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Dean of Students

Support for International Students


International students on campus may occasionally need some support in the areas of language, writing, cultural adjustment, or in specific subject areas that may present new challenges. Hamilton College has a variety of resources for students who are seeking assistance. It is important to note that it is not a sign of weakness to ask for support; rather, seeking help is seen as a wise choice in terms of getting problems taken care of before they become too large. American students avail themselves of many of these same resources and it is quite common in this culture. Some resources that can be of help are as follows:

The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program provides classes for academic credit and one-on-one tutoring for students adjusting to doing academic work in a second (or third, or fourth) language. For more information, visit their website or contact Barbara Britt-Hysell at bbritthy@hamilton.edu.

The Writing Center offers assistance with research papers, essays and other compositions. Classes at Hamilton normally have a large writing component; the Writing Center offers one-on-one consultations so that students can present their best possible work.

The Peer Tutoring Program and the Quantitative Literacy Center provide tutoring in specific subject areas. Students seeking help may request an upperclass tutor who has been hired as a "specialist" in a certain subject. Sessions are scheduled at the convenience of both students.

The International Friendship Program (IFP) connects incoming students with families or individuals in the Clinton community. Generally, IFP families will meet students at an opening cookout and plan occasional activities such as a dinner in their home, trips to local attractions, or holiday gatherings. This can be an important cultural connection for international students and a source of support in the community.

The Counseling Center can help with issues of cultural adjustment, social or relationship problems, feelings of homesickness and other things that can come up for international students. Coming to the U.S. is often a huge step for students, and finding a place to share feelings and ask questions can be vitally important.

In addition to the above, students should seek out their Resident Advisors (RAs), academic advisors and professors. RAs are upperclass students who oversee the residence halls. They can help with informational issues, roommate conflicts and the like, and are always happy to lend an ear Academic advisors are assigned to each incoming student who should be available for consultations about matters related to classes and scheduling when needed. Professors are wonderful resources, hold regular office hours and should be available for individual appointments. This is the best way to get to know a professor, ask questions and discuss important issues related to the subject matter.

Student News


Tawanda Mashavave '10 Spent Summer Researching Software Security
Tawanda Mashavave '10 (Shamva, Zimbabwe) worked with Associate Professor of Computer Science Mark Bailey this summer on securing vulnerable software using software dynamic translation, a process that modifies how a computer application runs during execution. According to Mashavave, there are many ways a hacker can gain control of computer systems. One common way is for the hacker to look at publicly available source code (i.e. the commands written by a programmer to create a computer program) and manipulate that source code to gain control of its associated program.
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