Walking up a Lincoln airport jetway — having traveled nearly 15,000 miles, spending 42 hours in planes and airports, and just five hours late after a missed flight — Raihanah Hassim had a single wish.
“I really hoped for a welcome sign,” Hassim said.
Instead, she found fellow University of Nebraska–Lincoln undergraduates stationed at a table, ready with big smiles, warm greetings and information about the start of her first semester studying in the United States.
“That was so cool,” Hassim said. “The welcome made me feel so safe and part of a new community. This is a great way to start at UNL.”
The agronomy major from Malaysia was among the first flight of UNL undergraduates to be greeted by an international student welcome team stationed at Lincoln and Omaha airports, Aug. 16-18. The pilot program, organized by New Student Enrollment and funded by International Engagement, was created to help international students with immediate concerns as they transition to life in the United States and at UNL.
“We want these students to know, as soon as they get off the plane, that UNL is their new home and there are people here who genuinely care for them,” said Pat McBride, director of New Student Enrollment. “Our goal is to step out and say, ‘Welcome,’ help them with immediate needs and put them on a path toward success at UNL.”
The welcome teams are an extension of a campuswide shift in programming that supports UNL’s international student population. The shift, which started in 2011, redeployed international student support programs from a centralized office into a coordinated effort between campus units. Support and funding for programming is provided by Academic Affairs.
“Under the old model, campus units would send international students to the international affairs office, which would end up having to send each student back to the referring office for assistance,” said David Wilson, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Our new model gives each campus unit the responsibility to assist international students just like they would a domestic student.”
To coordinate the effort, an international student support working group — which has representatives from across campus — holds monthly meetings to share information, discuss programming and work through issues.
“This new model has resulted in increased activity and buy-in from across campus,” Wilson said. “We now have more support for our international students in more places across campus than ever before. And our new International Student Guide provides a one-stop directory for all of that support.”
University housing was among the first to offer expanded support for international students three years ago, creating a residential international student coordinator position. The coordinator leads a team of student aides who were once first-year international undergraduates.
The team members are tasked with greeting UNL’s new international students as they arrive at campus residence halls. Team members also organize cultural activities throughout the academic year and make regular contact with the first-year international students, providing support/guidance as needed.
“Our goal is to engage our international students early and try to do something that helps them feel less alone and more like they are part of a community that supports them,” said Sue Gildersleeve, director of University Housing. “And, we’ve found that having a team of student aids on the front end, offering support, has really helped our international students transition better into campus life.”
Luyao Yan, residential international student coordinator for university housing, said she would have liked to see welcome programs like UNL’s when she first came to college in the United States.
“When I came as an undergraduate, my college did not have early check-in or any kind of welcome programs,” Yan said. “I had to book a hotel room when I first arrived. I was so afraid.
“As someone who knows the challenges international students face, I appreciate the programs UNL is offering. They really do help international students find their way.”
Other campus units that have created programming or dedicated staff expertise to support international students include: First-Year Experience and Transition Programs; Student Accounts; Student Legal Services; University Police; Student Involvement; Graduate Studies; and Campus Recreation.
To measure the success of the support programs and to shape future initiatives, UNL participates in the International Student Barometer. The assessment, conducted by the independent International Graduate Insight Group, tracks satisfaction of a university’s international student body in five key areas.
“By and large, the barometer has shown that our students are very happy with their experience at UNL,” Wilson said. “One area of concern was expressed in point of arrival. That is one of the reasons we created the airport welcome teams.”
Programming for UNL’s international students continues Aug. 18-21 as UNL hosts an annual international student welcome week. Activities, organized to help students prepare for the start of the fall semester on Aug. 24, range from general orientations and English placement exams to social functions and shopping excursions.
Waiting for a shuttle ride outside the airport, Hassim could hardly wait to get started.
“I can’t wait to meet more people and get involved in activities,” Hassim said. “It was a long trip, but worth it. I’m so excited.”
For more information on UNL’s international student support programming, go to http://international.unl.edu.
