Author: Charlotte Flight
A record number of international and exchange students were admitted this Fall, including more than 50 students spanning from more than three continents. There are 30 first-years and more than 20 exchange students this year, an increase from a combined figure of 38 in 2009.
“The number of admitted international students has increased because of
both an increase in the quality and quantity of international applicants,” Assistant Dean of Admissions Laura Arenstein said via e-mail.
The addition of international students will further diversify the Occidental community, providing an opportunity for students to expand their horizons.
“International students will absolutely benefit the entire Occidental
community. As a small and interactive community, both academically and
socially, interactions with students with different perspectives are always
valuable. The opportunity to have a conversation with someone who sees the
world through a different lens allows students to understand different global
perspectives,” Arenstien said in her e-mail.
The increase of international students presents some potential
challenges to the faculty as the varying origins of international students mean that they each require a different level of support.
“There are no specific support mechanisms in place for international students,” Core Program Department Chair John Swift said. “They are by and large competitive with fellow members of the Occidental community.”
Several departments at Occidental are searching for an adequate support system for the international students. The Center for Teaching Excellence held a faculty-student panel on Sept. 10 to discuss how Occidental can help meet the needs of the international community. Four students and 30 faculty members attended the event.
The Senior Assistant Director of the International Programs Office (IPO) Marisa Mofford has said that an October meeting has been planned with Admissions to further discuss a five-year plan meant to increase services and support. There has been discussion to introduce a Core Program specifically for international students that would help them adjust to the American teaching style. No such program has yet been put in place and other avenues of support are being investigated.
“Occidental is a really welcoming community. Out of all of my friends studying internationally from back home, I have had the best experience,” physics major Mengxi Zhang (sophomore) said of her experiences as an international student from Beijing at Occidental.
“I try to avoid classes that will be difficult with my background knowledge, like history or politics classes,” Zhang added.”I really want to take psychology department’s dialogue classes, but I was too afraid that I wouldn’t be able to contribute the discussions. I can always spend more time on readings and writing on my own and try to keep up with certain classes, but for Politics 101, History 102 or the psychology class I can’t even overwork to prepare.“
Despite the challenges that some international students have, members of the administration hope to continue to attract a greater number of international applicants.
“The President did include increasing our international population in his
Strategic Initiatives,” Arenstein said in her e-mail. “We [accept] the students who we believe will be successful here at Oxy, both academically
and socially.”
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