Department Spotlight: Center for Global Engagement
To help create a stronger and more connected university community, Community news will showcase a monthly Department Spotlight. The goal of the spotlight is to help faculty and staff gain more awareness about the many different parts of the university and the work each team is doing to support our mission.
This month’s Department Spotlight features the Center for Global Engagement, a part of the Strategic Enrollment Management Division. Here, Executive Director Paige Ramsey-Hamacher shares some insights on her department’s work.
How many people work in your department?
The Center for Global Engagement is a part of the Strategic Enrollment Management Division. On the Center for Global Engagement team, there are two full-time staff members and one graduate assistant.
What is your department responsible for doing?
In a nutshell, the Center for Global Engagement takes care of all international students (coming to the United States or studying abroad). For the international students coming to Saint Leo, we handle the immigration advising and support the students throughout their career at the university. For those wanting to study abroad at some point in their career at Saint Leo, we assist students with choosing their program of study abroad and serve as their liaison between Saint Leo and the host institution.
Any programming that occurs that is international in nature often is sponsored or co-sponsored by our department. These events may include international student orientation, International Education Week, study abroad seminars, Optional Practical Training/Curricular Practical Training (OPT/CPT) and Life after Leo for International Students workshops, International Women’s Day, Diwali and Holi events, and the Latin cultures event. Staff members in the department also serve as advisors to the Intercultural Student Association (ISA) and the Caribbean Student Association (CSA) on campus.
What makes your department a great place to work?
Because of the nature of the people with whom we work, the area is constantly exposed to new countries and cultures! We are always learning something new as the international student advising landscape is ever-changing. This is what keeps us on our toes and learning every step of the way.
What is something about your department that people may not know?
Between the two staff members in the Center for Global Engagement, we have worked with the international student population at Saint Leo University for a combined total of more than 30 years. Both staff members were international students themselves at one point in their college careers as well. Also in the Fall 2022, our office worked with more than 900 international students with the top country being India, followed by the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Canada.
What is a new initiative that your department is working on or will soon be addressing?
We are gearing up for new student orientation and planning the fall and spring events from our office. We also are collaborating with our Intercultural Student Association to plan the International Education Week events, including the International Food Night, which has been a tradition for more than 20 years now at Saint Leo.
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