Exploring the Community

Settling into a new community is a challenge for everyone, but particularly for those who must master the language, the customs and the mindset of a new culture.

Through increased access to media and education, we begin to understand that the ways in which we conceive, manifest, articulate, and seek remedy for our needs and problems are shaped by our language, as well as, by our national, ethnic, gender, and religious cultures.

The International Student Services & Activities-Programs office, then, has been established to support and enhance your settlement into the community and to provide for your well-being, acting as a link to resources within the University and wider communities and as a “cultural interpreter” to facilitate greater understanding and cooperation between members of the community.

In addition to programs and services provided through ISSA-Programs, the University offers a number of opportunities to particpate more fully in campus life. By presenting a marriage certificate and other identification documents, a spouse can, for example, apply for a special borrower’s card from the Notre Dame library or a pass that allows use of the recreational facilities.

Many of your needs can, indeed, be met within the context of University and other local resources, but it is important to remember:

• You are encouraged to explore and utilize all the resources of the community but should remember that taking advantage of certain benefits may jeopardize your immigration status and create hardships for members of the wider community who live on fixed incomes. It is not recommended that you seek aid or support from area food banks or from agencies that offer financial assistance for basic living expenses, such as food, clothing, housing and utilities.
• Though every effort will be made to meet your needs in an affordable manner, still you must reckon with the costs of certain goods and services and budget your incomes and expenses accordingly.
• The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic university whose representatives strive to respect the intellectual and spiritual values of the Catholic tradition. “What the University asks of all its scholars and students, however, is not a particular creedal affiliation, but a respect for the objectives of Notre Dame and a willingness to enter into the conversation that gives it life and character.”

If you are unable to locate those goods and services that you are seeking, please contact the ISSA for assistance.

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