Serving the needs of global students

DSU to host International Student Open House

By Cazzy Lewchuck, Staff Writer

On October 24, the Douglas Students’ Union (DSU) will be hosting an open house for international students. The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the DSU lounge at the New West campus. The event will feature food, door prizes, entry games, and workshops. All international students of Douglas College are welcome, and the DSU hopes as many as possible will attend.

The event will serve as an excellent opportunity for students to have their voices heard. International students face several unique challenges in addition to the ones already apparent for all Douglas students. These can include much higher tuition rates, language and cultural barriers, adjustment to living in a new country, and even discrimination. There is no “standard international student”—every international student has unique needs and issues facing their education. Many feel alone or unable to express themselves in dealing with these issues. The services required for international students are much greater, yet their barriers are also greater than ever.

This open house hopes to unite the many international students at Douglas College and help them understand the resources available to them.

The open house will feature 25 language interpreters for non-native English speakers. Anyone who has an opinion, question, or concern will consequently be able to speak at the open house. The DSU hopes to hear from as many international students as possible and get some feedback as to how the DSU and Douglas College can assist them in making a seamless transition into post-secondary education in Canada.

There is no registration necessary for the dinner, and all are welcome to drop by. Representatives from the DSU will be in the concourse on October 16, 17, 22, and 23 with information. Information can also be found on the Douglas College Facebook page and group. A Facebook event for the open house has also been created, called the International Student Open House & Dinner.

In addition, a survey about what can be done to improve international student experiences is available. The DSU would like to encourage as many as possible to fill it out, especially those who are unable to make it to the dinner. The survey can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/DSUIntlSurvey