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(From left to right) Tania Ramalho from the School of Education and Waruguru Gichane, a junior at Oswego High School, talk during a World Community potluck dinner. Gichane enjoys attending such events to satiate her desire for the yummy food and to meet people from all over the world.
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A new group is working to make sure the college’s
international community feels more at home.
Called the World Community, the informal group gives
international faculty, staff and students — and
anyone with an interest in other countries — opportunities
to interact and feel welcome, said Gurdeep Skolnik,
assistant director of continuing education at SUNY Oswego.
“Over the years that I have been here, I have
noticed that there is a sizable number of international
faculty and staff as well as colleagues who have an
international interest,” said Skolnik, who spearheads
the group.
“I’ve noticed people from one country may
not even be aware that there is another person from
their country on campus or in the community,”
she added. “I thought it may be a good idea to
provide an opportunity for people to meet.”
Skolnik said she contacted other members of the campus
and community with the goal of forming “an inclusive
group that could be a resource to each other, to new
faculty and staff, and to international students.”
Tania Ramalho of the curriculum and instruction department
suggested the World Community moniker, which members
thought fit their global goal, Skolnik noted.
The initial planning of about a dozen people from across
the campus and around the world culminated with an ethnic
potluck dinner in spring 2006. Another such dinner took
place last fall, with an aim of incorporating new faculty
into the loop.
“Everyone who attended it enjoyed interacting
with each other in a relaxed manner while enjoying some
delicious home-cooked food,” Skolnik said.
The World Community feeds a growing need, as campus
job searches have seen more and more international candidates
in an increasingly globalized world, said Marta Santiago,
the college’s human resources manager and affirmative-action
officer. The result is an increasingly diverse roster
of faculty and staff.
“I think it’s a great concept because we’re
trying to develop students who understand a global environment
and could end up working in a multicultural environment,”
Santiago said. “This group is one more opportunity
for people to have exposure to those whose cultures
and backgrounds are different from their own.”
The group is planning another potluck social before
the end of the spring semester. Organizers are open
to additional ideas and new members, including those
not from overseas. For instance, people who plan to
travel abroad may find the group a good place to talk
with those with knowledge of their potential destination.
The network could have additional benefits, such as
offering an international student feeling homesick an
opportunity to visit with a World Community member “who
is either from the same country as the student or who
is culturally attuned to the student,” Skolnik
explained.
“It’s part of what we’re all trying
to create, which is a campus climate that's inviting,”
Santiago said.
For more information about the World Community, contact
Skolnik at (315) 312-2270 or gskolnik@oswego.edu.
— Tim Nekritz M ’05 |
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To April 2007 E-Newsletter |
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