Talking Stick - May/June 2009 - 39

Education Mega Center. The 10,000acre site (which can accommodate 350,000-400,000 people) includes 10 branch campuses, each with its own library and full broadband wireless coverage. Total enrollment is close to 200,000 students, 20,000 faculty, and 50,000 staff – all accommodated by campus housing and all for a cost of $4.3 billion (U.S.$). The increasing demand for higher education worldwide makes conversations like those at the Global Housing Summit increasingly relevant. Many higher education institutions in the United States continue to experience surging enrollments, China and India’s higher educational systems are growing exponentially, the Arabian Gulf region has opened several new institutions in the past five years, and South Africa is experiencing a dramatic resurgence in enrollment following student integration. or to get a haircut, how to use air conditioning and heat controls, what the various holidays in the country mean, how to enroll children in school, learning to drive and securing a license, using public transportation, finding their place of worship, how to use the mail services, understanding the bicycle laws, and how to gain access to health care. Summit participants emphasized that knowing about and understanding the customs and traditions of other countries enables residence life professionals to better meet the needs of international students. Some students need a ground floor apartment, while others need a front door that faces a certain geographical direction. International students may appreciate the value of outdoor laundry lines, fish-drying racks, composters, flower gardens, and herb gardens. The spouses, children, and extended Is your university housing keeping up with students’ technological needs? helP InternatIonal students feel at hoMe In response to this trend, higher education institutions need to be proactive in their efforts not only to educate students from other countries but also to ease their transition to a new country. Summit participants discussed a number of initiatives and programs to help integrate international students more comfortably into their new homes, and they feel that housing operations are in an excellent position to advance these programs. Most agreed that staff members need to be more conscious of and knowledgeable about how they orient students to the local culture and its practices and traditions. These orientations may include information on the use of money, how to greet one another, where to find ethnic groceries Believe it or not, students occasionally use their Internet connection for applications besides Facebook, YouTube and online gaming. Today’s students need access to electronic publishing, collaborative studies and online courses to keep up academically. Unfortunately, all of these demands can put a serious strain on your school’s network. There is a solution. By partnering with Connexion Technologies, you can upgrade to a fiber-optic network that is ready to support students’ Internet, video and telecommunications needs. Find out more at www.connexiontechnologies.net or contact us at 919.535.7329.

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Talking Stick - May/June 2009

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