The Office of International Student Advocacy (OISA) is the newest office established by the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) in 2021. The ASUW is the student government at the University of Washington. At ASUW, elected and hired employees represent student voices on campus, organize programming, and provide resources for students to make the most of their college experience. As a part of the ASUW, OISA is committed to serving, representing, and celebrating our diverse international student community here at the UW. Through inclusive programming and advocacy, we strive to ensure international students’ concerns are heard on campus and beyond.
The 2023-24 OISA leadership team includes Amodini Khade, OISA Director, and Nebiat Markos, OISA Assistant Director. Amodini is a second-year international student in the Human Centered Design & Engineering MS program, and Nebiat is a second-year undergraduate student studying Informatics. This year, we are hoping to increase our outreach and engagement efforts, gather first-hand insight into international student needs, and give voice to their diverse stories. We are looking forward to organizing events that help build a sense of community among international students as well as act as an inviting space for students who are interested in learning about global cultures.
Earlier this quarter, we released a short 4-question survey to help us understand the international student experience on campus so that we could rely on first-hand insights from international students while planning our events and outreach. In addition to helping us plan programming, we hope to incorporate these insights into our conversations with the broader ASUW community to advocate for international student concerns throughout this academic year. We really want to hear from international students like you. Please fill out the survey and make your voice heard!
Some of the events we have been planning include informational sessions on scholarships as well as fun events like movie nights! Stay tuned by following us on Instagram @asuw_oisa. If you would like to meet with us to share your story or hear about our international student stories, please feel free to drop by our office in HUB 131J on Wednesdays from 11-1 pm or email us at asuwoisa@uw.edu. We are also excited to collaborate with RSOs and partners across campus to host events that would benefit the international student community. Please feel free to reach out to us if you are interested in getting involved.
As the newest entity at the ASUW, we are driven to cultivate meaningful interactions with international students and sincerely hope to see you at one of our events this upcoming year. We hope that by engaging with OISA, you will not only find your community but also be a part of shaping this entity that represents you.