Host Site Visit: San Francisco State University
Last month, Global UGRAD program officer Amy Broome visited San Francisco State University to meet with students, tour the campus, and connect with the many individuals on campus who make the semester so successful for Global UGRAD students.
San Francisco State University (SF State), a part of the California State University system, is located in the southwest corner of San Francisco, California. SF State is a Minority Serving Institution, qualifying as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). The campus is just one mile from the Pacific Ocean! It is within walking distance of a shopping center, and there is even a public transportation stop on campus. Global UGRADs have public transit passes as part of their enrollment at SF State, so it is easy for students to explore all that the city of San Francisco and the Bay Area have to offer.
During her visit, Amy had the opportunity to meet with staff members from the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) who work directly with Global UGRAD students and support their experiences on campus. There are many dedicated and passionate CGE staff who play important roles, including Saroj Quinn, Assistant Dean of the College of Professional & Global Education (CPaGE), who oversees the Center for Global Engagement and contributes to the growth and maintenance of exchange and study abroad programs at SF State. Saroj has an impressive history of working with J-1 exchange programs and is very knowledgeable about how to support the Global UGRAD Program!
William Carduner, Lead Advisor, is the Global UGRAD students’ main point of contact on campus. He is an expert resource for advising students on any issues that might arise during their semester and he goes the extra mile to support each student. These are just two of the many amazing staff members at SF State. The Global UGRAD Program is extremely well-integrated into the fabric of international programs at SF State, many thanks to the efforts of all those working at CGE!
This semester, SF State is hosting four Global UGRAD students and has been instrumental in supporting an extended-stay Global UGRAD from Ukraine, Andrii Slota. The spring 2023 cohort, including their home countries and areas of study, includes:
Abdulaziz Isomov, Uzbekistan, Tourism
Lien Nguyen, Vietnam, Human Resources
Sonia Sarkar, India, Geography
Sydnia Rodriguez, Nicaragua, Marketing
Students shared their experiences using the MUNI bus to get around the city – one student, Sonia, even gets to take field trips around the city with one of her classes and will soon be an expert on San Francisco’s many tourist locations. Students also mentioned participating in trips organized by Campus Recreation, an on-campus group. Many of the students have developed strong friendships with one another, their roommates, and both international and domestic students alike.
SF State is a great host partner for the Global UGRAD Program, and a lovely campus to visit. World Learning is excited to continue supporting students here in the future!