International Affairs Mission Statement
The primary mission of the SDSU Office of International Affairs (OIA) is to foster an environment in which the university's many constituents—administrators, faculty, staff, students, residents of the local community and the state of South Dakota—have varied opportunities to gain appreciation, knowledge and understanding of other cultures and global trends.
OIA is the comprehensive home for international students and scholars services, international undergraduate admissions, study abroad planning for faculty and students and community connections programs. All services and activities are intended to help enrich the experiences of international students and scholars on campus and to help expand global engagement for students, faculty and staff.
Our Mission
The primary mission of the English Language and Culture Institute at SDSU is to prepare and educate English language learners to engage in academic contexts in the American higher education system, engage in civic and critical dialogues and become empowered global citizens.
In order to fulfill our mission, we serve as agents that actively promote diversity, access and equity on the campus of SDSU. We cultivate an environment of respect, inquiry, and collaboration in which we welcome each and every individual. We recognize that each individual has their own unique identity that is complex, changing, and composed of many intersecting identities. We will honor the language you use to identify yourself. We fully embrace all of your identities in creating a brave space where you can be your authentic self, learn and grow, and challenge yourself in striving to meet and exceed your educational and professional goals.
We also recognize that the concept of identity and intersectionality is continually evolving. We acknowledge that this list is incomplete and will need to be continually updated as identities and inclusive language evolve over time. We ask your assistance in ensuring that ALL of your identities are represented here. In this way, by bringing less visible identities to the forefront, we can move forward in advancing a campus climate that is truly inclusive and equitable that accurately and sensitively portrays what diversity means within the English Language and Culture Institute at SDSU. We are glad that you are here!
We value and appreciate you because of who you are.
We value and appreciate people with American Indian, Alaska Native or other indigenous identities. We recognize that SDSU is located on the Oceti Sakowin ancestral territory and the complex history of this region as well as how this history has impacted indigenous communities. We value people of Cheyenne River Sioux, Crow Creek Sioux, Flandreau Santee Sioux, Lower Brule Sioux, Oglala Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Standing Rock Sioux and Yankton Sioux tribes in our region as well as other indigenous groups around the world.
We value and appreciate people of all ages from young to elderly to everyone in between. Each individual contributes unique life experiences and wisdom influenced by the generation in which they grew up and the number of decades in which they have had the opportunity to live.
We value and appreciate people of all types of abilities. We see strength in each person’s experience navigating this world that is often unwelcoming to people with disabilities and exceptionalities which may include physical/mobility, hard of hearing/deaf, vision, physical health, mental health, medical, cognitive or ADHD. We want you to be able to self-identify and share if you need accommodations. We will work to create an environment that creates equity and promotes access to all events, activities, curriculum, and learning opportunities.
We value and appreciate your religious background and identity, whether that be Candomoblé, Islam, Judaism, Rastafari, Sikhism, Unitarianism, Baha’i, Christianity, Jainism, Mormonism, Santeria, Spiritualism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Paganism, Shinto, Taoism, Amish, Mennonite, Brethren, Hutterite or any other faith. We also value and appreciate people of agnostic and atheist beliefs and people without a religious or spiritual identity.
We value and appreciate your ethnic identity and heritage. We understand that ethnic identity may be chosen by and developed within individuals based on shared regions, history, language and culture. Each of you brings a unique cultural perspective to our campus that builds on our knowledge, understanding and awareness.
We value and appreciate people of all races including people with biracial and multiracial identities. We recognize that race is a social construct based on skin tone and other physical features. We denounce color blindness; rather, recognize the complex socio-cultural histories of people of color and how that shapes how a person experiences the world.
We value and appreciate people of all socioeconomic statuses. We recognize that socioeconomic factors can create challenges in all aspects of life. We are dedicated to supporting people and providing access in meeting their goals regardless of socioeconomic status.
We value and appreciate people of all sexual orientation identities including homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, asexual, straight, gay, lesbian, pansexual, queer and questioning. We also recognize other evolving identities including androsexual, gynesexual, skoliosexual and demisexual. We are here to create an inclusive space for learning and growth.
We value and appreciate the national origin of each individual. We do not see any country as better than another; rather, we embrace fully all countries of the world and how we can work together as a global society. Each person’s country of origin adds a valuable and rich layer to the culture of Brookings, South Dakota, and of the United States of America.
We value and appreciate your gender identity and understand that gender identity can be a fluid, dynamic and evolving sense of being. We welcome all gender identities in our program including transwoman, transman, woman, man, agender, bigender, cisgender, androgynous, gender fluid, gender non-conforming, gender queer, pangender, third gender and questioning.
We value and appreciate people of all employment statuses including those who are employed full time or part time, student, retired, stay-at-home parent, stay-at-home spouse, self-employed or unable to work. We will work to create an environment that creates equity and promotes access regardless of employment status in order for each individual to reach their goals.
We value and appreciate the unique experience of all people including issues of access and climate for people who might encounter barriers based on veteran status, health status, housing situation, language ability, literacy, marital status, education status or physical appearance. These experiences are valued and add richness to each individual’s identity, and when society causes barriers due to these identities, we will work to resolve the barriers to create inclusion, equity and access for ALL individuals.
It is our goal to responsibly serve all students and create an environment in which all barriers are overcome to meet the needs of all students.