A Message from David G. Arredondo
Director of International Student Services
International Student Services End of the Year Review
31 July, 2008
New students, new graduates, new partners!
This is some of the news from LCCC’s Office of International Student Services at the end of the 2007-08 Academic year which began last August with fall semester and which concludes today with the end of summer semester.
At our graduation this past May, LCCC gave diplomas to students from Peru, Poland, Japan and South Korea. In addition, we have transferred students to Oberlin College, Oberlin Conservatory of Music (3), Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State, College of Wooster (2) and Diablo Valley Community College, CA.
In April, our Governor unveiled a 10-year plan to improve the Ohio higher education system. Some of the priorities involve making tuition more affordable as well as consolidating programs and thus minimize duplication. An international priority was included to help Ohio students better prepare themselves to compete in a global economy. To this end the Governor wants more college students to study abroad and learn a second language as well as increase the numbers of internationalized courses available to students. An equally important part of the international priority is the recruitment and admission of more international students who will help familiarize our students with their languages and customs. All of this is familiar to LCCC as we have made these priorities part of our mission for many years.
This past May, LCCC and six other Ohio private and public universities including some of our University Partners, travelled together to four Asian countries to expand our international student enrollments as well as to explore working relationships with private education representatives in these countries. Beginning with the 2008 Academic year, LCCC will have agreements with local representatives in China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and South Korea.
To further enhance our efforts with other colleges in the area of international recruitment, we developed and introduced “The LCCC 2-Year, 4-Year, Gateway Plan” which is designed to establish collaborative recruitment and transfer relationships between LCCC and 4-year Ohio public and private colleges.
We continue to work closely with the International Initiatives Program in many ways, more specifically through the efforts of the student and exchange visitor program. Through the Congress-Bundestag Exchange Program, one German student studied and worked here this past year and another will arrive in a few weeks. We also helped host a group of French students and faculty in February. Last but not least, we submitted the necessary application for U.S. State Department J-1 Program re-certification.
We have a growing reputation throughout the world that has enabled us to enroll 95 Non-Immigrant students this year, reflecting a record high for LCCC. All indications are that this number will continue to increase this year. However, two areas that have been problematic for our international students are housing and employment.
As for challenges, the numbers of on-campus jobs for international students are limited, due to the fact that they are not eligible for federal work study. Secondly, housing is limited because some landlords require a Social Security number for which students may not qualify unless they have legal employment. Though we have been able to work with these problems, growing numbers of students will require more College support to manage them.
Mr. David G. Arredondo
Director of International Student Services
Lorain County Community College
PH: 1.440.366.4794, FAX: 1.440.366.4182
darredon@lorainccc.edu