The Global Village, a new living and learning community will be added to the five existing communities on campus to unite national and international students together.

Rekha Mirchandani, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, announced yesterday at the faculty senate meeting. The Global Village will become an official community next school year.

“This living [and] learning community was proposed by Dr. Kristie Foell in February of 2005 in the search to have a area on-campus to increase the knowledge of global issues,” Mirchandani said.

Foell is the director of the International Studies Program and an associate professor in German, Russian and East Asian languages. She received the President’s Award for Academic Advising of Students by Faculty and Staff for her contribution to students’ educational development.

“Dr. Foell is a great addition to the international department because she is very involved with international matters and students, and her proposal for The Global Village couldn’t have been a greater idea to add to a diverse campus,” said Jeffrey Grilliot, director of global initiatives.

This living and learning community will allow national and international students to live together, to learn about each other’s cultures, which will broaden global perspectives.

The Global Village’s budget has gone through many revisions and had its final approval in February 2006.

The Global Village community has had positive feedback from students and faculty.

“I believe that this learning community will attract more international students along with the national students respecting different types of foreign cultures,” said Sri Kolla, professor in the department of technology Ssstems.

Despite Kolla’s positive feedback, he views concern for the community.

“Even though the community will have positive effects on the campus itself, The Global Village did not go through the proper proposal procedure,” Kolla said. “Anything that is new on campus should be brought to everyone’s attention, especially to faculty senate so we will have the knowledge on what’s going on.”

But the college, with knowledge of the new community, endorsed the plan in September. Some sectors of campus approving the new community include the Department of International Studies, Office of Residence Life and College of Arts and Sciences.

Residence Life has until the end of October to print brochures for the new community for the public to view.

The Global Village has two faculty members who are the brains of this project. Grilliot and Foell will develop this new living and learning community.

“I helped propose this community, and I do believe this community will heighten the knowledge and respect for international students among national students,” Grilliot said.

Grilliot’s goal is to aid the campus in forming a more open and respectful view of global cultures.

“I think by having an actual community where all varieties of students live together will serve as a great purpose in improving cultures, respecting and understanding each other,” said freshman Theresa Smith. “A lot of students will come together because they live with each other and not just go to class with one another.”