Global Culture Club (GCC) • Bozeman Friends of International Students (BFIS) • Friends Beyond Borders • Conversation Partners • ESL and American Culture Class for Spouses • Other International Student Groups

Global Culture Club Welcomes You!

The Global Culture Club (GCC) at MSU provides a friendly atmosphere for meeting people from around the world and engaging in cultural exchange. The mission of the club is to foster an understanding and appreciation of international issues and other cultures. GCC coordinates a variety of activities and invites you to share your own culture.

Bozeman Friends of International Students (BFIS)

Share your culture while learning about another!

The Bozeman Rotary Club joins Montana State University in welcoming students from over 65 countries to the Gallatin Valley. Recognizing the contributions of international students to the community and the chance to promote understanding and relations between people of different nations, the Bozeman Rotary Club and MSU Office of International Programs invite community members to be a part of Bozeman Friends of International Students (BFIS).

BFIS is a voluntary program that was established to encourage friendship with international students and to allow them to get a closer experience of "the American way of life."  Matches of students and families or individuals are made according to stated interests and preferences to the extent possible.  Ideally, a lasting friendship forms between the community member(s) and student.  There are unlimited ways to build a friendship. Getting together at least once per month is suggested.  Some typical activities for BFIS members are: sightseeing- lunch, dinner or coffee- attending a cultural or sports event- celebrating a birthday or holiday together. To become involved, contact the Office of International Programs or call Susan Reisch at 994-6462 with any questions. BFIS matches will be made promptly and notification will be given by phone or mail.

Friends Beyond Borders

The Office of International Programs has launched a new program this year to build friendships between international students and MSU students. Friends Beyond Borders has over 60 members and has matched students from all over the world with American students. The program is especially popular with past study abroad students, who can relate to being a newcomer on a campus in a foreign country and who are eager to practice language skills they gained while abroad. Applications will be accepted throughout the year.

Fore more information and to APPLY, contact Hilary Papendick at hilaryp@montana

Conversation Partners

Help an international student master English communication skills with Conversation Partners!

American students and Bozeman community members are invited to volunteer for the Conversation Partners program. The program is managed through the American Cultural Exchange (A.C.E.) Language Institute on the MSU campus and works to match native English speakers with international students who are studying English as a Second Language at the Institute. The Conversation Partners program allows students to practice their conversational English skills one-on-one in a non-classroom setting. Volunteers are asked to commit at least one hour per week to the program and should be available for at least a five-week period (the length of one session at the Language Institute).

Prospective volunteers can contact Ana Valdivia at the Language Institute (585-9832, 1106 S. 6th Street) for an application form. Information is collected from both the volunteer and the international student so that they can be matched with regard to their schedules and interests. Once partners are assigned, they are invited to meet at the Language Institute office for a preliminary introduction, and from that point on they can arrange their own time and place for meeting. English practice can take place over coffee, while hiking or shopping, or in many other settings. Participation in Conversation Partners can be a rewarding experience and the beginning of an international friendship!

ESL and American Culture Class for Spouses

English for Speakers of Other Languages and American Civics classes are offered throughout the year, except for in the summer months, at the beginning and intermediate levels. The classes are inexpensive and are offered through the Bozeman Adult Learning Center. To take a placement test and enroll, please contact the Adult Learning Center (1218 Durston Street, 585-8673).

Classes are offered in the mornings and evenings for 8-week sessions and are designed to increase English language proficiency and provide instruction to support learners in all aspects of life in the United States. Beginning classes are offered Tuesday and Thursday mornings or Wednesday evenings. Intermediate classes are offered Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Tuesday evenings. In addition to classroom instruction, students will be matched with conversation partners to allow further practice language skills. For the $20 enrollment fee, students may attend more than one of the class sections at the appropriate level.

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Other International Student Groups

Malaysian Student Organization
President: Faisal Abdur Rani Advisor: Deborah Chiolero Phone: 994-4031
PURPOSE: To provide a place for Malaysian students to feel at home, and to share our culture with non-Malaysians

For a complete listing of student organizations on campus, visit the MSU Office of Student Activities.

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