Office of International Affairs

The Office of International Affairs Mission Statement

The primary mission of the Office of International Affairs (OIA) is to centralize information regarding all international concerns so that the campus community will have a single place to turn to. The OIA presently serves a population of over 1,000 students and scholars who consider this office to be their vehicle for guiding them successfully through Pratt’s system One of the goals of this office is to further develop a social structure that will foster a broad cross-cultural exchange between the various international student groups, the American population, and the community at large.

The OIA invites all international students to join the Pratt Institute Student Association (PISA), which the OIA advises. The academic goals are twofold. The first goal is to familiarize the international student with the American system of post-secondary education. The second goal is to promote a conducive atmosphere for monitoring student progress while effectively supporting the campus effort to mainstream international students whose cultural background may differ from their American counterparts. The administrative objective of this office will be to further coordinate our functions with other offices to ensure more meaningful collaboration of services to the international student body.

Referrals are given to ensure that students receive appropriate assistance at Pratt as well as outside agencies. Immigration counseling, including aid with extension of stay and interpreting federal regulations, completing employment requests and other matters pertaining to students leaving and re-entering the United States, are important functions of this office. The OIA offers both individual and group counseling services. These services are conducted by utilizing both informal and formal advising techniques.