ISSS Awarded Sam S. May Commitment to Service Award

• April 27th, 2026
• in Capstone International Services International Main

The International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) team has been awarded one of The University of Alabama’s highest honors, the Sam S. May Commitment to Service Award on April 22, recognizing their exceptional dedication to service.

The ISSS works tirelessly to process required immigration documentation for international students, faculty and staff as well as providing on-going support and social, intercultural programming.

“I am beyond grateful for the recognition of this team’s hard work,” said Charter Morris, director of ISSS. “We have an amazingly talented and dedicated staff here who support our students and scholars, and much of that work is unseen.”

Trang Nguyen, associate director of ISSS said she is “grateful to be part of a team that shares a genuine passion for this work.” With strong leadership and support, she said the team will continue making progress for the ISSS and UA community.

According to Associate Provost for International Education & Global Outreach, Dr. Teresa Wise, “the last year has presented many challenges to the ISSS office as immigration regulations have been changing and continue to change very rapidly and often with little warning,” and noted that the ISSS team has been unstoppable in their dedication and commitment to international students and scholars through all of these changes.

Established in 2000, the Sam S. May Commitment to Service Award recognizes campus teams or departments demonstrating exceptional commitment, innovation, or creativity in customer service. Each winning team is not only recognized for their achievements but also receives a $500 reward to their departmental account.

Sam S. May, a janitor in the School of Chemistry from 1911 to 1941, spent time during breaks and after work learning the subject while conducting his own research and experiments. Students sought his explanations in basic chemistry and referred to him as “Dr. Sam” as May gained respect in the department. He also discovered material uses for local plants and received national attention for his efforts.

Japanese Exchange Student at UA

• April 14th, 2026
• in English Language Institute International Main

“Since I was little, I have been interested in different cultures,” said Akari Nakajima, Japanese exchange student from Kansai Gaidai University (KGU) in Osaka, Japan. Akari has spent two semesters at UA taking classes ranging from Macroeconomics to Religions of the World. Wanting to improve her writing skill, she also chose to take Undergraduate Academic Writing, a three-hour credit class offered at the English Language Institute (ELI) for international students. At UA, Akari noted, “students can chase their dreams” due to the wide variety of opportunities. She will return to Japan this summer to find a part-time job because her “bank account is crying” and then complete her final semester at KGU.

Tuscaloosa’s 40th Annual Sakura Festival & Haiku Contest

• April 9th, 2026
• in International Main

The Capstone International Center (CIC) hosted a successful 40th Annual Sakura Festival and Haiku Contest on March 28th at Snow Hinton Park. The weather was cool and windy but grew warmer into the afternoon as events ramped up at the festival.

The CIC is grateful to have had the Consul General of Japan in Atlanta, Kenichi Matsuda, attend and give an opening speech along with Honorary Consul General Mark Jackson. Later, the two were joined by Johnnie Aycock, Tuscaloosa’s former Chamber of Commerce president, to perform a Kagami Biraki ceremony. The ceremony represents breaking down barriers to build a sense of community and is often performed when celebrating the start of a new chapter. The Japan-America Society of Alabama was kind enough to lend us the mini sake barrel for our 40th anniversary celebration.

The festival would not have been possible without our wonderful volunteers, sponsors and community partners. Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International provided the unique uchiwa (fans) free for attendees and brought high school student volunteers made up of their Narashino-City delegates. The City of Tuscaloosa provided us with the versatile Pavilion at Snow Hinton Park which once again proved to be an ideal venue. Kami-Con and the Bama SoS Brigade supported the event with sound setup and a cosplay contest to close out the festival.

Cultural programming was led by The University of Alabama (UA) Japanese language faculty and students along with the Japanese Language and Culture Society who organized engaging activities and demonstrations that brought cultural excitement to the festival. A Tuscaloosa native of ANCI, Inc. – An ENEOS Group company in Georgia hosted a table with fun festival games bringing his connection to the event full circle from his childhood attendance. Meanwhile, Chiba University students collaborated with UA’s CIP 200 students to present an interactive station on the history of the Japanese school uniform complete with several pieces for attendees to try on.

Festivalgoers also enjoyed tasty treats from Dipped: By Lisha and Panda Pan Bakery and Sweet Shop who completely sold out of the stock they brought to the festival.

40th Annual Sakura Festival Slideshow
Photo credit: Capstone International Center and Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International

2 Students Offered Critical Language Scholarships

• March 11th, 2026
• in International Main

March 11, 2026 | Written by Bryant Welbourne  |1 min read

Two University of Alabama students have been offered Critical Language Scholarships to study overseas this summer.

The Critical Language Scholarship, a program of the U.S. Department of State, provides immersive summer study experiences that give undergraduate and graduate students a year’s worth of language learning in just eight weeks through intensive instruction and cultural activities.

The CLS program offers scholarships to study in one of nine critical languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Swahili.

Since its inception in 2006, the CLS Program has supported more than 10,000 participants from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico in building critical language skills and intercultural competence.

The Capstone International Center provides advising for CLS award. Interested students should contact Dr. Tayler Kent at tmkent@ua.edu.

DARE: Desert Academic Retreat Open for Applications

• January 7th, 2026
• in International Main

Applications are open for Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s DARE: Desert Academic Retreat. This is an opportunity for senior faculty to immerse themselves in the desert while advancing their research and participating in cultural exchange and collaborative opportunities with BGU’s renowned faculty.

Deadline for application: Feb 15, 2026.

For eligibility, program information and dates, visit https://www.bgu.ac.il/en/u/vps/international/dare/.

DARE_digital flyer

Home Away From Home: Community at International Coffee Hour

• January 6th, 2026
• in Capstone International Services International Main

Home Away From Home: Community at International Coffee Hour

The University of Alabama Student Center is always busy at lunchtime, but if you walk by at midday on a Friday, you’ll see room 2100 is nearly packed. What is it — free football tickets? An unannounced appearance from Taylor Swift?

None of the above. The big draw is the International Coffee Hour.

“International Coffee Hour is really our premier event that our office puts on,” said Mitchell Wolf, international programs coordinator for the Office of International Student and Scholar Success.

“We really want to facilitate intercultural learning on campus,” Wolf said. “We want to expose University of Alabama students to what the world is like out there through meeting international students, to exposing them to culture, while also supporting our international students that are here far away from home.”

Launched as a small event more than two decades ago, International Coffee Hour now attracts close to 300 students every week – about 100 more than last year’s average.

Each week, the coffee hour salutes a different country. ISSS usually draws from the top ten countries where UA’s international students come from, plus a mix of other nations. A light lunch prepared by Bama Dining reflects the cuisine of that week’s country. This spring the global hopscotch includes Bangladesh, Nigeria, Canada and seven other nations.

Beyond the food, International Coffee Hour is like a town square, a place where people from Alabama, the rest of the U.S. and dozens of countries meet and build friendships. That’s what happened to Lucy Spear, a Fayette native who serves as a peer advisor for international students.

“I think there’s something so powerful about having a conversation with someone who grew up differently from you. It helps you understand people more,” Spear said. “Manogya Khanal, she’s one of my best friends, and she’s from Nepal. Without coffee hour, I wouldn’t have met her.”

Khanal came to UA to study mechanical engineering and serves on the International Peer Advisory Council board. She said she loves what International Coffee Hour brings to the campus.

“I think coffee hour, in its core, stands for the exchange of culture and diverse groups of people coming together, asking questions or sharing their knowledge, where you can just talk about your shared curiosity…I can teach you so many things about my country, and you can teach me so many things about living in the States,” Khanal said.

During the coffee hour, room 2100 is filled with students’ voices. The conversations can be about almost anything: big things, such as global current events, and small things, like weekend plans, classes, memes and jokes.

“I think that’s one thing I like about coffee hour: it could be as deep as you want it to be. You can get as much as you want from it,” Spear said.

Each of the coffee hour events feels like a home away from home, Khanal said, because the conversations and camaraderie give her a chance to bond with students whose homes span the country and the world.

“Very lasting and meaningful relationships that I hope that I can carry on after college as well,” she said.

The International Coffee Hour’s future may include a bigger space and more cultural engagement, such as dance presentations or informal talks, Wolf said. But the bottom line will stay the same: getting people from different places into the same room to learn, discover and form strong, long-lasting bonds.

“We’ve got something good here at The University of Alabama and something that we should be proud of,” he said. “And we want more and more students to be able to experience it.”

The International Coffee Hour’s spring semester launches Friday, Jan. 16. The hour is held most Fridays in the UA Student Center, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. More information, including a schedule of the countries featured this year, can be found at UA’s Capstone International Center website.

Three ELI Students and Their Reasons for Studying English

• November 6th, 2025
• in English Language Institute International Main

“UA is cool. It’s quite different from German universities because the campus is like a small town, and everyone is proud of it,” assessed ELI student, Dominik Souard, who is employed in an IT consulting firm near Frankfurt. Although he uses English documents every day in his job, he wanted to develop his fluency. Dominik searched for a large, traditional, and dynamic campus with college sports and finally chose the ELI because it gave him the opportunity to live on campus during his four-week program. “Americans are open people and easy to get in touch with,” he concluded. 
 
 

On the other hand, Jieun Choi came to UA from Korea with her husband, who is working in the English Department. She currently has conditional admission for a Doctor of Musical Arts degree and is studying to satisfy the English proficiency requirement. In addition to developing her English, Jieun plays violin in the Tuscaloosa Symphony and teaches Korean in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics. She appreciates Tuscaloosa because it is a “safe and clean city with a good environment for study.” 
 
 

Improving her professional profile is Diana Gil Bora’s purpose in studying English. She is from an Indigenous community in Colombia and hopes to work in The National University on a campus located in the Amazon region. She noted, “I believe in education to resolve issues in my community. I want to guide young people in educational processes such as admission to the university, finding scholarships and studying abroad.”  She is sure that her own experience at the ELI will help her do that.

Register for the Conference on Global Learning 2025 | Online

• October 21st, 2025
• in COIL International Main

November 12-14, 2025 | Online | Visit the conference website for more information and registration!

The AAC&U Conference on Global Learning explores practical and theoretical approaches to global learning at the course, departmental, and institutional levels. This conference includes opportunities to examine tactics and strategies that make global learning experiences more inclusive.

• Click here for complete registration pricing.
• Need more information about the meeting? Meeting Details
• Questions about registration? Contact registration@aacu.org.
• To register three or more individuals from the same campus as a team, please contact the conference registration office at registration@aacu.org.
• Problems with login or creating an account? Contact support@aacu.org.
• If you are from a Low and Middle Income Country, you are eligible for a reduced rate. Please contact registration@aacu.org if you have questions.

By registering, I agree to the following conditions:

• Refunds will be provided for cancellations received in writing or via email to registration@aacu.org by October 15, 2025. A $125 processing fee will be deducted.
• No refunds will be made on any cancellations received after October 15, 2025.
• The Pay Later Option is NOT available after October 15, 2025. Any registrations with the Pay Later option submitted after October 15, 2025 will not be processed.
• Registrations are transferable within an institution at any time.
• My credit card will be charged for the correct (additional) registration rate if I select Team Registration, but am not part of a team of three or more individuals from the same campus.
• My name, title, and institution will be on the online meeting registration list that is available to all registrants. Email addresses or other contact information are not included. If you do not want your information included on this list, please contact our support team via e-mail registration@aacu.org.
• I understand that the AAC&U may record these virtual sessions, and by registering allow AAC&U permission to use these recordings.

Upon checkout, all registrants will receive a receipt for their registration. Please check your spam folder if the confirmation or invoice does not arrive in your inbox.

Beyond Borders: Thriving as an International Student at UA

• September 18th, 2025
• in Capstone International Services International Main

by Chinecherem Ezeihejafor | Higher Education Administration (PhD Student)

Arriving at The University of Alabama is an exciting milestone, but for international students, it can also bring unique challenges. From adjusting to a new academic system to navigating campus life, thriving at UA means more than just keeping up with coursework. It’s about building connections, prioritizing well-being, and creating your own Alabama story.

Finding Belonging

One of the most important steps in thriving as an international student is finding your place in the Crimson Tide community. Your perspective as an international student is a strength, so share it in class discussions, student organizations, and friendships. Belonging doesn’t mean choosing between your cultural identity and your UA home; it’s about embracing both.

Getting involved in multiple communities helps build a strong support network. Join the International Student Association, but also explore clubs, sports, or academic groups that align with your interests. And when opportunities come your way, either a football game, a study group, or even just coffee—say yes. Those small moments often lead to meaningful connections.

Taking Charge of Your Experience

Thriving at UA also means taking ownership of your journey: learn about campus resources before you need them, from the Writing Center to student services. Advocate for yourself by asking questions and seeking support when needed—professors and advisors want to help you succeed. And don’t forget to set healthy boundaries that balance your studies, social life, and personal needs.

Prioritizing Wellness

Adjusting to life at a new university can feel overwhelming at times. Homesickness, cultural differences, and visa stress are common, but you are not alone. UA’s Counseling Center offers support tailored for international students, and reaching out is a sign of strength. You can also connect with other international students to share how they are navigating immigration plans, processes, and policy changes, building both practical knowledge and a supportive community.

Wellness also means staying active and engaged. The Student Recreation Center offers fitness classes, sports, and activities that help students connect with one another. Many student organizations also plan recreational events for their members. Don’t overlook the value of taking time out with peers, whether that’s sharing a cultural meal, joining a group activity, or enjoying an occasional hangout when your schedule allows. These moments of connection can be just as important as academics in creating balance and fostering a sense of community. Alabama’s outdoors, from Lake Tuscaloosa to local parks, provides plenty of opportunities for walking, jogging, or simply enjoying nature. Together, these activities not only support your physical health but also help you feel grounded, connected, and at home during your time at UA.

Building Your Alabama Story

Graduate international students often juggle research, teaching, and coursework, making intentional self-care and community building especially important. Graduate organizations and faculty mentors can provide both support and guidance.

As you settle into life at UA, consider giving back, mentoring new students, volunteering during orientation events, or sharing your culture with the campus community. These contributions not only enrich your own journey but also strengthen the experience for future international students.

Moving Forward

Thriving as an international student at UA is not about leaving your culture behind; it’s about embracing it. It’s about integrating who you are with where you are, building resilience, and creating lasting connections. Every challenge you overcome and every friendship you build adds to the vibrant community that makes The University of Alabama stronger.

Your journey matters. Your well-being matters. And at UA, you have the support you need to succeed, not just academically, but personally.

2025 Conference on Global Learning

• June 6th, 2025
• in COIL International Main

Join us November 12–14 for a fully virtual experience that brings together higher education leaders from around the world to explore how we can better prepare students to thrive in a globally connected world. Through global learning—experiences that foster intercultural understanding, connect classrooms to real-world challenges, and encourage engagement across local and international contexts—students gain the skills and perspectives they need to succeed in diverse careers and communities.

Why Should You Attend?

• Fresh Ideas, Proven Approaches: Hear from the leaders who are pioneering new strategies for faculty, students, and community and workforce partners.
• Hands-On Engagement: Dive into interactive workshops and thought-provoking panels, roundtables, and poster sessions that explore the critical questions shaping the future of global learning.
• Connections That Count: Build relationships with educators, changemakers, and thought leaders from campuses and communities around the world.

Reminder: Proposals are due TODAY, June 6
AAC&U is seeking proposals for conference sessions that empower faculty, staff, and administrators to weave global learning into the fabric of educational experiences—for every student, in every setting.

The conference tracks are listed below:

• Community Building for the Collective Good
• Elevating and Integrating COIL and Virtual Exchange
• Full Participation in Global Learning
• Global Engagement for Career and Future Readiness
• Leveraging Technology for Global Learning Innovation
• Making the Case for Global Learning
• Professional Development for Global Learning

Visit the conference website to register and submit your proposal!