Year in Review - June 2000 to June 2001

[see photos]

September 22 – 30
Visit by Mr. Oscar Mabuyane, President of the Student Representative Council and member of the Strategic Planning Committee of the University of Fort Hare.

Mabuyane participated in meetings with various departments/administrators involved with the linkage i.e. admissions, enrollment management, academic support programs, student groups and our study abroad office. The intent of these meetings was to demonstrate how UConn operates on a daily basis in serving its community and its surrounding community, as well as a first hand experience of student life on our main campus.

Mabuyane’s visit allowed him to observe activities in admissions and student support services. He met with a number of student groups, lived in student dorms and shared meals with graduate and undergraduate students as well as faculty.

One challenge or lesson learned from Mabuyane’s visit was the potential for misunderstanding, which remains an on-going matter. The perceived “wealth” of American students was astonishing to Mr. Mabuyane. While many American students, particularly at a public university, consider themselves poor, there is no explanation or data that can bridge that gap of understanding. When one recognizes an additional gap in student social awareness and activism, the American students can be easily perceived as “comfortable” and smug in their insularity.