The International Buddy Program, a segment of the Office of International Affairs (OIA), under Administrative and Program Specialist Hunter Swanson and Student Coordinator Katie Uyak, is described by a February 2010 version of the Multicultural Affairs page "as a gateway to American culture and the language through Longwood University students by building lasting and rewarding friendships" and also "a friendly way to gain knowledge of other cultures and to appreciate them through the mentoring and friendship of international students visiting Longwood University."
Currently, it serves a number of international students with either J (self-funded, degree oriented) or F (sponsored, temporary studies) visas by pairing them with eager and helpful members of the Longwood student body. However, there is a basic process for both buddy and international student before they meet.
For a Longwood student who wants to be a buddy, there is an application that is filled out and submitted to the OIA. Swanson receives the application and proceeds to allow the applicant to become involved. However, due to the pressures of the program, certain criteria were suggested online as part of the February 2010 Buddy page. These include asking questions such as "can you be patient and help the international students work through their difficulties with the English language? Are you willing to spend at least 2 hours a week with your international buddy? Are you willing to commit yourself to your buddy for one semester or longer (depending on their duration of stay?) "
From this point onward, the Longwood student waits until the exchange student's orientation before the start of each semester. The orientation was shortly described by OIA Director Dr. Robert Frank, who said, "[The Office and the exchange students] talk about Longwood, about American university life, the honor system here, concerns they have in terms of adapting, and they have to fill requirements of paperwork and documentation that have to be checked over by our office. We have to maintain records for the government in a program called SEVIS [Student and Exchange Visitor Information System]. We let [the exchange students] know who their network is . who their support staff is."
Frank also noted the buddy program helps them adjust with assistance throughout the orientation week including lunches between buddies and international students. American roommates are also acquired to live with the exchange students and these sometimes are buddies or at least buddies' friends. A lot of time is spent making sure orientation is "beneficial for international students." Transportation around and out of Farmville is often a difficulty but it is usually approached along with living conditions.
Programs such as the international coffee hour and social events such as the Baltimore Orioles baseball game and many others that are designed by the International Buddy program, cater to the 17 F visa and 16 J visa holders who come from China's Anhui University and various European states.
When their time at Longwood is finished, the exchange students may fill out a satisfaction sheet that has been offered for the past four academic years, from 2006-2007 to 2009-2010.
In any case, it serves an important place in past Longwood policies from the university's 2006-07 learning plan to the SACS Fifth-Year Interim Report and the 2009 - 2010 Student Affairs Strategic Goals and Objectives. Frank said he regards the International Buddy Program's importance as "a continuing program that [gives] American students an opportunity to interact closely with international students."
He hopes that the number of students coming to Longwood for a long term stay and degrees will increase to "one hundred or more," thus involve more Longwood students who would need to be buddies.
Even before such massive renovation can take place, there are still many exchange students in the Longwood community, and coming in the immediate future, who need assistance from a caring, generous member of their host University.
To supply this need, Uyak, a person well-involved in the buddy program, sent out a letter to recruit buddies for the spring. Her message states, "Do you want to learn more about other cultures? Are you interested in working with international students? Do you want to befriend an international student and help them adjust to American culture? If you answered yes to these questions, then consider becoming an international student buddy for spring 2011!
