Jesus Among the Scholars
If your chapter includes international students, odds are at least some of them are in grad school. Just as ministry to grad students presents unique challenges, working with international grad students is also a unique opportunity to influence future leaders in universities and the marketplace.
With that in mind, here are three steps you can take to make graduate international students (and all grad students) feel more welcome and included in your chapter.
Make Room for Family
Many grad students are married, and some have children. The long hours and demands of graduate life already place big strains on families. Be sure that participating in your chapter strengthens, and doesn’t further strain, family relationships for married graduate students in your chapter.
Welcome spouses of graduate students to your chapter activities, and be explicit in your announcements that spouses are welcome. Also, be sensitive when graduates with families have to choose between a chapter activity and time spent with spouse or children. Don’t hold it against them in the times they choose the latter.
Accommodate Their Needs and Interests
Graduate students operate on a different calendar than undergrads—and their schedules can be unpredictable. Accommodating for these differences allows you to more effective minister to international grad students and the broader academic community. Consider providing a Bible study that meets during a lunch or dinner hour on campus. If a grad student is a prospective leader but can’t make a scheduled training, offer training at an alternative time.
Also keep in mind that the demands of graduate work often don’t stop for holiday weekends or breaks, when the rest of the chapter might be heading to retreats, chapter camps, or home to visit family. Many graduate students remain on campus and become more available in the summer months—take advantage of this as an opportune time to reach out to them while accommodating their schedules. This is especially true of international students who often don’t travel home for breaks and holidays.
Ask Them About Their Work
Unlike undergrad student life which emphasizes extra-curricular activities and socializing as a part of the campus experience, graduate student life is considerably more career-focused. Graduate students generally aren’t encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities. Opportunities for socializing are fewer. Many graduate students are there pursuing an advanced degree because they know what field they’re going to work in. Many have already been working for some time. Their work is important to them, and many won’t bother to come to an event on campus if it’s not relevant to the work they’re doing.
Don’t (unintentionally) send the message that graduate students need to check their work at the door in order to participate in your chapter. Ask them questions about their research, projects, and publications. Ask about their relationships with faculty advisors and supervisors. To find more specific topics, explore the Emerging Scholars Network and The Well.
Bonus: Faculty Relationships Are Key
Also, this is an instance when knowing Christian faculty on your campus can pay off. Most grad students will jump at the opportunity to get to know faculty in their discipline outside of department offices or labs, and Christian students will especially jump at the opportunity to meet Christian faculty. Being able to introduce grad students to Christian faculty in their department not only gives you “street cred,” it also will serve as a means of discipling international and non-international grad students in integrating their faith and work.
