International Education

Project

I worked as the Community Assistant at the St. Edward's University Campus in Angers, France. In this role, I lived at the student residence and fulfilled a range of responsibilities related to student support:

• Provided in-country orientation to American study-abroad participants, explaining policies on campus, in the student residence, and helping students find their way around the city
• Provided regular reporting to the Director of International Education in the US via weekly Skype meetings
• Supported the Angers-based program director in planning and leading excursions around France
  • Overnight trips to Paris, Normandy, and Brittany
  • Day trips around the Loire Valley region
• Responded to student crises including responding to medical and mental health emergencies
• Supported teaching faculty
  • Recorded spoken English for listening practice for native-French speaking students
  • Helped native-French speaking students preparing to study abroad in the US understand American classroom expectations
  • Counseled American students with academic concerns
• Planned events for students
  • Organized "Jam in English" weekly conversation groups for Anglophone and Francophone students to network and play games
  • Organized a potluck Thanksgiving event for 50+ students, faculty, staff, and family members
  • Supported the Program Director in organizing an End of Program Gala and Awards Ceremony
• Acted as liaison with the property management firm that managed the student residence.
  • Communicated student maintenance concerns to property managers
  • Communicated property policy changes to students
  • Translated property management documents from French to English for students with low language proficiency

Time Frame

I was in France from August - December 2010, though I spent much of the month of July preparing for the experience by getting my visa finalized, developing orientation materials, and going through pre-departure preparations with colleagues in the Office of International Education in the US.

Collaboration

I was co-supervised by the Director of International Education in the US and the Program Director in Angers. I also worked closely with American and French faculty members, as well as the property manager from the off-campus student residence.

Key Accomplishments

I moved to a foreign country where I had limited language proficiency on three weeks' notice. I quickly adapted to my surroundings and was able to effectively support both French and American students.