International Programs
Five Year Report 2018 ‐2023
This report reflects upon and documents the past five years of International Programs’ contributions to Occidental’s mission to prepare global citizens. Before, during and after the disruption of the pandemic our relentless innovation and commitment to advancing international engagement compelled us to:
Strive for justice, inclusion, equity and diversity in all aspects of our programming, processes and practices.
Contribute to and synthesize campus support systems for international student success (p.2).
Facilitate transformative intercultural learning experiences for education abroad (study and research) participants (p.3).
Partner with faculty for programming that complements or extends the curriculum in dynamic intercultural settings (pp. 3‐4).
2022‐2023 profile
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High Impact* Summers are Back! Faculty‐led biology research teams in Costa Rica (above and p.4) develop intellectual, intercultural and professional skills for a lifetime of global citizenship. Go Tigers!
*And Instagram‐ worthy!
93 international students
20 international graduates on OPT
2 international scholars (Psychology and East Asian Studies)
Off‐Campus Participants
74 semester abroad
31 summer abroad
18 faculty‐led course
16 faculty‐led research
51 Global Projects (i.e. Young, Womxn’s Rugby, etc.)
~ Equity and Justice Agenda
13 Kahane ‐ UN semester
4 DC semester
International Programs •McKinnon Center for Global Affairs •ipo@oxy.edu•oxy.edu/ipo
“We want Occidental to be a place that develops students who can, and will, change the world in a myriad of ways; who are committed to functioning as concerned and engaged global citizens; and who can negotiate difference and appreciate diversity in all its dimensions.”
Advancing INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE for International Students
‘23 Global Tigers Thrive After Graduation
Lawful work in the U.S. is an option for international students thanks to a visa benefit, Optional Practical Training (OPT). Most graduates who have maintained lawful status may work in their field of study for 12 months (all majors) or 36 months (certain STEM majors). During the ‘22‐‘23 academic year International Programs coordinated applications and mandatory compliance for 20 global tigers on OPT In addition, we “transferred” SEVIS records for 11 heading to graduate schools.
The University of Chicago (2)
University of Southern California (2)
University of Pennsylvania
Duke University
Georgetown University
Northeastern University
New York University
University of Michigan
High Impact* Summers Are Back!
InternLA international student Michelle The (History ‘24), develops intercultural, intellectual and professional skills for global citizenship
*And Instagram‐worthy!
It Takes A College . . .
The entire College is responsible for creating a nurturing, inclusive environment for international students who made up approximately 7% of the student body prior to the pandemic.
California State University ‐ Northridge
Cross‐campus collaboration was essential during the pandemic, as international students were especially impacted. Global Tigers were subjected to disruptive travel restrictions, constant changes in testing and immunization rules, visa delays and the grind of remote study across excruciating time differences. Some students were stuck at Oxy for a full two years, but grateful to College executives who allowed those who needed to shelter in Oxy dorms. Others who left abruptly in March of 2020 were stuck abroad. Oxy created “study abroad” semester programs in Shanghai and Beijing for our largest cohort of international students, Chinese nationals. Thirteen students earned in‐residence credit for major courses in English in the company of other liberal arts college students without time zone surfing!
A decade of assessment indicates that global tigers feel supported and valued in class and by their faculty. Those same faculty joined Religious and Spiritual Life, the Intercultural Community Center and IPO to support students following the February 2022 Asian hate incident. Increased programming by International Programs and the Intercultural Community Center, combined with larger international student cohort will increase their sense of belonging at Occidental. Global Tigers regularly cite their small numbers at the College as a disappointment. Exceptional post‐pandemic recruitment efforts by Oxy’s Admission team are rebuilding the international student community!
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Building Back Abroad Programs
Fall 2023 participation suggests that the “typical” 40% of juniors will choose a full semester abroad to advance their development as global citizens. Together with anticipated summer ‘24 study abroad and the Glee Club’s planned trip to Italy, the trendline is back on track!
As the graph below indicates, a small junior class caused a decline in participation in ‘18‐‘19. And then . . . The global pandemic. The lowest activity in three decades ‐ 16 participants in spring 2021 ‐ included special programs in China for Chinese students (see page 3) and three brave juniors who studied abroad in Ghana, France and Iceland. Diplomacy and World Affairs major Kass Wolde, (farthest left in the photo, right, with her classmates and professor on a field trip) studied social change and development in Ghana. Programming took into consideration COVID protocols to keep students and the communities safe.
International Programs and the Faculty Committee awarded $380,852 in summer study abroad scholarships to make up for lost study abroad opportunities due to the global pandemic:
Summer ‘22 35 grants totaled $205,351
Summer ‘23 43 grants totaled $175,501
Removing financial barriers to high impact programs and consistent with Occidental’s commitment to EQUITY and ACCESS, International Programs and the faculty committee contributed $50,000 of ‘22‐‘23 Richter funds to the Undergraduate Research Center to support student research with faculty mentors.
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Learning for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world.
~ Oxy Mission
Faculty Partners for Global Engagement 2018‐2023
We collaborate and consult with faculty to align our programs, courses and services with the College mission, the curriculum and with Oxy’s and International Programs’ learning goals.
Semester Programs
Just as the pandemic erupted in January 2020 Professor Eric Frank (above, orange cap) led his fourth Michelangelo: Art and Biography course, the last before his retirement. It would be 28 months before global conditions allowed Oxy to revive this impactful teaching and learning program format. Summer 2023 Assistant Professor Jason Wong led his course, Sustainable Economic Development in Germany. He prioritized graduating seniors who missed out on study abroad!
F Faculty‐Led Research Abroad
Kahane Semester at the United Nations
Cynthia Rothschild, Director
Jacques Fomerand, Assistant Director
Laura Hebert, Advisory Committee Chair
Madeline Baer, DWA Chair
Campaign Semester
Peter Dreier, Co‐Director
Regina Freer, Co‐Director
Faculty‐Led Courses Abroad
Eric Frank, fall 2019 course plus January 2020 in Italy
ARTH 373 Michelangelo: Art and Biography
Jason Wong, spring 2023 course plus June 2023 in Germany
ECON 312 Sustainable Economic Development
International Programs Committee
Chairs: Margaret Rusmore 2018‐2020
Andrew Udit 2020 ‐ 2021
Alexander Day 2021 ‐ 2023
Members: Mariska Bolyanatz‐Brown, Tsung Chi, Lan Chu, Alexander Day, Aleem Hossain, Ari Laskin, Jesse Mora, Stuart Rugg, Margaret Rusmore, Andrew Udit, Jason Wong, Mei Mei Zhang
Generously funded by the Paul K. and Evalyn C. Richter Trust, projects combine three practices nationally recognized as high‐impact: research, faculty mentorship and international study (George Kuh, AAC&U). The International Programs Faculty Committee selected these projects:
Amber Stubler, Biology: Jamaica, summer 2019
A Decade of Change: Understanding Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Coral Reef Communities 2009 – 2021
Alexandra Puerto, History: Mexico, summer 2019
Liberation Theology, Indigenous Rights and Community Health in Chiapas.
Darren Larsen, Geology: Iceland, summer 2019
Quantifying the Relative Roles of Climate & Human Activity in Driving Landscape Dynamics and Ecosystem Changes
Elizabeth Braker, Shana Goffredi & Gretchen North, Biology: Costa Rica, summers 2019, 2022, 2023
Frog Distribution; Endosymbionts of Sap‐sucking Insects; and Bromeliad Heat Tolerance; respectively
Amanda Zellmer, Biology: Galapagos, Ecuador, winter 2023 Predicting the potential environmental impacts from distribution of invasive treefrogs.
Stephanie Nelli, Cognitive Science: Thailand, summer 2023
Cross‐Cultural Neural Correlates of Value Learning
International Programs• McKinnon Center for Global Affairs •ipo@oxy.edu•oxy.edu/ipo
Christina
Marisa
Altamirano, Operations Manager
Grover Mofford, Associate Director
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Robin Craggs, Executive Director
Julie Kimiko Santos, Associate Director
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