http://blog.stcloudstate.edu/refugeesandmigrants/

Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants

Proposal to the SCSU library administration:

Good afternoon,

I will be submitting a proposal about my individual work in that area:

In the fall of 2015, I organized a campus-wide meeting, including St. Cloud community members, on refugees and migrants, by inviting one Syrian and one Somali refugees:

I also reached out across campus (e.g. Dan Wildeson with the Holocaust Center, Geoffrey Tabakin, Stephen Philion).

I organized also the online presence by delivering the personal stories of three refugees:

http://blog.stcloudstate.edu/refugeesandmigrants/2015/09/19/personal-stories/

and organizing and maintain a blog on the issue of refugees and migrants: http://blog.stcloudstate.edu/refugeesandmigrants/2015/09/19/personal-stories/

In 2017, I proposed and taught a class on Migration : http://web.stcloudstate.edu/pmiltenoff/hons221/ . I proposed the same class for the Honors program.

I also maintain a FB group for the class and in conjunction with the blog (you need to request permission to enter the FB group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/hons221

I am formally proposing / requesting to transition my individual efforts and offering the library to support me in expanding my acitivies on this topic

Here is my rational:

• If not on campus, at least in the library, I am the only refugee and for that matter an immigrant. I have the understanding and the compassion of someone, who personally have experienced the hardship of being and immigrant and refugee.
• I have amounted information and experience presenting the information and engaging the audience in a discussion regarding a rather controversial (for St. Cloud) issue
• I have the experience and skills to conduct such discussions both F2F and online

Based on my rational, here are activities I am proposing:

• The library supports a monthly F2F meetings, where I am taking the responsibility to host students with refugee and/or migrant status and facilitate a conversation among those students and other students, faculty, staff, who would like to learn more about the topic and discuss related issues.
  • Library support constitutes of: e.g. necessary information willingly and actively shared at Reference and Circulation desk. Library faculty and staff willingly and actively promoting the information regarding this opportunity when occasions arise.
• The library supports my campus-wide efforts to engage faculty, staff and students. Engagement includes: e.g.,  proposals to faculty to present in their classes on including refugees and immigrants but related to their classes; assisting students with research and bibliography on their papers related to refugees and immigrants; assisting faculty and students with presentations including refugees and immigrants etc.
  • Library support constitutes of: e.g. necessary information willingly and actively shared at Reference and Circulation desk. Library faculty and staff willingly and actively promoting the information regarding this opportunity when occasions arise.