sunday, july 13, 2008
Taif will be joining the Class of 2012 at Union College!
He has his visa and we are awaiting his arrival by the end of summer. Any contributions to the fund for the Iraqi Student Project to support Taif in his stay here will be welcome. For more information, contact Andy Feffer at feffera@union.edu
- Tayyab Shaikh
friday, june 7, 2008
We have raised $7,010 and have past the half-way mark. Please spread the word about this cause and encourage friends to visit this website and learn about the Iraqi student refugee situation.
Thanks to all who have donated so far!
- Tayyab Shaikh
tuesday, may 6, 2008
The official informational meeting and dinner for the Iraqi Student Project has been set for Tuesday May 20th at 6:30 pm at Beuth House.
- Tayyab Shaikh
thursday, april 24, 2008
The Times Union has released an article about the Iraqi Student Project:
Union college reaches out to iraqi students
Union College is participating in a national project to bring Iraqi students to American campuses.
Under the Iraqi Student Project, colleges provide tuition, room and board. Volunteers seek donations for other expenses like plane tickets, books, course materials and medical insurance...
To read the rest of the article click here.
- Tayyab Shaikh
wednesday, april 16, 2008
Union College has put out a press release for the Iraqi Student Project:
Union joins Iraqi Student Project
Students and faculty are reaching out to the campus community for support in bringing an Iraqi student to Union College as a part of the Class of 2012.
“Due to the American-led war in Iraq and continuing violence, students there are without teachers, without books and computers, without university structures. And years are going by,” said Naazia Husain ’08, one of the project’s leaders.
More than 2 million Iraqis have taken refuge in Syria and Jordan since the beginning of the war. Most live under difficult circumstances and are often unable to avail themselves of higher education opportunities in these countries, Husain said. Only a few succeed in being resettled elsewhere.
Union’s student-led, faculty-supported group is part of the Iraqi Student Project (ISP) (http://www.iraqistudentproject.org/), based at Villanova University, that is working to bring some 40 talented Iraqi students to American campuses before year’s end.
As an ISP member institution, Union will provide financial aid for a qualified Iraqi student to begin her or his studies here in the fall. In general, the participating colleges provide tuition, room and board, while volunteers seek donations for air fares, books, course materials, medical insurance and miscellaneous expenses.
“Right now we are asking members of the campus community for a tax-exempt donation to help defray the student’s costs and make sure the student feels comfortable when he or she arrives here,” said Darcia Datshkovsky ’10, president of the International Students Club. “We plan to expand this fund-raising campaign to the larger community of the Capital Region shortly.”
To date, the Union committee has collected nearly $5,000 in a limited fund-raising effort. It hopes to raise $10,000 by fall.
“This grassroots initiative is entirely in keeping with our strategic plan. It is supported by President Ainlay and the Admissions Office and is aimed at making a more diverse, open-minded community,” Husain said. “We’ll be scheduling talks to further awareness of what’s going on in Iraq and of Iraqi culture in general. We’re hoping it stays non-political. There’s a lot of genuine interest in making this happen.”
"We're delighted to be working with the Iraqi Student Project," said Interim Vice President fror Admissions Ann Fleming Brown. "It's great outreach and activism on the part of our campus community. We're excited to welcome a student next fall."
Stay tuned for more news and updates.
~ Tayyab Shaikh
saturday, April 12, 2008
Just updated the donation page. It now includes information on how to donate via mail or online, using a check, credit card, or bank account.
Tayyab Shaikh