New and Familiar Faces

And here we go, starting off a new academic year!

There has been a lot of excitement in the Multicultural and International Student Programs Office (MISPO) during the summer. Since April, Sonia Fernandes and I have joined the MISPO team.  We are excited to be a part of the Hofstra community and we look forward to meeting you and hearing about your experiences at Hofstra. Check out our new MISPO staff webpage to see who's who on with MISPO!

New and returning students at the International Mixer,
Monday, August 27, 2012, Photo by Hwa Tian

As Martin Buber said, "All real living is meeting," and we have been meeting a lot of new students this past week! Our team has worked hard over the summer to gear up for the next academic year. We greeted more than 300 new international students, coming from over 60 different countries. We provided an International Student Orientation, where our new international students had the opportunity to learn more about Hofstra University, more about resources that will aid them in their academic journey, and build friendships. One of the highlights was an Intercultural Mixer, where students had the opportunity to meet and build friendships with current students, including U.S. Americans. What a fun time!

MISPO also co-hosted two Cultural Receptions during the Welcome Week activities.  Students met the MISPO staff and various Student Affairs administrators and were able to build new friendships with new and returning students. New students, who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender or who identify as LGBTQ allies, were greeted by the Pride Network, Hofstra's LGBTQ student organization, who provided an overview of the activities the club will offer throughout the fall semester, leadership opportunities, and ways to connect through social media. At the Students of Color and Friend Social, students were able to meet the leaders of various student organizations at Hofstra, including HINT (Hofstra International), Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF), HOLA , Black Student Union (BSU), Collegiate Women of Color (CWC), Active Minds, and the National Association of Black Accountants. It was a great time to connect and get excited for the semester's activities!

We want to meet you in person! Come by our Open House to meet our new staff members as well as catch up with familiar faces from the MISPO team. All members of the Hofstra community are invited to come to our Open House!

Multicultural and International Student Programs Office (MISPO) Open House

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. – Common Hour

In the hallway outside of the MISPO office, Student Center 242

We are super excited to welcome all the new students and catch up with the returning students. Please stop by and introduce yourself !