International Student Advisory Council Holds First Town Hall
The newly inaugurated International Student Advisory Council (ISAC) held its first Town Hall meeting on October 20, 2025.
A town hall is a forum that brings interested parties together for conversation about a particular theme. ISAC hosts town halls to hear from current University at Albany international students on their experiences and ways the University can improve campus services. ISAC in turn advises International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).
Exploring Career Tools & Resources
Since October is Careers in Student Affairs Month (CSAM) and we are thankful for the work the office of Career and Professional Development at UAlbany does, this semester's town hall theme was career tools and resources.
The theme was also topical because gaining valuable career knowledge, skills and opportunities is one of the main reasons many international students choose to study at UAlbany.
Yingru Zhao, a PhD candidate in UAlbany's curriculum and instruction doctoral program, and Chinmai Sagiri, a master's student studying data science, co-hosted the forum.
Zhao and Sagiri have both gained experience in data collection and evaluation through their respective academic programs, and they used those skills to encourage a rich, productive conversation among the international students who participated in the town hall.
Since new and established federal policies, procedures and programs — such as Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT), STEM OPT and temporary work visas like H1B — are issues primarily out of the University's control, the town hall explored other topics related to the theme.
International students offered constructive feedback about existing UAlbany programs and services, and made suggestions for new options. For example, they recommended creating a centralized location for on-campus student job postings and expanding existing opportunities for international students to work on campus. They also discussed the importance networking plays in securing a job after graduation.
ISSS will post a comprehensive report on the Town Hall online at a later date.
Thank You for Participating!
As we know career resources and tools for careers are broad in scope and updated often, ISSS and ISAC would like to thank UAlbany's Career and Professional Development staff and others for their campus and ISSS collaborations, like the Career Champions program, orientation presentations, international student resume building and job search strategies sessions, and visa/immigration status presentations.
ISSS would also like to thank ISAC, which is in its pilot year, for listening to international students' ideas and concerns and for amplifying their voices to the campus community. Learn more about ISAC, including its mission, goals and members.