Michaelmas Term 2007 Committee Reports

2007 Michaelmas Term Report

Co-Chairs – Kudrat Virk (Hertford) and Xin Hui Chan (Lincoln)

1. Constitution and Elections: With the help and support of VP Graduates, Ingrid Frater, the International Students’ Campaign (ISC) was revitalized this term and saw its membership increase to over 200 students. We adopted a Constitution and elected an Executive Committee, committed to achieving the three basic aims of the ISC this year: sustainability, representation and welfare. Towards these ends, we have conceived and begun planning for four projects: (a) an International Students’ Handbook, (b) the first Oxford International Festival (OIF), (c) a campaign for representation in Common Rooms and (d) regular, themed welfare clinics.

2. International Students’ Handbook: We have inherited an International Students’ Handbook in electronic format, which we aim to revise, re-produce and distribute to all new international students next year. This project has four parts: editing, production, funding and distribution. This term we began the editing process and appointed Section Editors, providing each with guidelines to complete his/her first drafts before the end of the calendar year. We also advertised for a Designer, Picture Editor and various roles in funding and distribution on different mailing lists, while the ISC Treasurer, Kiril Dimitrov, began work on a funding strategy to enable us to distribute the Handbook in both printed and electronic formats.

3. Oxford International Festival (OIF) 2008: We hope to make this event the first in an annual series. It will be held in 7th week of Hilary Term. Each day will showcase different university societies and how they contribute to Oxford’s international culture, with a finale on Saturday in a central venue TBC. This finale will, we hope, comprise performances, demonstrations, workshops and talks on multiple stages as well as exhibits, foods stalls and opportunities to buy arts and crafts. The primary objective of the OIF is two-fold: (a) to celebrate and (b) raise awareness of the diversity of Oxford’s culturally vibrant and international student body, as well its town population. This term we formed an OIF Organizing Committee, which will be chaired by the ISC Social Secretary, Kaushal Vidyarthee, and which will be working very hard over the next few weeks to make this event a success. We also organized a planning meeting in 8th week for national interest and performance- and culture-related societies in the university, and were delighted by the response we received. Their support and involvement is invaluable for the first OIF. We are looking forward to working closely with them and hope that this will be the first of many collaborative projects. The deadline for confirmation of their respective contributions is nought week of Hilary Term, until which time the OIF Organizing Committee will be (a) organizing the Saturday venue, (b) finding sponsors for the event and (c) designing publicity materials, among other things.

4. Campaign for Representation: The ISC Campaign Officers, Heather Kincaide and Sam Pape, worked hard this term to initiate a campaign to improve the representation of international students on Common Room Committees. A motion, proposing the creation of an International Students’ Representative position (if one did not already exist), was circulated to all Common Room Presidents.

5. Welfare Clinics: The ISC Committee decided to organize two welfare-themed clinics this year: one on careers and work regulations for international students in Hilary Term, the other on finance and funding in Trinity Term. The ISC Welfare Officer, Fabiola Alvarado, will be arranging a meeting with the Careers Service in the coming weeks to discuss plans for the first clinic.

6. Miscellaneous: The ISC Committee met this term with Dr. Heather Bell, Oxford University’s first Director of International Strategy, to discuss issues affecting international students before, during and after their application to Oxford, as well as those they faced after arriving here. We also met with Mr. James Tibbert from the International Office to discuss our respective roles in the promotion of international students’ wellbeing at Oxford and future possibilities for collaboration (including a joint newsletter).

 

Campaign Officers – Heather Kincaide (St. Antony’s) and Sam Pape (St. Peter’s)

1. International Students’ Representative on every JCR and MCR: We developed a motion proposing the introduction of an International Students’ Representative (ISR) on all JCR and MCRs. This motion was sent to all JCR and MCR Presidents and OUSU Representatives. The response rate has been small. To rectify this, the Campaign Officers will take the following steps in Hilary Term:

∑ Send motion to the International Students’ Campaign e-mail list: Encourage individual members to bring forward the motion in their JCR/MCRs and to run for the ISR position.
∑ Attend the first Hilary Term JCR meetings of all postgraduate colleges: The Campaign Officers will explain the motion and the objectives of the International Students’ Campaign. We will also attend JCR/MCR meetings of as many undergraduate/postgraduate colleges as is feasible.
∑ Continue to follow up with JCR/MCR Presidents regarding the motion.

In Hilary Term, the Campaign Officers will also:
∑ Invite all International Students’ Representatives and existing Overseas Representatives (or Equal Opportunities Representatives, where appropriate) to the first open meeting of the ISC.
∑ Act as primary liaison between the ISC and college International Students’ Representatives and existing Overseas Representatives.

      The Campaigns Officers will undertake the following steps during break:
∑ Develop an International Students’ Representative Training Event and/or Information Package: The Campaign Officers will determine exactly how we can support ISRs in unique and “value added” ways that will make the position attractive to JCR/MCRs.
∑ Develop a list of existing Overseas and Equal Opportunities Representatives.

2. Brainstorm Future Campaigns: The Co-Chairs are currently brainstorming advocacy activities to complement and expand beyond the International Students’ Representative campaign. We will liaise with the Co-Chairs and the VP (Graduates) to determine how the ISC can support and enhance the current international student advocacy activities of the Oxford University Student Union.

3. International Students’ Handbook: As section editors for the handbook, the Campaign Officers will complete their assigned sections by the deadline of December 23, 2007.  We will also determine how to best to co-ordinate our request for JCR funds so as to be compatible with gaining support for the International Students’ Representative motion.

Social Secretary – Kaushal Vidyarthee (Wolfson)

1. National Interest Societies Database: We have compiled a contact list of all national interest societies from the OUSU Freshers’ Fair List. This has been uploaded to the ISC documents database, as a useful resource for collaboration on all current and future projects.

2. Social Events Term Card: We have a created a template for a term card. Starting from next term, we will fill it in with events organized by various societies, departments and community organizations of interest to international students. This term card will then be made available online on the ISC website, and also distributed via the ISC mailing list.

3. Oxford International Festival (OIF): This will be a week-long event in 7th week of Hilary term, ending in a cultural extravaganza on the Saturday following. Planning is under way, and at present, we are soliciting interest in an event committee to help make this OIF the first in an annual series. If you would like to get involved, please email us on internationalstudents@ousu.org.

Secretary – Nathalie Hanley (St. Anne’s)

1. Committee contact list: This has been drawn up, circulated amongst committee members and made available on a common Google account.

2. Minutes: ISC committee meetings and open meetings have been attended, minutes taken, typed up and made available on a common Google account.

3. International Students’ Handbook: As section editor for the handbook, the Secretary will complete her assigned sections by the deadline of December 23, 2007. 

4. Handbook funding: Together with the ISC Treasurer, the Secretary will work on developing and implementing a funding strategy for the International Students’ Handbook.

5. Term Report: The ISC committee Term Report will be made available on a common Google account, submitted to OUSU VP Graduates and sent to the Publicity Officer for uploading on the ISC website.

Publicity Officer – Charlotte Yan (St Hilda’s College)

1. Facebook group: We have created a Facebook group (set up in MT2) which seeks to publicise and promote the work of the ISC. This website lists news/events/issues affecting international students and thus functions as a means of communication between ISC and international students at Oxford University. For example, the contact details of many national interest groups have been posted. The current member count is 147. The primary objectives for this Facebook group are keeping the website updated and expanding the member base.

2. OUSU Website: Unfortunately due to several misunderstandings, I have not yet been granted privileges to edit the ISC section of the OUSU website. It is hoped that this will be quickly resolved at the beginning of Hilary 2008. In the meantime, Ingrid Frater has kindly offered to post news/events and general ISC information on the website.

3. General Publicity: The focus of Hilary term will be The Oxford International Festival 2008. This is set to be a major social event, one which to publicise effectively will require extensive collaboration with the Social Secretary, the publicity sub-committee of OIF, as well as the broader OIF committee.