Welcoming Campus Initiative
Welcoming Campus Initiative Proposal
A program to make GW's campus more accessible to students with refugee backgrounds
Read through No Lost Generation GWU's full proposal to the George Washington University administration for a program that would support students with refugee backgrounds on campus through the application process, arrival to campus, acclimation to academic and social life, and with the financial burden associated with attending a U.S.-based university.
Components of the Proposal
Scholarship
The proposal outlines several funding pathways to provide a full scholarship to refugee students, plus funds to cover living, dining, health care, and other expenses associated with attending GW.
Admissions
Many refugee applicants are unable to provide transcripts if prior institutions have been destroyed, or have large gaps in their education history due to displacement. This poses significant barriers in the application process, but are easy to overcome with trainings for admissions staff, and special review boards for applications to this program.
Social Support
Recipients of this program would receive extensive pre-orientation programs prior to starting at GW, as well as social, career, and academic mentorship throughout their time at school to ensure a successful social adjustment to campus.
Local Partnerships
No Lost Generation GWU's extensive partnerships with local resettlement and asylum support programs, as well as national networks dedicated to supporting refugee students will be vital to ensuring the success of this program.
Looking for a way to have a direct impact on inclusion of refugees at GW?
Give Now! Donations of any size would go a long way in building scholarships for refugees at GW. Click here to donate through GWRaise. Please comment "scholarship." Thank you for your generosity!
Join the Welcoming Campus Initiative Committee!
We are a team of undergraduate and graduate students progressing the initiative through fundraising, hosting events, mentorship, liaising with GW leaders, collaborating with other campuses, and more.
A Panel Discussion on Higher Education's Role in Responding to Refugee Crises with UNHCR and GW Students, Faculty, and Board Members
Recorded on May 18th, 2021
Speakers with experience in student advocacy, faculty engagement, administration involvement, and multilateral organization collaboration, including NLG GWU's President Olivia Issa, touched on ways the national higher education ecosystem can further support refugee resettlement and protections, and how alumni, staff, and students of GW and other universities are working to be part of that process. Panelists are all experts in the fields of refugee resettlement and asylum through higher education, and of Complementary Pathways, and they hosted a holistic discussion on the role of higher education in this crisis while discussing what more universities and community members can do to make a difference.
Refugee Access to Higher Education Presentation
On March 7th, 2021 we at NLG GWU gave a presentation on refugee access to higher education as a complementary pathway to resettlement. Additionally, we discussed how we can make GWU a more inclusive campus to students who have experienced displacement. Feel free to view the presentation below for your own information, or present at your own refugee-advocacy group. Please contact edyermelhado@gwu.edu for more information.