Editorial: SA resolution on international students aligns with important university goals

By Thresher Editorial Board     1/23/18 9:49pm

This past Monday, the Student Association discussed a resolution proposed by Martel College senior Danna Ghafir and SA President Justin Onwenu that would aim to fulfill Rice University’s goal of diversifying the international student population. The resolution focuses on socio-economically disadvantaged international populations in particular, and urges Rice to join the International Education’s Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis. The goal is to provide more aid to international prospective students and also conduct outreach to some areas that may not know about Rice.

We commend Ghafir’s and Onwenu’s proposal, especially in light of President Leebron’s stated goals for his Vision for the Second Century II, which also aimed to expand and enrich Rice’s international student community. As Ghafir noted during the legislation’s introduction, Houston is home to many refugees who could very well wish to attend Rice, but have either no accessible knowledge of the school or no economic capability to do so (or both). If Rice truly hopes to form a student body both representative of and enriching to its broader community, then this resolution is a certain step toward achieving such an outcome.

The SA will vote on the resolution this Monday.

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