For St. Michael’s College, creating adequate housing for its nearly 2,000 students has been a perpetual concern, says housing coordinator Sheryl Fleury. The school is a small, residential community and is home not only to American students, but also to an array of internationals.
Fleury recently said that St. Michael’s used to allot 75 beds to the Ambassador Program for international students, and this semester that number has dwindled to 44.
Foreign founding fathers
Rick Gamache is an associate professor of Applied Linguistics and is also the academic adviser to all international students. His office in St. Edmund’s is frequented by many international students on a daily basis.
“Whenever we have a break between classes, we just go there,” says Bassam Albin Hamad, a junior international student. “He’s always trying to help everyone!”
The Applied Linguistics Department (ALD) is an indispensable facet of St. Michael’s chiefly because the school was founded by foreigners themselves, the French Edmundites, Gamache says.
“St. Michael’s has always had an international character,” Gamache notes. “Officially, since 1954, St. Michael’s has had programs which brought international students here, primarily for language study, but also for undergrad or graduate study.”
Furthermore, Gamache says that St. Michael’s ALD has an equally rich history and reputation. The Intensive English Program at St. Michael's is one of the original 12 in the United States, he says.
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Pontigny 302 is one of several Ambassador suites on campus. Here, Korean undergraduate YongSang (Brad) Kim cracks a smile in the common room.
(Photo by Megan Davin) |
“I think most people involved in the business of international programming have heard of St. Michael’s, and have a very positive opinion of what we do,” Gamache adds.
Gamache admits he is disappointed that the number of international students has been declining. He recognizes that the housing crunch has affected international enrollment.
“We have a finite number of beds and they had to be used to their greatest potential,” Gamache explains. “The reason the numbers have been declining is because there’s been a greater need for undergraduate housing.”
Jeff Vincent, associate director of Residence Life, says he realizes the driving need for undergraduate housing as well.
“But, it’s not at all reflective of Res Life’s desire to make sure that the Ambassador Program is important. It just becomes a matter of balancing beds,” Vincent says.
Albin Hamad, Gamache and Vincent all say they cannot imagine St. Michael’s without its international influence. Without opportunities to live with and learn from foreigners, they believe something would be lacking.
“Students really have the opportunity to discover the world while they’re right here,” Gamache says.
Climate control
In 2003, Vincent recognized a need to dramatically alter the framework of the school’s international programming.
“One of the things that we try to do in Residence Life is to meet the needs of our students as they present themselves,” Vincent says. “At that particular time, there was a need to better integrate the international students into the undergraduate student population.”
With a team of advisers, Vincent spearheaded the creation of the Ambassador Program. The premise is simple, Vincent says: take a living space, and split it equally between American and international students.
“Therefore, their experiences in that living environment – whether that’s eating together, sleeping, having arguments over the television, studying together – would happen with each other in a cross-cultural way,” Vincent explains.
In January 2006, Albin Hamad arrived in Vermont from Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Already on his first day in the United States, Albin Hamad had to make a drastic adaptation. He was met with snow up to his knees, he says.
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"I can't see St. Mike's without internationals. Every international student comes with their culture, and adds that culture to the school," says Bassam Albin Hamad, a junior international student.
(Photo by Megan Davin) |
“You guys had a crazy storm!” Albin Hamad exclaims. “I was wearing two pajamas; I was wearing jackets. I had a really hard time adjusting to the cold weather.”
Even more challenging for Albin Hamad was striking up conversations with fellow students, he says. For the first week, he avoided his roommates and devoted time solely to his studies.
“I was able to speak the language, but something just stopped me,” Albin Hamad explains. “I wanted to speak, but couldn’t. My accent was really strong and I felt embarrassed.”
Ultimately, Albin Hamad’s transition into American culture was smoothed by his ambassador roommates. They always encouraged him to keep trying, and to never doubt his speaking or social abilities, he says. Whenever Albin Hamad’s roommates would participate in an on-campus activity, they were always eager to include him, he says.
Albin Hamad returned to Saudi Arabia during the summer of 2006. During his visit, he stocked up on winter clothing, he says. By the spring of 2007, he was prepared not only for the weather, but for the social climate as well, he says.
This winter, Albin Hamad says he plans to take up snowboarding.
Wish you were here
Kevin Spensley, the director of International Marketing, Recruitment and Enrollment, was hired to reverse the downward trend of international student numbers. The school employs various methods to accomplish this goal; one of which is traveling to foreign countries and meeting with educational consultants, Spensley says.
“We advertise, we visit educational fairs, we work with our partner universities,” Spensley explains. “We basically make friends with all the countries, and persuade them that St. Mike’s is a good place for them to be.”
The influx of international students was slowed largely by the effects of 9/11, he says.
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Rick Gamache and Kevin Spensley (left to right), the director of International Marketing, Recruitment and Enrollment, welcome students from across the map to the St. Michael's community.
(Photo by Megan Davin) |
“The visa policies that were put in place by the government immediately after 9/11 suddenly made it very difficult for students to get visas,” Spensley says. “International students who were wanting to come to this country to study, and had the money to pay for it were basically told, ‘No, you can’t come.’”
However, the visa application process has been simplified considerably in recent years, and fewer student applications get turned down, he says.
America’s current recession and weakened dollar should logically increase enrollment of international students, too, Spensley says.
“It’s really only the last year or two that the American dollar has been low compared to the British pound or the euro, or even the Canadian dollar. We hope it’s going to improve things; it should.”
Moreover, the housing crunch will not impede his ability to recruit, Spensley insists.
“Anyone that’s accepted will have a room to stay in,” he says. |
