Partner Feature: New England College
This month we are pleased to highlight our host partner, New England College! Here you’ll learn about Brad Poznanski, the Executive Director of International Enrollment, and some of the amazing experiences New England College has had with Global UGRAD students!
How long have you been working at New England College? What is your role?
I have been with New England College since 2014, most of the time as Vice President for Enrollment, a field I have worked in for more than 30 years. This past year, I have had the good fortune of being in the new position of Executive Director of International Enrollment which enables me to work closely with both undergraduate and graduate students and, in particular, serve as a host to our Global UGRAD Exchange students.
What does your orientation for international students involve?
International students arrive two days before other students in order to get acclimated prior to the arrival of domestic students. The agenda, specific to International students includes a shopping trip or two to buy room supplies and a SIM card, a campus tour, and catch up on sleep. When domestic students arrive, international students, participate in an agenda that includes the following topics – Health and Wellness; Safety and Emergency Preparedness; meetings with department faculty; academic honor code and plagiarism; sexual respect policies; academic and student support resources; residence life programs; alcohol and substance abuse; activities and events.
Can you briefly describe a handful of campus clubs, events, and/or programs that are designed with international students in mind?
NEC’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion is staffed by an amazing Director, who has an international background and makes a point of reaching out to international students in providing a super welcoming environment where diversity is celebrated. The department hosts an annual Multi-Cultural night where international students participate by creating a display of cultural features of their home country. In December, the office hosts an Intercultural Holiday Peace Gathering to celebrate our rich diversity before the holiday season.
What is your favorite place on campus and why?
Without question, the favorite place of many is the covered bridge that spans the Contoocook River and provides a footbridge from our main campus to our athletic fields. More important, it is a gathering place for all sorts of occasions including the place where new students gather on their first day, and again on their last day as students on graduation day.
Please share a positive takeaway or memorable story from your work with Global UGRADs.
I have so many positive memories but I’ll mention two… First was when our four students went skiing for the first time at Pats Peak, a nearby ski mountain. None of them had even seen snow before but they were super eager to learn to ski, and they all did so successfully, more than once. Next, is a day we spent together near the end of their semester, in May, hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.