The mission of the Office of International Student Support (OISS) at Muhlenberg College is to provide comprehensive support and guidance to international students in their transition to life in the United States and the Lehigh Valley to pursue their academic goals within the liberal arts tradition of Muhlenberg College. We aim to assist students in navigating the pathways to a successful and fulfilling student experience, achieve a sense of belonging, and to support our students in maintaining and sharing their diverse cultural and individual backgrounds. In addition, we provide immigration guidance to F-1 international students and actively collaborate with various offices, clubs, departments, and campus stakeholders to enhance internationalization and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts at the college.
The goals of the Office of International Support include the following:
- Empower ALL F-1 students to understand their immigration responsibility: OISS provides comprehensive immigration support and guidance to F-1 international students, including assistance with visas, status documentation, and more government and immigration-related matters. Students are supported through a required OISS Pre-Orientation and other immigration-focused workshops (including OPT/CPT work benefits), ongoing F-1 student advising, and a staff that prioritizes professional development resources and opportunities for the most recent and accurate immigration resources and procedures.
- Facilitate opportunities for a successful transition and support for continued studies at Muhlenberg: OISS supports international students in the transition to studying at Muhlenberg by providing information about academic expectations, dialogue about cultural differences, and a sharing of expected challenges that may arise in the journey towards degree completion. Along with a comprehensive OISS Pre-Orientation program that includes a peer leader team, OISS helps support the Global Corner, a living-learning program that promotes a successful college transition for first year students. This program allows students to foster a sense of community as a cohort, which also includes US-based student roommates who are selected to join the program. Along with a shared living area, the Global Corner cohort also attends their own section of Foundations for Student Success to unpack their first semester experience together. Global Corner participants average a 3.3 GPA. In addition, all continuing international students are directly supported by OISS and have access to all college resources, including tutors, writing mentors, counseling center, health center, affinity organizations, other peer club groups, and more, including a college community committed to promoting a sense of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
- Create cross-cultural and global awareness opportunities as part of campus internationalization efforts at Muhlenberg: OISS works collaboratively with students, campus partners, departments, and organizations to promote global awareness, DEIB initiatives, and the unique cultural exchange happening on our campus. As international students make their home at Muhlenberg, OISS helps lift student voices and perspectives through advising International Students Association (ISA), selecting an OISS student leader group , as well as working with other student leaders and groups involved with curating campus events and celebrations such as Lunar New Year, Day of the Dead, Diwali, Holi among others. In both active and passive engagement efforts, OISS, students, and our community partners help share stories and understandings from many cultural backgrounds and traditions, as well as our own unique, individual, and human experiences that ultimately enrich our campus learning environment as a whole.
To contact the Office of International Student Support, please send an email to OISS[AT]MUHLENBERG[DOT]EDU or call +1 484-664-3448 or stop by our office located in the Seegers Union building, lower level, Academic Life Suite. Our mailing address is: Muhlenberg College, OISS, 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA, USA, 18104.
