Ashland University offers a variety of opportunities for international students. Overall, the programs provided by the International Office assist these students in their transition to the United States and their college experience.

Ashland University has 245 international students this semester representing 39 different countries. In order to become an AU student, they must meet a GPA requirement. AU comes into contact with these students through many methods including fairs, educational advising agencies and referrals.

The ACCESS program is another offering that helps international students in their transition to American life. ACCESS serves as an intensive English program that instructs participants in reading, writing, grammar and speaking/listening. Each week, students attend 18 contact hours of instruction. The program has four levels, ranging from beginner to advanced. Students take a placement and exit exam to determine their level. Once adequately refining their English skills, students then enter into academic credit classes.

“The ACCESS program increases the diversity of AU and makes it a global environment,” Director of ACCESS Christine Reinhard said.

Likewise, the newly created Ambassador Program helps to acclimate international students to AU. In the Ambassador Program, international participants meet with American students each week. They participate in social activities together, such as visiting the Recreation Center or watching movies. Currently, about 40 students serve as ambassadors.

In addition to the Ambassador program, students can also increase their awareness of other cultures through study abroad opportunities. These study abroad options include semester programs, faculty led tours, summer programs, the academic year, student teaching abroad, AU in Costa Rica and COBE in Taiwan. Last year, 165 students took advantage of the opportunity to travel abroad. Another benefit of global education involves receiving credit for classes during many of the trips. Students of any major can study abroad and find an option that best fits their interests.

The International Programs office also coordinates homestays and recruits American families to host international students. Living with an American family improves English skills and enhances a student’s time in the United States. Another option involves weekend homestays, where students live on campus during the week but stay with a host family during the weekend. To find American host families, the office takes leads and contacts churches and past homestay families.

Additionally, the International Programs office is redecorating the windows outside of the library with the theme “Come to Ashland, See the World.” The windows will feature brightly colored symbols and flags that represent the home countries of many international students. Overall, the windows symbolize how AU reaches out to foreign students and enhances their experience in the United States.