This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Education Report.

This week in our Foreign Student Series, we examine supportservices for students who come to the United States to study. Wewill use a major university in the Midwest for our example.

More than three thousand foreign students attend the Universityof Wisconsin at its campus in Madison. Most are in graduateprograms; twenty-eight percent are undergraduates.

Marilee Sushoreba is the programs coordinator for InternationalStudent Services. She says her office organizes a special meetingfor new students from other countries at the beginning of eachsemester.

This meeting provides information about classes, social clubs andhealth services. It is also a chance to help students get to knowthe city of Madison and the University of Wisconsin.

Students can meet with an adviser anytime during the school year.The advisers try to help the students feel at ease at theuniversity. They also explain the rules and laws that govern studentlife.

Workers in the International Student Services office organize anumber of programs throughout the school year. These are meant tohelp foreign students feel more at home in the United States. Forexample, one program links foreign students with American students.The hope is that they can help each other and also learn about theirdifferent cultures.

Another program sends foreign students to speak in local schoolsand at meetings of community organizations. The students talk abouttheir homeland and discuss other subjects.

Most American colleges and universities have a similar office toserve students from other nations. These offices can help guidestudents through the legal steps to come to the United States.Later, they can provide support to help the students become involvedin school life and make American friends.

Yet that job is not always easy. Students from one country orgroup may want to spend most of their free time with each other. ButMarilee Sushoreba at the University of Wisconsin says she tries tolet students know they have someplace to go if they need help.

Internet users can learn more about American colleges anduniversities at educationusa.state.gov. Listen for part eighteen ofour Foreign Student Series next week. Our reports are online atWWW.51VOA.COM.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by NancySteinbach. I'm Gwen Outen.