The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Immigrant Integration
Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
There is a global war for professional talent due to labor shortages spurred by an aging population, low birth rates, and changes in workforce needs induced by technological advancements. Higher education institutions have long served as engines of economic development and workforce preparation, and now they are having to contend with declining enrollment rates.
Immigrant-origin students (i.e., first- and second-generation students) represent a significant source for current and future student bodies and the workforce. Substantial barriers often hinder the recruitment and retention of these students, including lack of information about the educational system in the U.S., English language proficiency, and documentation, along with financial constraints, and difficulty navigating life in a new country. It is critical that higher education institutions are aware of immigrant-origin students’ needs and that there is an active commitment to building and sustaining an infrastructure that facilitates the recruitment and retention of these students.
This webinar explores promising models within the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) systems that enable immigrant-origin students to achieve integration at academic, social, professional and communal levels. These high-performing institutions build and maintain coordinated and integrated community-wide support systems that address immigrant-origin students’ needs through services, which include tutoring, academic guidance and support, mentoring, coaching, case management, and proactive advisement.
Catherine Willis (c.willis@hvcc.edu), HVCC’s Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR) coordinator, is one of the webinar panelists. This is a great opportunity to learn about the role that colleges and universities play and get ideas for the roles that we could play!
