International student advisory group
Established in 2021, the CEHD International Student Advisory Group aims to support international students within the college’s mission of contributing to a just and sustainable future for all. The group collaborates on various projects to cultivate a culture of care and create a sense of belonging for all international students.
Committee members
Bhaskar Upadhyay
Professor, Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
bhaskar@umn.edu | 612-625-3286
Zan Gao
Professor, Kinesiology
Director of Graduate Studies
gaoz@umn.edu | 612-626-4639
Ellen Sunshine
Associate Director of Student Recruitment,
Admissions, and Engagement
sunsh001@umn.edu | 612-626-463
Marina Aleixo
Director, International Initiatives
aleix001@umn.edu | 612-624-9671
Michael DallaValle
Assistant Director of Graduate Education
mdallava@umn.edu | 612-625-5883
Nicola Alexander
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education,
Diversity, and International Initiatives
Professor, Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
nalexand@umn.edu | 612-624-1507
Nicole Shopbell
Director of Undergraduate Education
wileb011@umn.edu | 612-626-0398
Sumitra Madhuri Ramachandran
Graduate program coordinator, Family Social Science
ramac024@umn.edu
Liz Hwang
Graduate student, Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
hwan0243@umn.edu
Satomi Mitani
Graduate student, Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
mitan005@umn.edu
2022-2023 Strategic plan
Based on the 2022-2023 International Student survey and focus groups, a strategic plan was created to support international students’ needs. Actionable items for academic year 2022-2023 are focused on three areas:
- CEHD International Student Grants
- Faculty Training
- Resource Development
2022-2023 Activities
As a first step to understand student needs, the advisory group conducted a comprehensive survey and focus groups. Administered separately to undergraduate and graduate students in the fall of 2021, the survey was an opportunity to hear student voices regarding their experiences in the college. After initial survey analysis, committee members facilitated 6 focus groups, 2 for undergraduate students and 4 for graduate students in spring 2022.
Survey results were reported to CEHD senior leadership and were the foundation for developing a strategic plan to better support international students.