On Thursday, Jan. 9, Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate General Assembly passed a bill that aims to support international students that remain on campus over academic breaks. The bill, which passed in an unanimous 28-0 vote, encourages the University to better acknowledge international students over the holidays by hosting specialized events and developing campus opportunities.
The bill was proposed by former Senator Immaculata James, who graduated in December 2024. James was appointed to the international student seat, a newly minted position, following the Senate’s restructuring in 2024.
“Senator James was already incredibly passionate about helping the international student community in any way she could,” said Senate Chair of Policy Alec Palumbo.
There are 600 international students at GVSU. Palumbo said the bill will further welcome students to campus, no matter where they come from, and provide a safe space to connect with others.
“Supporting international students is one of the most important ways to establish a rich culture of inclusion, in which we all feel the benefits,” Palumbo said.
James was inspired by a previous University program that used to focus on hosting gatherings for those who remained on campus. In past years, the program provided a space for international students to connect with one another when many students went home. Over the Fall 2024 semester, James communicated with other Michigan universities that have similar programs in order to compile the bill. From introduction to editing, James’ bill went through the regular policymaking process.
“One week is used to introduce the bill, answer questions and consider constructive criticism from our members,” Palumbo said. “The next week, the Student Senate body is allowed to vote on the bill. After (that’s) done, the bill is directly charged to the University Academic Senate, which is responsible for considering ways to implement bills across campus.”
Siddhartha Poudel, a senior international student from Nepal, noted the bill means a lot to him.
“It signifies that the University is finally taking action to support international students who can’t go home for American holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Poudel. “Many international students face difficulties during the holidays, as they are the only ones that stay on campus.”
Poudel remembers spending Christmas 2023 on campus with two international friends. They made the most of their time by cooking meals that reminded them of home, and spending time together. However, with most students not at the University, Poudel said their group felt isolated.
“With no family nearby and no one else on campus, we felt isolated and vulnerable,” Poudel said. “Being so far from home heightened our feelings of homesickness, especially when we saw pictures of our American friends with their families, reminding us of what we were missing.”
Poudel is hopeful the bill will provide international students with on-campus programming over academic breaks.
“As someone who has been actively involved in the international community at Grand Valley, I feel incredibly happy and proud that Student Senate is, once again, advocating for us and striving to make the lives of international students better than before.”
