’m the one that has to find an apartment, figure out how to get around and be brave speaking the language. I’m sure there will be culture shock, so it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.”

Shourbaji says she’s had a dream of teaching abroad for a while now — not only for her, but for her four children ages 2 to 14, who are tagging along for the trip.

“I have so much respect for our international students. They’re away from their homes, their friends, the culture here is really different. And I’ve always wanted my own kids to have that kind of immersive experience because you learn so much from being out of your comfort zone.”

That said, Shourbaji says her kids didn’t need much convincing when she asked them to be her travel partners. Her eldest, in fact, is already scouting her new school’s uniforms and is more excited than nervous to kick off her high school years with an adventure in Bahrain.

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Shourbaji begins her fellowship on September 1. To read more about what ��ϸ��-Dearborn’s other 2019 Fulbrighters are up to, check out this story.

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International Affairs

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The English language proficiency instructor is used to helping international students adjust to life in a different country. Now, she’s preparing to walk a mile in their shoes.

Francisco Javier López is named new Office of International Affairs director

stuxbury — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 19:17:43 +0000

Francisco Javier López is named new Office of International Affairs director stuxbury Fri, 09/14/2018 - 15:17

Francisco Javier Lopez is new OIA director

When Francisco Javier López shares his story, you can see why he’d be a fit for his new Office of International Affairs director role.

López’s parents emigrated from Spain to pursue their American dream. When López started school, he didn’t speak English like most of the others in his Dearborn elementary. And, as an undergraduate, he gained a greater appreciation and understanding of other cultures through a research grant to study abroad in Istanbul.

You might think López, who began as director on Aug. 27, channeled these personal experiences when choosing his career path. But he didn’t — not at first, anyway.

López said it was academia, and art history in particular, that led him to discover his passion in helping international scholars and students find a sense of home in a new place.

In his first position after earning his M.A. in art history, López worked at the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection in Washington D.C., an affiliate of Harvard University. Its research library, museum and program in Byzantine studies (a favorite area of López’s for art and culture) attracted him to the institution. However, it was the expert faculty and advanced students from all over the world that became his focus.

In the fellowship program coordinator role, part of his responsibilities included helping international students and scholars from around the world become connected and comfortable. If that meant driving them to look at schools for their children or readying a home down to the toothpaste in the medicine cabinet, he did it.

“I wanted to facilitate their transition and make them feel welcome so they could focus on what they were there to do. In our time together, we would talk about art, of course, but we connected on a more personal level as well. I drew connections between the international experience of these scholars and students and the stories with which I was so familiar from my family,” said López, who served as the international student services director at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies in his most recent position.

“Despite how different we may seem to one another, on a basic, human level we all have so much in common. We want to be happy, to find acceptance, and to be treated with respect.”

That’s the message he’s bringing with him as the new OIA leader. López said it’s well understood on this diverse campus, but it is always a good reminder to think about intercultural understanding, sensitivity and empathy in an active sense.

“Let’s have conversations, inquire and facilitate connections,” he said. “Going beyond the nuts and bolts of support and working together to get international students truly plugged into our community, to ensure that they thrive on our campus, doesn’t just enrich their experiences. It also enriches ours.”

Faculty and Staff

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Fri, 09/14/2018 - 19:14

He brings personal and professional experiences to the role, which he began Aug. 27.

Journalism student Amber Ainsworth heads to Norway for a summer of international storytelling

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 11:22:50 +0000

Journalism student Amber Ainsworth heads to Norway for a summer of international storytelling Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/18/2017 - 07:22

Amber Ainsworth

Amber Ainsworth stands on the sidelines at the Big House while taking photos of a University of Michigan football game for the Michigan Journal.

Amber Ainsworth has loved telling stories ever since she was a little girl. And one day she hopes her stories will help change lives.

“I really want to use what I do to help people,” said Ainsworth, editor in chief of the Michigan Journal, ��ϸ��-Dearborn’s student newspaper. “I really want to document people and tell stories about individuals who may not otherwise have a voice.”

Currently a web producer intern at ClickOnDetroit.com—the website for WDIV Local 4 News—Ainsworth has written about local news, including unsolved murders and missing people, and politics. More recently, she has started to write about her passion—music.

“I’ve always wanted to be part of the music industry,” she said. “But I can’t play an instrument or sing, so concert coverage is the next best thing.”

This summer, Ainsworth will travel to Norway to complete a one-month study abroad program. She will learn about the country’s music and culture while writing for an American audience. She’s never been out of the country, so traveling to Norway will be a big step for her.

She says her time as editor in chief has prepared her for this summer’s adventure.

“I could write a book about all the things I’ve learned at the Journal,” she said. “But I think the most important thing I’ve learned is how to improvise and make decisions quickly. I’m better prepared to deal with things not going my way, and I know I can fix issues and make decisions easier and quicker than I could before.”

Previously, Ainsworth was the arts and entertainment editor for the paper, which allowed her to expand as an entertainment writer and photographer. She also was a writing intern for Awesome Mitten—a website dedicated to Michigan—and a public relations intern with the Dearborn Animal Shelter. She is currently a classroom assistant for Clinical Professor Jim Gilmore’s photojournalism course.

Ainsworth said she’s made many memories as a student, but few top covering Michigan football games for the last two seasons.

“I’m not sure I could ever put into words what it feels like to walk down the tunnel at the Big House and kneel along the sidelines with my camera for a game—it’s amazing,” said Ainsworth, who won an award from the Society of Professional Journalists-Detroit for a photo she took while covering one of the games. “Unless I shoot some games next season, I may never step on that field again, so I’ll always value that I had that opportunity.”

Ainsworth will graduate in December 2017 and said she is excited to take some time to herself and experience life.

“If I had to pick a main goal, it’d be to find a way to make money and travel the world while doing what I’m passionate about.” she said. “Knowing that no matter where I end up—as long as I’m writing and taking photos—I’ll be happy.”

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International Affairs

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Tue, 04/18/2017 - 07:22

Amber Ainsworth has loved telling stories ever since she was a little girl. And one day she hopes her stories will help change lives.

��ϸ��-Dearborn adds global citizenship as university priority

admin — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 17:44:01 +0000

��ϸ��-Dearborn adds global citizenship as university priority admin Wed, 04/12/2017 - 13:44

��ϸ��-Dearborn Global Experiences

AliReda Jeafar enjoyed his class on ancient philosophy—with particular focus on the ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. He learned about the birth of democracy and the history of the country. But what made his education real was traveling to Greece on a study abroad experience.

“I had information, but I really didn’t know Greece until going there. The history is not only the buildings, but also about the Greek society that led to the construction of the famous monuments that are world renowned,” said Jeafar, a history and philosophy senior who went on the 30-day trip last summer. “I got to live in that culture and learn about how resilient and proud the Greek people are. It was really inspiring. Even with cultural differences, I saw so many similarities.

“I am more resolved than ever to have an open mind and open heart about the world.”

Associate Provost Ilir Miteza said transformative experiences that come from global learning opportunities—like what Jeafar experienced—are essential.

And to help focus on giving all students on campus cultural experience opportunities, ��ϸ�� has officially listed global citizenship as a priority in the Vision 2020 goals.

Vision 2020 Priority 9 reads, “Diversity, Inclusion and Global Citizenship: Establish a national reputation as a campus community that prepares students to thrive in a diverse world, able to appreciate, navigate and cross boundaries.”

Miteza said a couple years ago he noticed that, despite the rich diversity on campus, some of ��ϸ��-Dearborn’s cross cultural experience opportunities, like study abroad, lagged behind other universities.

“When looking at campuses that had a healthy and vibrant study aboard program, we saw that they also had a healthy global learning tree with many different options—study abroad was only one branch. Healthy trees have healthy branches,” he said. “That’s when I realized that we needed to make a far bigger investment to global learning as a whole.”

Miteza, along with Special Counsel to the Chancellor for Inclusion and Strategic Projects Ann Lampkin-Williams, created the Global Learning Advisory Council (GLAC), a group comprised of faculty and staff with experience and passion for global education. Members include Martha Adler, Jorge Gonzales del Pozo, Fred Hoffman, Anna Muller, Scott Riggs, Chirs Samfilippo, Armen Zakarian, and a student representative, Quintin Solano.

Lampkin-Williams said the GLAC focused on global citizenship by researching the best ways to connect, provide resources to, and promote additional closer-to-home opportunities—like Alternative Spring Break, Talent Gateway opportunities, student organization volunteer work, global-focused courses and learning from fellow students—for the campus community.

“There are many different ways to gain a global learning experience. Yes, Study abroad is one. But you can also get them on this campus every day. The great thing about our region is that it is so diverse, so you don’t have to travel far,” Lampkin-Williams said. “But we need to better promote how to gain these experiences and make them easily accessible to our students.”

Making “global citizenship” a priority has already yielded results, Miteza said.

To advance the goals of global learning the Office of the Provost has recruited Scott Riggs, ��ϸ��-Dearborn’s English Language Proficiency program coordinator, as a part-time coordinator for global learning initiatives on campus—which is a newly created position. He will actively work to connect students to global learning opportunities, many of which already exist on campus.

And study abroad numbers are also increasing. In 2015, fewer than 50 students took part in an international educational trip. In 2016, 71 did. Miteza expects the upward trend to continue.

Miteza said he’s glad to see global citizenship added to the priorities. And he’s thankful for the faculty who paved the way for it to happen.

“Faculty members have been very passionate about global learning for years and really are the engineers behind the initiative,” he said. “The high-impact transformational learning experiences they have created for our students are essential for growth in a global society. The university recognizes the importance of these efforts.”

International Affairs

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Mon, 04/03/2017 - 13:44

��ϸ��-Dearborn adds global citizenship as a university priority to help focus on giving all students cultural experience opportunities.

Course teaches business-focused cross-cultural communication

cougaldu — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 19:21:33 +0000

Course teaches business-focused cross-cultural communication cougaldu Mon, 04/03/2017 - 15:21

International Flag Mural (located in the UC)

Have you been in a business meeting where someone tries to talk louder to compensate for a language barrier? Or seen long blocks of text or acronyms, instead of clear concise wording or graphics, used in a presentation to a multinational audience?

Lecturer Jill Plavcan has. And she wants to prepare ��ϸ��-Dearborn students to avoid these types of mistakes and to be effective project managers by understanding cultural difference in the global workplace and managing global projects. Not only is it respectful, it’s also good business.

“It’s about communication, communication, communication. This is more than language. It’s creating trust and an understanding so you can reduce anxieties. It’s making sure needs and expectations are clear and met. This class discusses is how to do that—and how to build high performance global teams,” said Plavcan, who has a fulltime position at Ford Motor Company responsible for global planning and strategy for technology and features development.

Plavcan created the campus course IMSE 517: Global Project Management four years ago, using her 20-plus years of experience in project management at an international level.

She originally came to campus with the intention of teaching a lean manufacturing course—but Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Chairman Armen Zakarian had another idea.

“He looked at my experience and asked if I’d be interested in teaching a graduate level course on project management at a multinational level. I definitely was,” she said. “The students have responded well too—our students realize it is important to successfully navigate communication across cultures.” There are 67 students this semester in her campus and online sections combined.

The course has no textbook—materials are refreshed and updated each semester and include lively discussion online and in class, exchange of ideas, sharing of experiences and a final project where groups of students work together to create a business plan for an organization in another country.

When doing this, students learn about how other countries view time and urgency, experience communication style differences, understand difference in work practices and regulations, and see which negotiation tactics were the most successful. Plavcan said it is a real world step into international business relationships—but with the opportunity to come to class first to discuss and evaluate communication methods prior to using them.

When choosing his final project, program and project management graduate student George Sammit—who lives in Texas and takes the distance learning course—said his group researched working with Canada, specifically the Gordie Howe Bridge Project.

After discussions with officials on the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority and other groups associated with the project, his group wrote a case study.

“We chose Canada because many Americans don’t think of it as being much different, but there are pretty distinct cultural differences between the two,” said Sammit, saying one thing he noticed is that law requires that federal information and documents need to be in both English and French, giving equal status to the two languages.

Sammit, who works with global partners in his position as a software engineer, said he admired how the Canadian side handled the U.S. opposition of the bridge—through transparency and attending town hall meetings.

“To get information out there they did a grassroots effort, something many Americans value,” he said. “I think that was a very good relationship building move on their part.”

Sammit said Plavcan’s course is required in his program, but he’d be interested in taking it even if it wasn’t.

“Professor Plavcan’s a very interactive teacher. And this is coming from someone who is taking it online. Even from a distance you can tell that she really cares about this,” said Sammit, who work with partners from India and Mexico and said this class has given him ‘a-ha moments.’ “Communicating, especially across cultures, is not a cut-and-dried thing. It’s not making a decision tree using statistics or a cost analysis. She gives us tools and suggestions on how to communicate with global partners effectively; she’s making us aware. Since globalism is the direction the world is headed in, this information plays an important role in business education.”

Experiential Learning

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering

International Affairs

Off

Mon, 04/03/2017 - 15:21

Lecturer Jill Plavcan created the campus course IMSE 517: Global Project Management four years ago, using her 20-plus years of experience in project management at an international level.

Cultural connections: Student Christian Ledford lands fellowship to experience the Middle East

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 12:39:26 +0000

Cultural connections: Student Christian Ledford lands fellowship to experience the Middle East admin Tue, 11/01/2016 - 08:39

��ϸ��-Dearborn student Christian Ledford in Oman

Sponsored by a National Council on US-Arab Relations (NCUSAR) fellowship, Ledford spent 10 days in Oman with Political Science Professor Ron Stockton.

“Other than their geographic location, I didn’t know much about Oman before I went,” said Ledford, a political science and history double major. “So not only did I get a view of the Arab world from the inside, I also got a view of the Arab world from a country that I didn’t know much about beforehand. It was enlightening.”

Stockton and Ledford traveled to Oman through the HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Fellows Program, which encourages educators and students to become ambassadors to counter any imagined “clash of civilizations” or false stereotypes.

Previously, Stockton—who is active with the NCUSAR—traveled to Syria and Saudi Arabia with the organization’s fellowship experiences. And he was pleased that this time one of his students was given the opportunity too.

“It’s really a wonderful organization. And Christian is one of my outstanding students,” Stockton said. “Christian works hard and keeps an open mind. He’s very deserving, and I’m glad he was given this opportunity.”

While abroad, Ledford and Stockton attended seminars and briefings with the sultanate, visited the U.S. Embassy and learned about U.S.-Oman labor relations. They also went sightseeing and visited the ornate Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the tomb of Job and the recently opened National Museum of Oman.

“Coming from a conservative Christian background, I have never been exposed to this culture before. It was only the second time that I’ve ever left the country and I had never been outside of the Western world before,” said Ledford, who first became interested in learning about the Arab world in Stockton’s Politics and Religion course and later joined the university’s Model Arab League delegation. “It was such a great experience to be across the world and to be immersed in another culture. It was actually refreshing to not be in the same arena that you’ve been in your whole life.”

Ledford said his journey was an extremely positive one. He plans to return and would like to do an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Oman. But until then, he’s looking forward to sharing what he’s learned with his peers—he’ll lead the Model Arab League delegation on Oman in 2017—and filtering political and media messages through his first-hand experience.

“I understand that every culture is different and my trip to Oman is not an all-encompassing look at Arab relations with the U.S. But after traveling to Oman, the Arab world is now real to me. Seeing and meeting the people made it tangible, concrete. It’s not a place where people are an ‘other,’” Ledford said. “Now when I hear a politician talk about foreign affairs, and the Arab world in particular, I can judge what is being said with my own personal interactions. It gives me leverage to think on my own behalf.”

Experiential Learning

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

International Affairs

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Mon, 10/31/2016 - 08:39

Christian Ledford saw the customs of the oldest independent state of the Arab world. He shared ideas with government representatives. And he enjoyed getting a new perspective on world affairs.

Healthier communities, stronger partnerships: ��ϸ��-Dearborn travels to Oman to discuss health in Arab communities and educational partnerships

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 12:43:35 +0000

Healthier communities, stronger partnerships: ��ϸ��-Dearborn travels to Oman to discuss health in Arab communities and educational partnerships admin Mon, 03/23/2015 - 08:43

Top health and government officials gathered in Oman earlier this month to discuss health and wellness in Arab and Arab American communities. Janine Janosky, dean of ��ϸ��’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services, was among the experts who spoke at the Seventh International Conference on Health Issues in Arab Communities.

Janosky’s presentation, “Education and Health Workforce Development in Community Settings,” focused on university-level health and wellness education that addresses the spectrum of health and human services.

“Typically, academic programs do not address all of the known coexisting determinants and interactions that together impact wellness and good health. In creating academic and practice programs for wellness, interrelationships of the social determinants—particularly education and health—are paramount,” Janosky said.

“The College of Education, Health, and Human Services is one of only a few academic institutions that is leading this approach.”

The trip to Oman served a dual purpose as Monica Porter, director of the Office of International Affairs and vice chancellor for student success, and Suehaila Amen, international admissions and recruiting coordinator, joined Janosky. The ��ϸ��-Dearborn delegation met with government officials and university faculty to discuss how ��ϸ��-Dearborn could build stronger relationships with academic institutions.

“We already are a strong name in the region,” Amen said. “Many of our alumni who are working in the Middle East and the Gulf have found success in their fields.”

Amen said their goal was to build on the university’s reputation and showcase ��ϸ��-Dearborn’s academic and research opportunities with international students. Following the conference, she is continuing to travel the region and will focus on recruitment and relationship building during her nine-country tour.

“With internationally recognized programs, our recruitment efforts are expanding to encompass the global community,” Amen said. “We are looking forward to engaging other nations in opportunities for collaborative efforts between universities, high schools, professional development institutions and ��ϸ��-Dearborn.”

Those collaborative efforts benefit both international and local students, according to Porter.

“Diverse classrooms, course projects and interactions enrich our students’ experiences while preparing them to make a difference in the communities and organizations where they will live and work," she said.

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

International Affairs

Metropolitan Impact

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Mon, 03/23/2015 - 12:43

College of Education, Health, and Human Services Dean Janine Janosky was among the experts who spoke at the Seventh International Conference on Health Issues in Arar Communities.

The gold standard: ELPP receives five-year accreditation

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:16:01 +0000

The gold standard: ELPP receives five-year accreditation admin Mon, 01/26/2015 - 09:16

“I practiced and practiced and studied and studied,” he said. “Yeah, I’m good now.”

Al Hadabi is one of what the university hopes will be a growing number of students aided by ��ϸ��-Dearborn’s English Language Proficiency Program (ELPP). The program recently received an initial five-year accreditation from the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation.

“The Commission on English Language Program Accreditation is the gold standard of ESL accreditation,” said ELPP Coordinator Scott Riggs. “To be one of only five universities in the state to have received the accreditation—and to have received it so quickly—is validation that we’re providing quality services to our students.”

Students like Al Hadabi receive intensive reading, writing and verbal communication instruction. But the program goes much farther than language comprehension, Al Hadabi said. “They help us with our life if we’re having problems. We are like a family. I would suggest for people to come and see this program because it was beneficial.”

��ϸ��-Dearborn launched ELPP in 2012 to provide English language support to students who had been provisionally admitted to the university. That is, they met the academic standards to enroll but not the English standards.

Now with accreditation, ��ϸ��-Dearborn can apply for governmental approval to write Certificates of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Students for English
Training Programs. This step will allow the university to accept a greater variety of students, as well partner with countries that work only with universities that can write the forms.

“It really is opening up a lot of doors for the university. I anticipate there will be a strong impact on enrollment numbers,” Riggs said.

And a strong international enrollment will prove beneficial to the entire university community, according to Riggs, who said the growth will play a critical role in the university’s metropolitan vision.

“Most of our students have not had an opportunity to travel overseas and quite possibly won’t have a chance,” he said. “We can help bring the world here and prepare all of our students to compete in a global workforce.”

International Affairs

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Mon, 01/26/2015 - 14:16

Asaad Al Hadabi had mastered three English words weeks after he had arrived in the United States: Yes, no and hi. Three years later, the Omani student now strikes up conversations with strangers at the mall and takes business courses at ��ϸ��.

International Affairs

What’s driving the international student boom at ���ϸ�����-Dearborn?

International student enrollment by country

International student enrollment by college

Welcoming Wolverines help connect international students to opportunities

Lecturer Amira Shourbaji is the latest ���ϸ�����-Dearborn faculty member to land a Fulbright

Francisco Javier López is named new Office of International Affairs director

Journalism student Amber Ainsworth heads to Norway for a summer of international storytelling

���ϸ�����-Dearborn adds global citizenship as university priority

Course teaches business-focused cross-cultural communication

Cultural connections: Student Christian Ledford lands fellowship to experience the Middle East

Healthier communities, stronger partnerships: ���ϸ�����-Dearborn travels to Oman to discuss health in Arab communities and educational partnerships

The gold standard: ELPP receives five-year accreditation

What’s driving the international student boom at ��ϸ��-Dearborn?

Lecturer Amira Shourbaji is the latest ��ϸ��-Dearborn faculty member to land a Fulbright

��ϸ��-Dearborn adds global citizenship as university priority

Healthier communities, stronger partnerships: ��ϸ��-Dearborn travels to Oman to discuss health in Arab communities and educational partnerships