Western welcomes more than 275 new international students to campus
KALAMAZOO, Mich.— Western Michigan University welcomed more than 275 new international students to campus this fall. The new class joins a robust international community, bringing international enrollment at Western to 1,800 students representing 95 countries.
“One of our points of pride at Western is that our campus reflects our world’s diversity in people and cultures,” Dr. Chris Cheatham, interim provost and vice president of academic affairs, told a crowd of weary-eyed travelers at International Student Orientation last month.
“We take pride in having a welcoming environment for all of you, and our commitment to global education and welcoming students and scholars from around the world remains.”
Nearly 1,100 of Western’s international students study at one of WMU’s campuses, while the remaining 790 are enrolled in unique programs overseas, such as the Global Innovation MBA Program in Taiwan, which welcomed 21 new students this fall. That program offers learners the opportunity to earn a graduate degree from Haworth College of Business at the CKSM Global Learning Center in Taipei.
More than half of the international student population on campus is pursuing graduate studies. The remaining students are undergraduates studying in a wide array of fields. Thirty-eight are enrolled in intensive English language learning at the Center for English Language and Culture for International Students.
As the new students gathered in the Student Center just days before classes began, signs reading “You Are Welcome Here” in multiple languages adorned campus walls and screens. Many of the new students stopped at a photo booth, taking turns waving the flags of their home countries behind a Bronco backdrop.
University leaders gathered to greet them. Representatives from dozens of campus organizations joined a resource fair to help students get involved. Buster Bronco, the university’s mascot, hugged and took selfies with the new students.
“Everyone on our staff is here to help you,” Dr. Rosemary Max, associate vice president for global education, told the crowd. “We're here to put our arms around you. If you get behind academically, ask for help immediately. If you are feeling homesick, if you are feeling unhealthy—either physically or mentally—we have services on campus that can help you. We're very glad to see all your faces today, and we welcome you to Western."
Many of the students had traveled for hours, some for days, to get to Kalamazoo. They were greeted at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport with Welcome to Western signs.
“This is not one of those things where you just got up in the morning, left your home, got on your bicycle or took a bus and went to school,” Dr. Reetha Raveendran, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, told the crowd.
“We want you to know that what you have done is amazing. Not everybody can do that—and what a privilege you have to be here.”
Raveendran greeted the students in multiple languages. She encouraged them to get involved with clubs and activities and to share their talents and experiences with the WMU community. “You are international students, and you are studying abroad, and you are a magnificent part of our community,” she said.
Ahnaf Shrayan transferred to WMU to study business analytics as an undergraduate student at the Haworth College of Business. The Bangladeshi comes from a family of WMU alumni and was eager to join his sister in Kalamazoo.
“This is one of the best business schools in the Midwest and also in the U.S.,” he says. “It’s the faculty and how good the classes are that attracted me to Western.”
There are students from 95 countries on campus, and students from Bangladesh, like Shrayan, join robust international communities upon their arrival. There are 70 Bangladeshi students enrolled and an active Bangladesh Student Organization.
Shrayan came to the United States when he was 18 and hopes to stay for several years. “It feels like home now,” he says. “The freedom you have over your life and the opportunities you have here career-wise and the standard of living—these are things I really love about the United States.”
Sitting at a nearby table was a group of students from Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic (DR). The aspiring engineers are part of a dual degree program where students begin their studies in the DR before joining the Western community.
Dominicans also represent a large cohort of WMU’s international population. There are currently 60 students from the DR on campus.
The new students laughed about their journey here, switching between Spanish and English with ease. They were excited for their newfound independence away from their parents and eager to start classes in an American university system.
The United States is known for its hands-on approach to learning, and the faculty here is impressive, says Aldo Dajer Garip, a 20-year-old who is studying industrial engineering at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Post-degree work experience programs like Optional Practical Training are incredibly valuable for international students upon their return home, he says.
The classmates discussed how fun it will be to meet new people, try new foods and activities and see snow for the first time. They had researched area attractions and knew about nearby sled and ski runs.
“I’m willing to try anything,” says Jesus Colmenarez Contreras, a 20-year-old Venezuelan who had been studying in the DR before coming to WMU for an aeronautical and mechanical engineering degree.
He smiles as he thinks about the journey ahead. “I’m excited to meet people from different backgrounds,” he says. “Back in the DR, you basically know everybody.”
About The Haenicke Institute for Global Education
The Diether H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education, established in 1998, fosters an environment that supports the global engagement of the Western Michigan University community. Its offices assist nearly 2,500 international students and alumni at home and abroad with immigration, student success and post-graduation job training.
The Institute also facilitates short- and long-term study abroad programs for students, faculty and staff. It hosts a variety of global learning activities, such as designing and promoting scholarship and academic opportunities on campus; providing K-12 outreach; hosting lectures, panels and events; and showcasing arts, entertainment and culture from around the world. More at www.wmich.edu/global.
For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.