A newly organized residence hall opening this fall will help students learn to say “home sweet home” in many languages.

That’s because it’s designated specifically for international students and others whose fields of study will likely introduce them to cultures different from their own. Students majoring in Sociology, Foreign Languages, and World Cultures and Business, for instance, are also eligible to live there.

“The concept for an international residence hall came directly from President Bell about two years ago, but for a number of reasons, we weren’t prepared to implement it then,” says Roger Dickson, director of Residential Life. “We’re excited to finally bring this idea to life.”

International students have a deep interest in meeting American students who want to learn more about other cultures, says Charles Wilkerson, director of International Student Affairs, and they have begun requesting housing arrangements that can make that interaction easier.

"In years when international enrollment was low, having an international residence hall would never have been a reality," says Wilkerson. "This year, with the new enrollments of incoming freshmen, exchange and transfer international students, we can make a concerted effort to fill the facilities with international students and American students."

An advantage of such a specialized residence hall, says Dickson, is to create a living and learning environment that fosters the sharing of many different customs.

“Its purpose is to help ease the transition of our international students and to provide other students with insights into different cultural traditions,” he says.

The building designated as the international residence hall is M.S. Cooper, which is located directly across from the Roaden University Center and houses Residential Life's offices.

As our fifth specialty residence hall, it joins two halls for engineering students and one each for business and honors students.

“Our first specialty residence hall opened several years ago for engineering students, and it was a tremendous success,” Dickson says.

Students who choose to live in any of the specialty residence halls pay additional fees, amounts of which are determined by the office or department sponsoring the arrangement. The International Student Affairs Office sponsors the international residence hall.