Programs and Activities

International Graduation Sashes and Ceremony

The International Programs Office wants to honor your international experience, whether it be studying abroad, as an international student studying at SUNY Cortland, or to honor your cultural or national heritage. To this end, we offer students the opportunity to purchase a flag sash to wear at graduation, featuring the SUNY Cortland logo on one side and up to three different national flags on the other. The IPO partners with a company called Vision Wear to create the sashes. Students are able to purchase the sashes at a drastically reduced rate thanks to an ASC Grant in the spring semester prior to graduation.

We are happy to announce that this year we will once again host a graduation sash ceremony. We began holding this ceremony in 2019. The ceremony involves remarks from the IPO, the President of SUNY Cortland, and student representatives, along with photos from students’ experiences. Due to COVID, the ceremony was unable to happen in 2020 and 2021, but we were still able to honor our students via photo submissions and graduate profiles on our social media. Save the date for this year's International Sash Ceremony on Thursday May 9 at 3p.m. More details to follow.

Spring 2024: Sash orders can be placed online directly through Vision Wear. You can select up to three country flags for your international graduation sash. After designing your sash, enter the code CORTLANDSPRING2024 at checkout to receive $30 off. You must place the order using your cortland.edu email. Orders must be placed by April 18 at midnight and all sashes will be shipped to the International Programs Office for pick up the week of May 6.

International Education Week

International Education Week is a national opportunity to celebrate international education and exchange. It is a joint program between the Department of Education and the Department of State and is recognized and celebrated by organizations and universities around the country. SUNY Cortland is proud to be a part of international education with our study abroad programs and international students from around the world.

Past International Education Week Events:

Program Information Sessions
Soccer Around the World
Work Visas Beyond Optional Practical Training Workshop
ITASA: LGBTQIA+ Identities in study abroad student panel
Race and Ethnicity Abroad
Passport Workshop
Going Abroad After College: Graduate Study, Work, and Teaching Abroad (View the recorded event here.)

As a part of celebrating international education, we showcase stories and reflections from alumni who have studied abroad. If you are interested in submitting an alumni reflection, please fill the form below!

Study Abroad Alumni

International Student Alumni

Past Study Abroad Alumni Reflections

For more information on International Education Week, studying abroad, or being an international student at SUNY Cortland, contact the International Programs Office at: studyabroad@cortland.edu

Cultural Cooking Videos

Virtual Cultural Cooking Series

Enjoy our virtual cooking series! If you are interested in contributing to this series with your own favorite recipe, please contact studyabroad@cortland.edu.

Returned Study Abroad Students

Welcome back, study abroad students!

The International Programs Office hopes you had a wonderful, rewarding experience abroad. Now that you are back, you may be interested in resources for returning study abroad students. Check out Module 2 of Dr. Bruce LaBrack's "What's Up with Culture" online tutorial and Dr. LaBrack's Ten top Immediate Reentry Challenges.

Complete the Online Evaluation for your Program! Please take the time to complete our online evaluation of your program. Your feedback is essential so that we may maintain and further improve upon the quality of our international programs. We believe that by completing this evaluation it will also serve to help you reflect upon your experience.

About the Online Program Evaluation:

Click on the link below to access the evaluation.
You will need to set up a login and password to enter the evaluation. This is so you can re-login to finish the survey at a later date/time.
You will be forwarded to the page you were at when you exited.
To leave the evaluation at any point just close out of your browser. To reenter the survey, simply click on the link again.
Questions marked with a red asterisks * are mandatory- only a few questions are mandatory, most are optional.
The majority of questions are yes/no or multiple choice. There are many places throughout the evaluation for optional additional comments.
Total time for the evaluation is between 10- 25 minutes depending on the amount of additional comments provided.
You may only complete the evaluation only once.

Please check your email and your program's official Facebook page for the link to the online evaluation.

Thank you in advance for your help in assuring quality programming for future participants!

Get involved with our international on-campus organizations:

Become a peer mentor to another student going abroad. Interested students can send an email to studyabroad@cortland.edu
Become a Study Abroad Peer Advisor: you will be trained by International Programs staff to help you develop presentation skills. Then, you will visit SUNY Cortland classes to promote our numerous study abroad programs and to share your unique experience abroad with other interested students. Take a look at the Study Abroad Peer Advisors Internship Program Page to apply.
SUNY Cortland's Conversation Partners Program (see below for more information)
Visit the list of Active Clubs and Organizations for more information on:

International Club
La Familia Latina
Caribbean Student Association
Pan-African Student Association

Need a transcript to document your experience abroad? Please contact the Registrar’s Office.

Study Abroad Peer Advisors

The International Programs Office (IPO) is offering internships to return study abroad participants interested in promoting study abroad to SUNY Cortland students.

The Study Abroad Peer Advisors Internship Program is designed to increase the awareness of study abroad programs on the Cortland campus. Promotions will include student presentations that will provide personal stories and knowledge of study abroad in the attempt to inform and generate student interest in studying abroad. Peer Advisors are also encouraged to explore other means by which to connect with students including, but not limited to, social networking, video blogs, and written articles in student interest publications.

Read the Position Description and apply by August 15, 2024 on the Study Abroad Peer Advisors Internship Page.

English Language and Other Academic Support

English for Academic Purposes Courses

International students can take Advanced EAP (English for Academic Purposes) courses, designed to prepare you for the rigors of SUNY Cortland's content courses and help you improve your academic skills for your entire college career. All new matriculated undergraduate and graduate students who are non-native English speakers participate in a required academic language assessment during orientation so instructors can evaluate which support courses are needed. Exchange students make take the courses with permission from the instructor.

ICC 145 Academic Language & University Practices 3 Credits 2x Per Week

Different majors have different expectations when it comes to writing style and conventions. Learn about the foundations of good writing and apply your knowledge to specially-designed activities related to your major.

ICC 147 Academic Grammar & Vocabulary 1.5 Credits 1x Per Week

Develop a ‘dynamite’ academic vocabulary and learn how specific grammatical structures ‘associate’ with specific vocabulary for the production of great writing.

ICC 149 Academic Listening & Speaking 1.5 Credits 1x Per Week

Improve your presentational, note-taking, and academic speaking skills. Learn special strategies to improve your listening and pronunciation.

International Student Seminar

Undergraduate degree-seeking students will be part of the International Student Learning Community, designed to help you succeed at SUNY Cortland. All incoming undergraduate international students are required to take IS Seminar (International Student Seminar), a 1-credit course specially designed to help you transition into a new cultural and social environment. U.S. American students serve as your peer mentors in the course. Exchange students and graduate students may take the course with permission from the instructor.

ICC 143 International Student Seminar 1 Credit 1x Per Week

Engages students in critical thinking about their personal, academic and social development as they make the transition to SUNY Cortland.

The Learning Center

The Learning Center offers its services to students who need assistance in learning how to take U.S. American-style exams and prepare U.S. American-style reports or essays. This program also offers tutoring and sessions on how to study, take notes and organize your time more effectively. The services of The Learning Center are free. Call 607-753-4309 to make an appointment or make an online appointment.

Intercultural Exchange Events Series

The International Programs Office has developed event series to help foster on-going social and cultural integration between international and U.S. students. Within this structure of the event series, international and U.S. students can interact with one another in different social and learning activities. On-campus programming includes cultural presentations where both international students and returned study abroad students can teach their peers and the wider campus community about their own culture or the culture they experienced while studying abroad. The presenters also introduce the audience to some of the food popular to that country or culture. In addition, a Halloween celebration featuring pumpkin carving allows U.S. students to share a unique tradition and holiday that is not popular in many other countries.
The Intercultural Exchange series also includes off campus and local activities, such an excursion to Niagara Falls, snow tubing at Greek Peak Mountain, local sporting events, bowling, movies, shopping trips to Destiny USA mall, NY State Fair, the Syracuse Zoo, and hiking at Taughannock Falls State Park. Students have found that these trips are essential to forging lasting relationships and learning more about their local community.

International Club

The International Club (I-Club) welcomes international and U.S. students who would like to experience and learn new cultures from each other through various activities, such as food, language, trips, sporting events, dances, and much more. The I-Club promotes and enhances international awareness, cooperation, cultural diversity and dialogue among students attending SUNY Cortland. Learn more in the International Club's CampusLab.

Advisor: Mike Foki, International Student Advisor

studyabroad@cortland.edu

Photo and Video Contest

Fall 2024 International Student Photo Contest

We’re thrilled to have international exchange students, along with our matriculated international students, back on campus! We’ve asked them to share photos from their experiences in the following three categories.

Capture the Moment: Do you remember the moment when you realized studying abroad truly was a once in a lifetime experience? Show us a picture of that exact moment: what made you realize it. Capture the moment, your moment, and share it with us! (*students must be in the picture).
World of Wonder: Display your creative and artistic side with expansive landscapes or small details that showcase your experience as only you can. Streets, small shops in town, parks, sunsets, everything you can think of and capture in an artistic way. (*students do not have to be in the picture).
Live Like a Local: Do you feel part of the community yet? Celebrate your expanding cultural experiences with the Cortland community: markets, fairs, festivals, ceremonies, and games! Show us you and your friends having fun and displaying your school pride! (*students must be in the picture).

The votes are in and 1^st Prize, Runner Up, Popular Choice, and Honorable Mentions have been awarded in each category! Check out the winners galleries below. All awards are provided courtesy of a CAS Grant. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Thank you for your support!