During these unprecedented times, the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) – a division within Student Affairs – is working hard to continue fostering the success and wellbeing of international students at Queen’s.

“Student wellbeing and community building continue to be a priority for us,” says Sultan Almajil, Director of QUIC. “We are committed to building and promoting a sense of belonging online and to support our international students in any way we can.”

Online resources for international students

Recently, QUIC announced that they would be launching online resources and services for international students following the closure of their social spaces on campus. All of QUIC’s regular services are now available online in addition to some exciting new virtual offerings.

Students can continue making individual appointments with International Student Advisors to discuss immigration status, health insurance, and any other concerns they may have. These sessions will now be held online and can be booked by emailing isa@queensu.ca.

QUIC will also be hosting daily Zoom Room advising sessions, which allow students to virtually drop-in between 10-11 am to speak with an advisor. In addition, QUIC will also be hosting a variety of scheduled Zoom Room sessions that feature a specific topic or guest from other areas on campus or in the community. To see a full schedule of Zoom Room sessions, visit the QUIC events page.

All Zoom Rooms can be accessed using the link: https://zoom.us/j/925151345.

Building international community online

In addition to these resources, QUIC is also planning to introduce a number of new offerings including: online trivia, a “Walks with QUIC” series in which members stream their favourite walking trails in Kingston, and an “Uplifting Stories” session that give international students the chance to discuss their travel experiences from back home.

"I am thankful that QUIC is able to continue providing support, especially in a time of major transition in my life due to the outbreak of COVID-19,” says Janki Patel (MEng’20). “The QUIC staff have been very helpful and uplifting – keeping in touch every day to make sure that everyone is doing well. It's reassuring to see that all the services provided by QUIC are still available online and remain as effective as they were in-person.”

To learn more about their online services and stay up-to-date about upcoming offerings, check out the QUIC website or visit them on Facebook.