For colleges that are focusing on creating a more diverse student body, getting international students enrolled is only half the battle.

For many international students, the thought of starting university in a foreign country is very daunting, so they often end up socialising with people from similar backgrounds. This means that the institution and the native students don’t benefit from their presence.

This is where the importance of the international student offices comes into play. It’s not just the homesickness that can impact a student; it can also be a complete culture shock to them. Allan E. Goodman, President of the Institute of International Education says “It really is a continuous process of checking in with international students and making sure they’re not in over their heads.”

Many institutions in the US have been putting a lot more emphasis on ensuring that international students are integrating well into campus life. They’re putting more effort into arranging orientations as well as social and academic programmes that engage all students on campus.

Binghamton University has recently won an award for its internationalisation efforts, and the Director of International Student and Scholar Services, Ellen Badger says that the challenge is to “encourage those students to break out of their comfort level and explore the university dynamic… But integration doesn’t need to be forced—it’s happening throughout campus every day.”

All institutions face the challenge of encouraging international students through their doors, but this can be increasingly difficult for community colleges.  How can you ensure international students are fully integrating with their fellow student body if they’re not physically on a campus?

Some institutions are trying to combat this issue by focusing on more off-campus activities. Northcentral Technical College in Wisconsin has developed a programme in which 41 families agree to act as mentors for international students with an additional 19 hosting students in their homes.

Bonnie Bissonette, the Associate Dean of Business and International Education at Northcentral says that they also try and encourage the students to get involved in volunteer work within their community to help increase their confidence.

J. Michael Adams, President of Fairleigh Dickinson University, has frequently spoken up about the US needing to do a better job at integrating their foreign students into campus life saying that “too many institutions have looked at foreign students as sources of revenue”. The Office of Global Learning has recently developed the Global Enterprise Network to address the problem.  The program provides training and internships for international graduate students who wish to learn about business development.

Fairleigh Dickinson isn’t alone in developing new ways in which to help international and native students better understand each other. The University of California has now introduced a course called “The United States: An American Culture Series,” which teaches foreign students about food, customs, and lingo.

Are you an international student studying in America? What methods were put in place by your International Student Office to ensure you integrated into campus life easier?