Message from Dr. Juan N. Franco

In this special issue of the Husker Advocate, we profile some of the many activities sponsored or co-sponsored by Student Affairs for international students. As the number of international students increases (for Fall 2015 we had 2,524 international students from 129 different countries), we must find ways to accommodate their needs. This includes basic needs such as picking them up at the airport, providing city maps and informing them of the locations of the nearest restaurants and stores, to the practices and traditions of the American education system.

Most of the students have never been to the U.S. or Nebraska. To many of them this is a strange land, culture and people. Most speak English but some do not understand the nuances of the language or the culture. 

The priority must be success in the classroom, but we also need to ensure they feel comfortable in our communities. We need to help them integrate with our student body and we as an institution (and particularly our native students) need to learn from them. We hope you enjoy this special issue which focuses on our students from all over the world.