Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Japanese university contingent looks at how PCC does business

Photos and story by James Hill

On Tuesday, June 26, Marcio Lemos, a specialist with Portland Community College’s International Education program, greeted staff from Seitoku University of Japan. They were on a fact-finding trip to the college to share information and tour the district’s campuses.

The guests included Kohjun Kawanami (Vice President of Seitoku University); Hiroshi

Yamaoka (Associate Professor of Foreign Languages); and Takahiro Koga (Public Relations Representative).

The group visited the Sylvania Library and the International Education offices, where they met Magdalena Tolva, International Student Advisor. She discussed the program’s orientation and immigration advising they provide to F-1 international students when they first arrive at PCC.

“Later in the morning, we visited some classrooms and buildings at Sylvania,” Lemos said. “They were quite impressed about the number of computer labs at Sylvania, the variety of computer programs students can use and the accessibility to many resources students have there.”

In the afternoon, the group traveled to the Cascade Campus where the Seitoku University representatives met with Penny Thompson, the Student Learning Center coordinator. Lemos said she talked about the various tutoring resources for students including the English for Speakers of Other Languages group tutoring during the summer. She also talked about the extra curricular activities F-1 international students may be involved, such as student government, clubs, and the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

“Seitoku University administrators reacted very favorably to the many services that are available to PCC students as well as the wide array of activities they are exposed to,” Lemos said.

Almost every term the college’s International Education Program (based at the Rock Creek Campus) has at least one two-year college or university from abroad visit PCC to learn about the programs and activities for prospective F-1 international students. The visits may last up to two days and mainly consist of campus tours and meetings with international students and staff. The trips are facilitated by Kelley Brayton, director of International Education at PCC.

“When Kelley goes overseas on recruiting trips, she usually meets with such colleges to deliver presentations about PCC and answer any other questions they may have,” said Lemos. “As a result, we may receive students from these schools for a couple of years, as part of an internship program, or for a summer program such as a two to three-week English and Culture program in July or August.”