The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Tony Astran

The unforgettable academic year for the SUNY China 150 students comes to a close today as a contingent of faculty accompanies the students to SUNY Farmingdale, where participants from all SUNY campuses will reunite. The group will then travel to New York on Saturday for a special farewell ceremony with Chinese Consul General Peng Keyu before departing for Beijing.

Scott Johnson, interim dean of University College, is one of the faculty members traveling across the state with the students. He said the collaboration across departments throughout the academic year was exceptional.

“The students touched so many places on campus,” Johnson said. “It’s remarkable how quickly we organized efforts for their arrival with such a short amount of time. It was a total effort to create a diverse, fun, and academically rigorous experience for the students.”

The Payroll Office worked with students to explain and help fill out required federal forms to receive scholarship benefits on campus. Counseling Center staff were ready to assist the students whenever needed, such as during times of initial culture shock and homesickness. And the International Student Affairs Office worked diligently to assign each student to a nearby host family.

Jean Gounard, director of international student affairs, was so impressed by the success of SUNY China 150 that he organized a campus committee earlier this semester to focus on attracting and retaining international student scholars. “I hope all international students in the future can have a similar experience,” he said. “The committee has been meeting with departments across campus and is writing a report on how to serve all international students in a proper way.”

Gounard and Johnson also worked with others to organize three mentor programs comprising students in the residence halls, Chinese student peers, and faculty. Each of the 17 students had a unique faculty mentor, and many close relationships were formed.

“The mentors made sure the students were succeeding academically, becoming socially acclimated, and gaining insight into the American education system,” Johnson said.

Mentor Michael Lazich, associate professor of history and social studies education, recalled his experiences with his student, Deng Xia, as positive and insightful.

“I had many occasions to chat with Deng and her Chinese friends about a whole range of issues relating to life in America,” he said. During the last class, she and two other students in his Modern History of China course answered questions about their lives in China and their experience as Chinese college students. “The American students clearly relished the opportunity to hear them talk,” Lazich said.

The 17 students also joined other international students in ENG 461 Young-Adult Literature for the English Conversation Partners Program, spearheaded by Gounard and Barbara Bontempo, professor of English. The class not only helped international students hone their English skills but also allowed them to share ideas, personal stories, and cultural folklore with students studying English language arts.

Recognizing that the students were unprepared for Buffalo’s climate, mentor Stephen Gareau, assistant professor of computer information systems, and Father Patrick Zengierski, director of the Newman Center, helped organized a winter clothing drive. Generous donations yielded dozens of boots, gloves, winter coats, and assorted clothing.

Mentor Ruth Guo, assistant professor of computer information systems, organized a celebration for Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) in January. According to Gareau, Guo taught the Chinese students how to cook dumplings, which are considered a comfort food in China.

“Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival in China,” Guo said. “I knew the students would miss home at that time, so a few faculty members and I decided to spend some time with them in their residence hall.”

The students enjoyed other fun activities throughout the year such as a conference in Boston during Thanksgiving break, a week of relaxation in Florida during winter break, and skiing at Kissing Bridge.

Gounard also spearheaded the Richard LeCastre Memorial Reentry Program to prepare students for their return to China. According to Gounard, the program, named for an acquaintance who was dedicated to helping international students, has been successful in helping other international students re-acclimate. Twenty-seven of the SUNY China 150 students, representing eight SUNY campuses, convened March 14 at Buffalo State for lunch and a series of presentations and discussions with Buffalo State faculty and staff about reverse cultural shock.

The Buffalo State community extends a special thanks to the 17 faculty mentors: Angelo Conorozzo, lecturer of educational foundations; Jiu Feng, lead programmer and analyst for ITEC; Gareau; Virginia Grabiner, chair and associate professor of sociology; Guo; Lin Xia Jiang, professor of fine arts; Lazich; William Lin, chair and associate professor of computer information systems; Jill Norvilitis, associate professor of psychology; Wendy Paterson, chair and professor of elementary education and reading; Elaine Polvinen, professor of technology; John Song, professor of criminal justice; Tao Tang, associate professor of geography and planning; Ted Turkle, director of the Research Foundation of SUNY at Buffalo State College; Ralph Wahlstrom, chair and associate professor of English; Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies; and Shiwei Zhang, assistant manager of networking and communications for Computer and Technology Services.

The community also extends a heartfelt thanks and best wishes for success to the 17 students who will forever be part of the Buffalo State family: Ling Chen, Xia Deng, Yanlin Deng, Ping Liang, Yuchan Shu, Chang Su, Xuerui Sun, Ziwei Tan, Longpan Wang, Jun Wei, Li Xie, Hongbin Yang, Xin Yin, Yue Yuan, Xintao Zeng, Lin Zheng, and Xue Zhong.

A presentation at the April 28, 2009, College Council meeting by three of the SUNY China 150 students about their experiences at Buffalo State is available online as a podcast and video.