Campus event discusses solidarity building amongst students

On March 27, Fredericton students came together for a workshop organized by the Promise of Home research team.

The event, titled “Beyond Campus Borders: Dismantling Barriers, Building Solidarity,” was a chance for students to discuss the barriers on campus and brainstorm ways to promote unity among student groups.

Sponsored by the St. Thomas University International Students Office and the University of New Brunswick International Student Advisor’s Office, the workshop brought together about 20 students, both international and domestic, from STU, UNB, and New Brunswick Community College.

The students were split into four discussion groups and asked three questions. These questions were about the challenges they face in classrooms and social spaces, how they can overcome these challenges, as well as what resources they might need to make the campus more interconnected.

The discussion was eye-opening. Many international students shared experiences of facing racism and prejudice based on their nationality, appearance, or accent on their campuses. All students highlighted the difficulty of breaking into existing social circles, with international students often gravitating towards peers from their own cultures and domestic students sticking with friends from their local communities.

Financial constraints further exacerbate these challenges, affecting students’ ability to participate in extracurricular activities, because of on or off-campus work, and adding to anxieties surrounding housing and food insecurity.

Several ideas emerged from the discussions. For example, proposals included improving the efforts of student unions to facilitate connections among student groups, increasing the availability of spaces on campus for domestic and international students to socialize and interact, as well as providing additional diversity training for faculty members.

Many participants proposed the recruitment of more faculty members from diverse backgrounds, including those from racialized communities. Another suggestion was to implement a mandatory course on colonial history, equity, diversity, and inclusion within the curriculum.

This workshop was an extension of the Promise of Home research project, which began in 2019 to understand the experiences of newcomers and immigrants in Fredericton. By collecting stories from newcomers and feedback from the community, the project aims to make Fredericton more inclusive and welcoming for everyone.

Promise of Home project lead Gül Çalışkan states: “”The Promise of Home has been organically shaping and growing into a community-participatory initiative, in line with project’s initial aim. It has been tailored to address the needs of our community, with the goal of fostering a more inclusive city.”

The workshop was inspired by the success of previous project events.

“Our home is here: A Community Conversation,” a two-day event held in October, brought together community members and policymakers to discuss newcomer and immigrant experiences in New Brunswick.

Following this event, the Promise of Home team focused on campus-specific issues, leading to the February 2024 event, “Where are you from? An interactive panel with student leaders from STU & UNB.”

During this successful panel discussion, international student leaders were asked to speak about the main challenges they encounter in feeling at home on campus, how their advocacy work helps address these challenges, and what changes the campus community can make.

One of the key takeaways from this discussion was the importance of bringing together international and domestic students to build a stronger community. This inspired the Promise of Home team to organize “Beyond Campus Borders” to address the barriers students face in forming connections on campus.

The workshop was a success, bringing students together to tackle important issues and discuss ways they can build a stronger campus community. The Promise of Home team plans to continue organizing similar workshops focusing on the experiences of students and hope to include the New Brunswick Community College and the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design campuses in future events, making sure that all students have a chance to be heard and supported.

With more events like these, the Promise of Home team hopes to create a campus and city where every student feels at home. “Next year, our focus will be on enhancing the experiences of international students on our campuses, as well as communicating pertinent policy suggestions to the appropriate policymakers. We eagerly anticipate collaborating with the campus community to address our diverse concerns, striving to create campuses that truly feel like home for international students and fostering connections among students from various backgrounds,” declared Çalışkan.

Dora Szemok is a third-year student studying International Development Studies and Political Science and a research assistant for the Promise of Home project through the University of New Brunswick Fredericton’s Arts Internship Program.