Inclusive Campus Initiative Virtual Community Forum 1.24.2022 Supporting International Students
General Summary:
• Forum topic: supporting international students
• Mental health and CAPS services with Dr. Hingwe
• Message from Dr. Ashley Green, assistant dean for Administration and DEI director of International Studies and Programs (ISP)
Introductory message from Krista McCallum Beatty, director of Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS)
• Open discussion/concerns/questions
Detailed Summary:
• Introduction and community guidelines
• Mental health and CAPS services with Dr. Hingwe
o CAPS services overview
o CAPS wait times and what to do while waiting to get connected to a mental health professional
o Issues faced by international students
Introductory message from Dr. Ashley Green, assistant dean for administration, director fro Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, International Studies and Programs
o Explanation of various roles that are overseen
o ISP and global DEI, new DEI taskforce and focus on global engagement
Introductory message from Krista McCallum Beatty, director of OISS
o International students having technical issues with virtual classes
o Time zone issues in relation to classes/exams and social interactions are limited
o Textbook availability
o Students being unable to go home due to pandemic issues
o Financial challenges due to not having access to many forms of financial aid
o Difficulty with access to WHO approved vaccines
o Prejudice/racial injustice
Introductory message from International Student Association (ISA) President Nikunj Agarwal
o Immigration
o Immigration processes changing due to pandemic
o Brief mention of DACA students and concerns
Message from Kaitlyn Bolton, president of Resident Halls Association (RHA)
o RHA is a safe space
o Emphasis on DEI in RHA
Open discussion/concerns/questions:
• Concerns with APIDA violence
• International faculty/staff suffering from same issues, sense of understanding
• Tuition for international students being high
• Lack of diverse ethnic foods on campus dining hall menus, particularly regional African cuisine
• Keeping an international audience in mind when giving out information
• Students coming back for in-person classes and immigration delays due to pandemic
• Flight issues, no flights leaving China to the US, overall travel issues.
• Issues with food vendors of color due to language barriers and payment issues
• Lack of connection between OISS and other units at MSU
• Professors’ empathy toward international students