Office for Diversity & Global Initiatives hosts ‘Tea @ 3’ program

The West Virginia University Office for Diversity & Global Initiatives sponsored a "Tea @ 3" program Wednesday to discuss global issues and diversity in higher education.

"We do a ‘Tea @ 3' every month to raise awareness on different diverse issues as well as global issues that are surrounding us, especially in higher education," said Ashley Finniss, Graduate Assistant for the Office for Diversity & Global Initiatives.

"This particular panel is a follow up from the study abroad fair in January that gives students the opportunity to see the opportunities that are available to them to study abroad."

The panel was composed of six individuals from the University, who each gave presentations on their study abroad programs or their research. Two were visiting scholars that shared information and research conducted during their time at WVU.

"Not only does this panel give faculty the opportunity to share their programs, but it's also giving these visiting scholars that are getting ready to wrap up their research in America the opportunity to present their research and let others know about what they're doing," Finniss said.

"It gives some resources to students and faculty to have opportunities to visit their countries as a visiting scholar."

Joy Faini Saab, director of the Office for Diversity & Global Initiatives, said study abroad opportunities give students the experience and knowledge to become more academically and socially well-rounded.

"Studying abroad gives students that moment of time that they will always remember from their education," Saab said. "It transforms them in ways that other kinds of experiences cannot."

Saab has been taking students abroad to Italy since 2005 and said many students continue to go abroad after they go once.

"Their horizon has been expanded; they are now globally minded in a way that if they had not traveled abroad, they would not have that experience," Saab said.

"As a side effect, you have someone who understands there are so many things similar to us in the world and so many things that are different based in culture so they have that perspective with everything they approach."

The Office for Diversity & Global Initiatives' purpose is to nurture and support equity, to enrich the university through diversity and to provide a sense of global community.

For more information on upcoming "Tea @ 3" meetings or other programs, visit www.hre.wvu.edu/odgi.