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Ginny Haas – Director of Community Relations Erin Carter – Community Liaison

International Students and Your Community: The Challenges and Opportunities. Ginny Haas – Director of Community Relations Erin Carter – Community Liaison Aleece Hodges – Community Relations Coalition. Presentation Outline. Introductions & setting the stage

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Ginny Haas – Director of Community Relations Erin Carter – Community Liaison

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  1. International Students and Your Community: The Challenges and Opportunities Ginny Haas – Director of Community Relations Erin Carter – Community Liaison Aleece Hodges – Community Relations Coalition

  2. Presentation Outline • Introductions & setting the stage • Challenges for the town-gown setting • Opportunities for the region and state • Discussion & questions

  3. International Student Numbers Fall 2012 • 6,599 Michigan State University Students • 3,950 undergraduates • 2,179 graduate • 470 non-degree • 1,100 visiting scholars hosted by MSU • academic departments

  4. Michigan State University: Top 10 International Student Population • 1. University of Southern California • 2. University of Illinois • 3. New York University • 4. Purdue University • 5. Columbia University • 6. University of California • 7. Ohio State University • University of Michigan • 9. Michigan State University • 10. Harvard University • Institute of International Education: Open Doors Data 2010/2012

  5. Countries of origin shifting: • China • Korea • India • Saudi Arabia • Taiwan

  6. China – a national trend • More students come to the U.S. from China than from any other country • 57,000 undergraduate students came from China in 2010-11 • 43% increase over the previous year • Undergraduates are new phenomenon

  7. Chinese Students at MSU • Number of Freshmen from China at 385 times greater today than a decade ago • 43 % of international student population are undergraduate students from China • MSU has long history of partnership with Chinese universities which makes it more comfortable

  8. Chinese Undergraduates at MSU • 2005 43 • 2006 94 • 2007 242 • 2008 676 • 2009 1223 • 2010 1649 • 2011 2213 • 2012 2845 • 2013Expect 1000 new freshmen

  9. Reason for Increase in Chinese Students • Rising middle and wealthy class • One-child families • Increasing role of educational agents • Lack of capacity at Chinese universities • Liberalization of U.S. visa policies in China • Status of studying in the U.S.

  10. Opportunities for Michigan Students Unaffected • % of Michigan residents entering MSU dropped from 88% in 2002 to 70% in 2012 • The Michigan K-12 system is providing less high school graduates • Michigan students are being accepted into MSU in the same percentage as before – 73% of in-state students who applied accepted, compared to 68% in 2002

  11. Challenges and Opportunities Challenges Cross-cultural understanding Legal issues Communication Opportunities Globalizing the region Economic development Long-term relationships

  12. Challenges: the Underlying Issues • Adjustment/transition issues • Cultural differences • Language barriers • Cross-cultural misunderstandings • Legal issues

  13. Initiatives to address challenges Focused on collaborations with university, municipal, business, and community partners, including: • Cross-cultural communication trainings • Stakeholder group • Legal issues workgroup

  14. International Stakeholder Group • Increasing number of university and community entities working and interacting with international students. • Despite different entities, contexts and situations, similar challenges emerged • Absence of coordination and communication between entities.

  15. Composition of Stakeholders Coordinated by MSU Governmental Affairs, includes representatives from: • MSU: Office of International Students & Scholars, Division of Student Affairs, Office of Intercultural & Inclusion Initiatives, Residence Education & Housing, MSU Police • City of East Lansing: City Council, Planning Dept, Code Enforcement, EL Police • 53-B District Court • Rental property managers

  16. Cross-Cultural Communication • Larger international population means more interactions with local entities, including business, municipal, and community members. • Issues: • Cross-cultural understanding is lacking • Communication challenges

  17. Communication trainings • Offered cross-cultural communication training sessions for: • Taxi drivers; Hotel staffs • Rental property managers • City of East Lansing “Leading Managers” • Joint Police Training • Partnership between: • MSU: Office of International Students & Scholars, Community Liaison • City of Lansing, East Lansing, & Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lansing Airport

  18. Legal issues workgroup • Key issue of concern to emerge from stakeholder conversation is legal issues. • Formation of workgroup including: • MSU: Governmental Affairs, Community Liaison, Student Legal Services, Office of International Students & Scholars, MSU Police • City: Court administrator, probation officer, Mayor Pro Tem from City Council, East Lansing Police

  19. Focus on legal issues • Interpretation services needed during court appearances; police interactions • Uncertain of understating of the judicial process from beginning to end. • Translation of educational resources • Understanding impact of arrest/court interactions in relation to student visa status

  20. Opportunities: embracing the international community • Globalizing the Region • Global Lansing Initiative • Economic Development

  21. Globalizing the Region • Michigan Governor, Rick Snyder, has supported the growth of international partnerships to bring opportunities to the state through a “Global Michigan” campaign • Regions have adopted this concept and developed their own regional campaigns (i.e. Global Detroit and Global Lansing). • Embracing the role that globalization can play in a community, region, and state is the first step.

  22. Economic Development Why International Students Can Be an Economic Engine for Lansing?

  23. International Students Are: • Ambassadors back in their home countries • Innovative entrepreneurs in our community • Significant regional economic drivers; potential investors and job creators • Top academic and research talent; keys to innovation • In 2011, international students in Greater Lansing contributed over $180 million to the local economy.

  24. Economic Development continued • MI’s foreign-born were more than 3X as likely as U.S.-born MI residents to start a new business between 1996 & 2007 • 1/3 of new high tech start-ups in MI over the past decade were started by immigrants

  25. Global Lansing • Goals: • Have the community and business owners see the value in our international population • Create mentorship program to connect international students with local business owners • Develop Ambassador program to welcome international constituents to the region

  26. Seeing the Value in our International Community • Lansing State Journal Outlook Section • Community members, business owners, Governor Rick Snyder, and a local MSU international student wrote articles describing the benefit of our international community • Articles were published together during the week international students arrive at MSU in August. • MSU International student entrepreneurs create a lounge for international students to enjoy some of their home cultural

  27. Mentorship • Global Lansing Intern Program • Connecting MSU international students with an internship in the region. • Sustaining relationships with local businesses to continue to support the internship program • Providing MSU international students with an opportunity to gain skills in their desired industry, but also gain important social and communication skills

  28. Ambassador Program The Cultural Ambassadors program will provide much needed cohesion, collaboration and collective branding for existing international programming in the Lansing area. Centerpieces of the Cultural Ambassadors program will include: • Engaging existing and new immigrant communities in ongoing Global Lansing initiatives and connect them to incoming international delegations. • Developing customized cultural ambassador trainings for community leaders and Global Lansing advocates by expanding the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Certified Tourism Ambassador training. • Compiling and releasing an inventory of immigrant owned or focused organizations, restaurants, retailers and other institutions in the region. This asset map will be coupled with existing welcoming materials and program run by the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau.

  29. Contact Information: Ginny Haas – haasv@msu.edu Erin Carter – carte221@msu.edu Aleece Hodges – aleecehodges@gmail.com Questions? Thank you!

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