Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Student (CALDS) Support Program Information on Support Services for Students with Overseas Backgrounds -Faculty of International Studies
Dear FIS students,
As you know, many students at the Faculty of International Studies (KS and KC) have culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Our faculty’s “CALDS Support Program” has been supporting students with these backgrounds so that they can have a more fulfilling student life at Meiji Gakuin University.
CALDS (pronounced as “Karuzu” in Japanese) is the abbreviation of “Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students.”
Who can benefit from our support program:
◆Seiki Ryugakusei 正規留学生 (full-time MGU students with “Student” residence status and are not Japanese citizenship)
◆International students other than ryugakusei (students who do not have Japanese citizenship, who have a different residence status than “Student”)
◆Japanese Students who have international backgrounds (students who attended pre-university education [schools] overseas; students who were raised in a family with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds)
What we can support you with:
Academic matters
・course registration
・attending classes
・reports
・presentations, etc.
Various applications inside and outside of MGU
・tuition payments
・your student visa problems
・student status at MGU (e.g. leave of absence, reinstatement), etc.
Economic matters
・scholarships
・part-time jobs, etc.
Health matters
・ physical health
・ mental health, etc.
Relationships
・ friends
・ instructors
・ cultural misunderstandings between you and others, etc.
Housing
・dormitory
・apartment, etc.
Future after university
・job hunting
・entering graduate school, etc.
Culture, Religion, and identity issues
・food
・clothing
・prayer room usage
・ethnicity
・gender
・other issues related to identity
+ Any other problems you have
How we support you:
・The CALDS Support Advisor, Ms. Watanabe will interview you regarding your questions, worries, and problems.
・She will support you in a way that will improve your problems. When needed, she will work with other departments inside and outside of MGU.
・Depending on the type of matter, she will support you in ways such as face-to-face interviews, in-person support such as visiting relevant departments with you, online support (through LINE, Teams, MG email, Zoom, etc.), and so on.
・She will support you in either English or Japanese.
How to contact us first:
For your first contact, please email Ms. Watanabe, the CALDS Support Advisor via your MG email address.
★Emiko Watanabe’s email address: emikow*ed.meijigakuin.ac.jp (replace * with @)
Available languages: English, Japanese
The link for the CALDS Support Program page within the Faculty of International Studies’ home website:
English：https://fis.meijigakuin.ac.jp/en/student/support/
Japanese：https://fis.meijigakuin.ac.jp/student/support/
****************************************
We look forward to hearing from you.
CALDS Support Committee at the Faculty of International Studies
Chairperson:
Kumiko NOGUCHI
Professor at the Department of International Studies
Committee Members:
Sungeun CHO
Associate Professor at the Department of International Studies
Advisor of the Foreign Students Association MGU
Emiko WATANABE
CALDS Support Advisor
Japanese language lecturer at the Center of Liberal Arts