Maneuvering Through Parking Cones: More Than an Inconvenience
Anderson, Roger · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2016
An international student studying in the United States must navigate the challenges of both studying and living abroad. Students must find adequate housing, establish new social networks, and often enroll children in school. What's more, in a sprawling country like the U.S. where most communities accommodate automobile transportation, international students may opt to acquire a driver's license in order to meet the demands of a spouse's or family's hectic schedules. Yet such students may face the additional obstacle of having no space available for practice driving within their university. While having space may seem a trivial issue, the real-life ramifications having no space can be tremendously negative. This essay highlights one large university's consideration of this issue and student-led advocacy, and its demonstrated leadership in meeting students’ needs. Such an example of successful redress of an equity issue facing international students may prove to be a model for other American universities.