THE UNIVERSITY
The University of Rochester, founded in 1850, is a private coeducational institution that ranks among the most highly regarded universities in the country. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Rochester ranks as Research I by the Carnegie Foundation, offering degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, as well as in several professional disciplines. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the university gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum that allows students to pursue their passions. The university comprises the School of Arts & Sciences, Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Eastman School of Music, Simon Business School, Warner School of Education and Human Development, School of Medicine and Dentistry, and School of Nursing. In addition, the university is home to the renowned Laboratory for Laser Energetics, the nation’s premier Institute of Optics, and a celebrated community art museum, the Memorial Art Gallery. With seven schools, over 200 academic majors, nearly 12,000 students, and a diverse community of more than 1,000 faculty and 30,000 staff, and a leading academic medical center (including six hospitals), the university is a hub of comprehensive liberal arts education and excellence.
The institution embodies its motto Meliora – Latin for “ever better.” Adopted in 1851, Meliora is the singular and unifying essence of the university, deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of the community.
The University’s Meliora Values
Meliora: We strive to be ever better, for everyone.
Equity: We commit to diversity, inclusion, and access.
Leadership: We take initiative and share responsibility for exemplifying excellence.
Integrity: We conduct ourselves with honesty, dedication, and fairness.
Openness: We embrace freedom of ideas, inquiry, and expression.
Respect: We value our differences, our environment, and our individual and collective contributions.
Accountability: We are responsible for making our community ever better, through our actions, our words, and our dealings with others.
As of the most recent academic year, the University of Rochester had 12,160 students: 6,764 undergraduates, 4,953 graduate students, and 443 first professional degree (MD) students. A total of 3,801 students were international students.
The university has a student/faculty ratio of 9:1, and two-thirds of its classes have fewer than 20 students. The University of Rochester prioritizes fostering a tight-knit community, characterized by personalized support and personal-scale engagement. This nurturing of students’ social and academic interests forms a solid foundation for the university’s standing as one of the preeminent research universities in the United States.
The university is listed fourth on the list of national universities with the most international students by U.S. News and World Report. Ranked 45th among U.S. colleges by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the university has not only an international character, but international reputation and reach.
As the 30th Best Value School in the nation in 2023-2024 according to U.S. News & World Report, the university contributes proudly to the success of students, with 71% of undergraduates receiving financial aid, $300M in scholarships and grants awarded annually, and 49% of 2022 graduates leaving the university with no loan debt.
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Located in western New York, the university’s main campus and the Medical Center are situated about two miles south of downtown Rochester, by a bend in the Genesee River. The 154-acre “River Campus” is the university’s main academic campus.
The Eastman School of Music, founded in 1921, was the first professional school of the University of Rochester and includes the historic Eastman Theater, built in 1922. Located in downtown Rochester, the Eastman School is in the city’s cultural district known as the East End. The Memorial Art Gallery, a mile to the east of the Eastman School, is one of the few university-affiliated art museums in the country that also serves as a community art museum, and it plays a central role in Rochester’s cultural life. Both the museum and music school are pillars of the arts and cultural scene and festival circuit in the city.
The university is committed to continued economic, educational, social, and cultural partnerships with the greater Rochester community. Opportunities to collaborate with and participate in developing a vibrant city of Rochester include the strategic development or redevelopment of partnerships with community agencies, educational institutions, private and public companies, workforce development organizations, and other key contributors to the Rochester community. Contributing to and benefiting from a just and vibrant city of Rochester and the Rochester region is a core value of the university.
As headquarters for both the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements in the United States, Rochester has a strong tradition of civic engagement and social justice. Its dynamic institutions of higher learning, entrepreneurial spirit, and welcoming community make it an ideal place for living, learning, and building a future. The city is nestled in a region abundant with scenic lakes and picturesque vineyards, situated between Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes. Due to its low cost of living and high-ranking schools, Rochester is a great fit for families (as reported in the Democrat and Chronicle, 2024), with approximately a quarter of the population under 20 years old. It is no wonder that the U.S. News and World Report ranked Rochester ranked 26th in its overall places to live list in 2024.
University Mission Statement
Learn, Discover, Heal, Create—And Make the World Ever Better.
University Vision Statement
The University of Rochester will continue to frame and solve the greatest challenges of the future.
One University
The philosophy of One University at the University of Rochester describes the approach that inspires the university community to meet the goals and realize the spirit of Boundless Possibility, the strategic plan for 2030.
One University is a collaborative philosophy, more than just working together; it is an expectation to consider the broader university context, and a commitment to operational effectiveness and efficiency. One University is a belief in the importance of being unified and aligned at a foundational level, and believing that every member of the community plays a role critical to success.
Global Impact and Influence
Since its founding in 1850, the University of Rochester has not only transformed the city and region but has also made a significant impact on the nation and the world. The institution has a robust and dynamic international presence that underscores its commitment to global education and research.
In the Office of the Vice Provost, the Office for Global Engagement (OGE) is the central point of contact and coordination for global activities undertaken by the university’s schools and units, and for external international institutions that wish to engage with Rochester. Led by the Vice Provost for Global Engagement, this office consists of the global engagement team, the International Services Office, and the Center for Education Abroad. The OGE works with the university’s academic and administrative units to increase international engagement in research and education, provide support for and coordination of international activities, represent the university in dealings with international partners and agencies, analyze and present data on the university’s international engagement, and provide services to international visitors and the administrators and departments that support them.
The OGE has developed a strategic plan outlining priorities for the coming years, not only aligned with the university’s 2023 Strategic Plan, but also identifying opportunities, challenges, and recommendations within four major areas of focus: International Partnerships and Engagement, Global Education and Mobility Pathway, International Diversity and Campus Climate, and Global Profile and Reputation. The university’s spirit of international collaboration and innovation is nurtured by its deep commitment to, and understanding of, comprehensive internationalization.
Dedicated to the university’s global vision and mission, the International Services Office (ISO) facilitates immigration sponsorship and provides critical support and engagement activities for thousands of students and hundreds of scholars and employees, ensuring they have the resources and support needed to thrive and belong at the university.
More information on the ISO can be found below.
Leadership Profiles
- Sarah C. Mangelsdorf
- President
President Sarah C. Mangelsdorf is an experienced academic executive known for her leadership in improving academic quality, advancing research, and expanding educational access and inclusion at some of the nation’s leading public and private institutions. Since her appointment as president in 2019, she has increased the University’s investment and growth in research and clinical enterprises, increased the diversity of the faculty—including the creation of a Department of Black Studies—overseen record annual fundraising, led efforts to overhaul the institution’s human resources infrastructure and compensation programs, and created new leadership positions to better engage with the Greater Rochester community. In addition, she led the development of the University’s 2030 Strategic Plan, Boundless Possibility, to help define the University of Rochester as a global research university of the future.
President Mangelsdorf is a recognized leader among the institution’s peer institutions in the Association of American Universities, the Consortium on Financing Higher Education, the EDGE Consortium, and other organizations. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, President Mangelsdorf also holds the title of G. Robert Witmer, Jr. University Professor with an appointment in the Department of Psychology. Before joining Rochester, she served as provost at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, part of a tenure of leadership that includes serving as dean of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
A Pennsylvania native, President Mangelsdorf graduated from Oberlin College and earned her doctorate in child psychology from the University of Minnesota. She and her husband, Karl Rosengren, a tenured developmental psychologist in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Department of Psychology, have two adult daughters and a son-in-law. She and her family enjoy learning about the Rochester region’s long history of social justice and innovation as well as engaging with the area’s opportunities for recreation and with its art, food, and music cultures.
- Nicole S. Sampson
- Interim Provost
School of Arts & Sciences Dean Nicole S. Sampson has been appointed to the position of interim University Provost. Dr. Sampson has served as the Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences since August 2023. Dr. Sampson has an impressive background in academia and a commitment to excellence in higher education and student success.
Prior to joining the University of Rochester, Dr. Sampson served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University. She joined Stony Brook in 1993 as an assistant professor of chemistry, where she later served as department chair and eventually associate dean and interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Sampson earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Harvey Mudd College, a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and held an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University.
- Dr. Jane Gatewood
- Vice Provost for Global Engagement
Dr. Jane Gatewood is a distinguished global leader and the inaugural Vice Provost for Global Engagement at the University of Rochester. With nearly 20 years of international experience at the intersection of business, higher education, and government and diplomatic relations, her unwavering passion is evident in her development of comprehensive global engagement structures and cultivation of bi- and multilateral international research partnerships, education mobility, and economic development.
As a Fulbright-Nehru scholar in India, an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study, and an instructor at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies, Dr. Gatewood has consistently demonstrated a commitment to international education.
As Vice Provost for Global Engagement at the University of Rochester since October 2016, Dr. Gatewood has orchestrated the strategic transformation and growth of a department spanning three units, overseeing large cross-functional teams with a global footprint. Her data-driven, risk management-focused approach has spurred significant changes in the University of Rochester’s global engagement strategy. With a keen eye for identifying global trends and assessing institutional risk, she has spearheaded vital strategies for the recruitment of international students, expanding markets with a particular focus on Southeast Asia. Her efforts have substantially improved the university’s world rankings.
Dr. Gatewood holds a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree from Emory University.
- Ravi Shankar
- Assistant Vice Provost for International Services and Support
Ravi Shankar is the Assistant Vice Provost for International Services and Support at the University of Rochester, directing a team of 20 professionals providing comprehensive support and engagement to over four thousand international students and scholars. He has been in the international education field for thirty years in a variety of institutions, from small schools and community colleges to large research institutions. Before coming to the University of Rochester, he served as the Director of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at Northwestern University.
Shankar has served in many regional and national leadership positions with NAFSA, including as President and Chair of the Board of NAFSA from January 1999 to December 2020.
Shankar spent his formative years in the United Kingdom, moving to India to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees in Literature with particular emphasis on 19th and 20th century British and African literature. Ravi lived in Kenya before moving to the United States for further studies.
Students
The University of Rochester is focused on providing an exemplary student experience. In fact, the university not only aims to elevate the student life experience, but also to become a model for other research-intensive universities to benchmark against the student experience at the University of Rochester. The university’s approach centers wellness, well-being, and belonging with academic and student success. The university is also committed to the tradition of a close connection between the academic and co-curricular experiences of students.
Rich with diverse opportunities and offerings, the university has more than 275 student clubs and organizations on its lively campus. Most students choose to live on campus for all four years of college. The student body is diverse, with 33% minority enrollment. And with an international student enrollment of 24%, the University of Rochester has one of the highest percentages of international students of U.S. national universities, according to U.S. News and World Report 2024.
International Student Services Office
At the University of Rochester, the ISO stands as a vibrant hub of support, engagement, and enrichment for the university’s diverse international community. The office provides essential immigration support and related services to international students, scholars, employees, and visitors, fostering a welcoming and supportive environment.
With international students and scholars from more than 130 countries, the ISO collaborates to create a globally connected campus environment through its mission to provide services and programs that support, enrich, and engage the university’s international students, scholars, employees, dependents, and the university community.
What sets the ISO apart is the culture of collaboration and team orientation. The positive relationships among the staff are the foundation of the team’s success. Driven by dynamic leadership that fosters an inclusive and supportive environment, the team is dedicated to a student-centric approach, encouraging student agency and independence in accessing services. In recent years, the ISO has undergone a transformative shift to a more student-focused model of advising and support. This evolution has empowered students to take charge of their needs, enhancing their overall experience.
As the ISO moves forward, the university is excited to introduce the position of Deputy Director. Reporting to Assistant Vice Provost for International Services and Support Ravi Shankar, the Deputy Director will join a team committed to excellence in international services, working closely with partners in Global Engagement and the Center for Education Abroad to create a truly international university community.
The Deputy Director plays a role within the leadership team, overseeing both the student and scholar advising teams, driving efficiencies and fostering cross-training opportunities. This role is critical for the development and implementation of comprehensive services for international students and scholars, and ensures the smooth daily operation of all business processes related to the ISO, thereby supporting the university’s global mission.
The University of Rochester seeks a leader who not only welcomes input, but who can make decisive actions to further the mission. The ISO values individuals who can build strong relationships, advocate for the staff and student communities, and contribute to the collaborative spirit. This leader will be someone who enjoys connecting with colleagues and students alike, ensuring buy-in for strategic initiatives.
The inaugural Deputy Director of the ISO will be joining an institution with a robust and dynamic international presence that underscores its commitment to global education and research. This leadership role offers a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of global engagement and make a meaningful impact on the university community and beyond.
- Proud to sponsor international learning and engagement by giving 3% of our revenue to student scholarships.
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Episode 29: Cultural Lens on U.S. Higher Education: Analyzing International Perceptions of 'Anti-Woke’ Discourse
Dive into a nuanced exploration of the global discourse surrounding higher education in the United States. Join us for a panel discussion with esteemed international educators as we embark on a journey through the lenses of culture and international perspective, examining how global audiences interpret and engage with the ‘anti-woke’ discourse within the context of U.S. higher education. This engaging panel discussion will delve into the intersections of culture, ideology, and education, and the complex landscape of how international audiences perceive the ‘anti-woke’ narrative that has emerged within U.S. academia.
Whether you’re a senior international officer, or simply curious about the diverse viewpoints shaping U.S. higher education, this podcast episode will provide an invaluable space for critical analysis and insightful conversations.
Speaker Biography:
Fanta Aw is a distinguished leader in international education, renowned for her extensive contributions to global learning, cross-cultural understanding, and educational equity. With a deep commitment to fostering connections between diverse cultures and promoting educational excellence, she has significantly impacted the international education community.
Fanta Aw’s career has been characterized by her dedication to advancing global education initiatives, promoting diversity and inclusion, and nurturing partnerships that transcend borders. She has held influential roles in various organizations, advocating for the importance of international collaboration and learning experiences that empower individuals to navigate an increasingly interconnected world.
As a thought leader and visionary, Fanta Aw’s insights and expertise have shaped discussions on the future of international education, emphasizing the significance of equitable access, cultural exchange, and lifelong learning. Her work has not only elevated institutions but has also inspired countless individuals to embrace the transformative power of global education.
Date: September 14th, 2023
Time: 12 noon ET
Register now
Sponsored by:
Mark Beirn
AFFILIATE
An experienced global researcher and administrator, Mark Beirn brings a critical approach to risk management, factoring structural racism and identity-based violence into his rubric for supporting equitable global mobility.
Specialization Areas:
– Global Risk Management
– Education Abroad
– Diversity, Equity, Inclusion in International Education
– Health and Safety
– Curriculum Development
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Stephen Appiah-Padi
AFFILIATE
Stephen Appiah-Padi is an international educator with several years of teaching and administrative experience in both 4 and 2-year HEIs. An experienced global education practitioner-scholar, with a demonstrated history of success in the field.
Dr. Appiah-Padi has a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada in Educational Policy & Administration with a specialization in International/Intercultural Education.
At Northwestern College, he provided oversight in the administration of education abroad and international student services. In Lansing, Michigan, he first oversaw diversity and intercultural education at Lansing Community College, and later created the Center for International and Intercultural Education (CIIE) which merged intercultural engagement and international education programs of the institution, and he became its first director. Additionally, Dr. Appiah-Padi taught a course, “Diversity in the American Workplace”, to undergraduate management students of the College. In his current position, he provides leadership and vision in advancing strategic internationalization initiatives, including international partnerships and study abroad programs at Bucknell University.
Dr Appiah-Padi has created and facilitated several workshops for faculty and staff development in higher education and in business organizations. He has presented at several national and international conferences. In NAFSA, among several volunteer leadership positions, he has served as Dean of the Fundamentals of Intercultural Communication Workshop, the Leadership Development Committee member, Chair of the Africa Special Interest Group, and a Fellow of the Global Fellowship Program for mentoring emerging leaders of internationalization in African HEIs. He currently serves as a member of the NAFSA Board of Directors.
Gateway Service Areas:
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Rosa Almoguera
AFFILIATE
Dr. Rosa Almoguera has worked as an international educator for over twenty years. She was trained as a Hispanic Philologist at the Universidad Complutense, in Madrid, and did her M.A. at the University of Pennsylvania. Her Ph.D., from Universidad Complutense included a field study and edition of written balladry “Romancero”. During many years Rosa combined teaching and her role as a senior administrator at the Fundación Ortega-Marañón in Toledo, Spain. At the Foundation, Rosa directed and, in many cases created, programs for the University of Minnesota, Notre Dame, Princeton, Ohio State, Arcadia, and the University of Chicago. She has also been a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota, University of Portland, and Interamericana de Puerto Rico.
Beginning in 2016, Rosa works as aninternational education consultant for both public and privateEuropean and US higher education institutions. Rosa has been successful in developing new partnerships and programs, as well as helping improve already existing ones.
Rosa is a member of Forum and NAFSA and has presented with higher educationprofessionals on innovative academic and research programming, STEM in study abroad and Nationalism in Europe.Rosa is currently completing the final Professional Certification from the Forum on Education Abroad.
Gateway Service Areas:
- Gateway Leadership Institute
- Gateway Languages
