Suffolk University acknowledges the predictable low period in cultural adjustment when students seek out their countrymen for support. Suffolk sets up lunches for country groups in October and February just as the excitement of living in the US is wearing off. Returning students are invited to join tables with new students from their country and share their experiences in surviving and thriving.
The conversations have included such things as the best place to buy/find their homeland food or how to interact with a particularly "different" teacher or interactions with a nationality that they had not experienced at home. One of the results is that the students help each other through some of the challenges in housing, food, relationships.
Suffolk has a smaller student population and so is able to provide lunches for all. Perhaps SAL could do something similar after classes in the afternoon with snacks? Or provide some reimbursement if the students want to go somewhere to meet? Any suggestions?
A related idea was to set up Peer Outreach Partners (POPs!) to pair 'senior' students with incoming students. The success is more dependent on the pairs getting along well - something impossible to predict.
I'm very big on keeping an English only environment, but I can see real benefit in creating or supporting student support networks within their compatriot groups.
