James Dorsett, head of the International Students and Scholars Office and interim dean of students, spoke to the Government of the Student Body at its meeting Wednesday night. 

Dorsett spoke mostly about international students and the challenges they face.

“International students coming to Iowa State have a variety of issues they have to deal with,” Dorsett said. “The three main problems they face are cultural stress, academic stress and immigration regulations and requirements.”

To help counter these problems that international students face, the International Students and Scholars Office has set up a student services program to help international students adapt to life in the United States.

“We help international students learn how to buy a car, lease an apartment, adjust to the cold and teach them how to write American-styled papers,” Dorsett said.

Besides teaching international students how to adapt to living at Iowa State, the offices offers students a welcoming environment and immigration policy advising.

“In the last three years, we have had a record numbers of international students here at Iowa State,” Dorsett said. “Currently there are 3,424 international students at Iowa State and the majority of them are from China.”