Culture shock

ISO provide services to the University’s international students, scholars, employees, and other visitors, as well as the administrators and departments that support them.

ISO provides immigration sponsorship for thousands of international students, hundreds of international scholars and employees, as well as their dependent spouses and children. We also assist other foreign nationals at Rochester who may not require University visa sponsorship to pursue their program or activities here.

The Center for Education Abroad believes that studying abroad is an integral part of the undergraduate curriculum. With careful planning, students in any major, including engineering, may study abroad. We offer programs in more than 40 countries in the fall, spring, and summer terms as well as for the full academic year.

Students who are interested in going abroad should attend a general information meeting. After attending an information meeting, students can set up an appointment to meet with an education abroad advisor for in-depth advising. It’s never too early to start! Students can schedule an appointment with an advisor by phone, email, or coming by the Center for Education Abroad office

The Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA) is the official academic home of all historically underrepresented minority students (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander). We are dedicated to the betterment of the minority student experience at Rochester through advocacy, holistic advising, education, and collaboration with campus units.

Our department also connects minority students to various resources, on and off-campus. We provide our students with the social capital needed to ensure academic, professional, and personal success.

OMSA's mission is to enhance the environment in which historically underrepresented minority students live and learn by assisting the University with outreach, recruitment, and yield. We do this through the development, implementation, and coordination of programs, events, and support services designed to help minority students graduate.

The Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center (BIC) is a joint venture of the Office of the Dean of Students and the David T. Kearns Center. It exists to promote cultural awareness and engagement; educate on issues of identity, culture, and diversity; and provide avenues for intersection and opportunities for collaboration.

The BIC works closely with students, staff, faculty, and offices across campus to foster a collaborative environment throughout the year. Staff develops resources that complement and supplement curricular offerings, explore the intersections of identity, build intercultural competence, and promote and encourage cultural understanding and appreciation among the campus community, while also providing opportunities for education and dialogue on topics such as race, religion, LGBTQ issues, privilege, and bias-related incidents.

Students can use the intercultural lounge and LGBTQ resource area, which is an ideal location for studying, checking out books and videos, engaging in discussions, and as a community gathering space.

The University Counseling Center (UCC) provides a comprehensive initial assessment and an individualized treatment plan to full-time members of the University of Rochester community who pay the mandatory health fee. Based on the initial assessment, a treatment plan is developed by the clinician that addresses the client’s unique needs and concerns. This plan may include recommendations such as, but not limited to: group therapy, workshops, brief therapy, referrals to community provider for specialized treatment or longer term therapy services, TELUS Health, case management services, psychiatry or other campus services.

If you are a University of Rochester student, or concerned about a University of Rochester student, who is experiencing a mental health emergency, please call the University Counseling Center (UCC) Professional On-Call at (585) 275-3113. If you have someone you are concerned about, remember that UCC is available for consults 24/7, just call us or make use of the CARE Network to help someone get connected to all the support and UR services they need!

TELUS Health is available 24/7 for urgent on demand support for mental health crises via text or phone. TELUS Health is a free and confidential remote service affiliated with the University that can be used regardless of students' geographical location (cross-country and international).

At the UHS Health Promotion Office, we are dedicated to supporting the well-being of our graduate students and foster academic success at the University of Rochester. Our efforts include data collection and sharing, increasing access and awareness of resources available to students, and partnering with graduate schools to make systemic changes to create cultures of well-being.

We strive to make health and well-being an integral part of the University of Rochester student experience, using a collective impact framework that includes cultivating capacity building, shared learning and goals, and cultural, environmental, and policy changes.

The Graduate Student Well-being Collective comprises of faculty, staff, and students from UR graduate schools. The Collective’s work centers on improving the well-being of graduate students. Our meetings are open to the public. Collective members volunteer for events, help to promote offerings and resources available on campus for graduate students, and also be able to interact more directly with the Leadership team to bring changes in resources and practices at the University.