Resources for Returnees

Welcome back to campus!

Macalester staff and faculty - across campus - are eager to support you in your transition back to campus and to draw upon your experiences in the classroom.   
Offices like the Health & Wellness Office, the Career Development Center, the Center for Civic Engagement and the Internship Office (and the International Center of course) have resources available specifically for returnees.  

Here is a short list to get you started:

International Center
When you Return section of our website is divided into three sections with relevant information in each: Cultural Readjustment, Reflection, and Integrating your off-campus experience back on campus
This blog - submit a meaningful photo and a short description, write a reflection involving your off-campus experience, share a local event that might interest other returnees.  The possibilities are endless!
Weekly Returnee Lunch Series: Tuesdays, 12-1, Markim Hall

Health and Wellness Center
Tips for navigating the return process
Counseling Services

Center for Civic Engagement (CEC)
The Center for Civic Engagement offers many opportunities for students
who wish to build upon their study abroad experience back in the Twin
Cities. Continue working on Spanish and French skills in the
community, connect with new immigrants to the Twin Cities through the
International Institute, speak about the study abroad experience at
local schools and after-school programs with the International
Speakers Bureau. Students can also get involved with one of the CEC's
"Issue Areas."  Some of the Issue Areas include Economic Justice, Global
Justice, Arts for Social Change, Spanish Language, and Immigrants and
Refugees, among others.  The CEC also offers off-campus employment opportunities (applications due in February).

The Career Development Center
The Career Development Center can help returnees use their study
abroad experiences in resumés, interviews, and help students get back
to the countries they visited. On the CDC website is a link to 'GoingGlobal', a resource page that documents various hiring practices in
different countries. The website also has links for international
teaching opportunities. The CDC has an extensive network of Macalester
Alumni around the world that they are able to use to connect students
to specific countries. Along with this, CDC staff helps with interview
preparation (specifically how to talk about the study abroad
experience), reviews resumés, and will edit personal statements and
proposals. These can be arranged by appointment, or during drop-in
hours daily from 2-4pm.

The Internship Program-
Similar to the Civic Engagement Center, the Internship Program helps you follow up your study away with focused, individualized academic experiences in a broad range of organizations in all fields (check out our Field-focused Org. lists for inspiration).  Working in conjunction with a faculty sponsor, internships are done for academic credit and allow you to focus on exactly the type of organization, work, and skill building you desire, all of which help you advance your studies and career.  Many students fuse their study away experience and an internship to inform/enhance capstones/directed research, engage in comparative study within your field of interest (e.g. healthcare delivery in U.S. compared to what you witnessed in your study away country), develop professional skills necessary for career success, and make connections that help you gain entry into your chosen profession.  Internships may be done year round and anywhere in the world (including short, intensive January programs).

Sandwiches and Scholarship-
The IGC Student Council hosts Sandwiches and Scholarship luncheons on one Thursday of each month to highlight student scholarship across campus.  Each month three students are asked to give a 10-minute presentation on a class paper, project, artistic pursuit, etc. A series of questions are asked to all three presenters to draw connections among the academic processes and across disciplines.
February's Sandwiches and Scholarship event will feature the work that students who recently completed during study away.