LCC goes global

from March 2023 Business Connection

by Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce

Resolving financial distress

With our community being the home to multiple ports, and with manufacturing and international trade being a significant driver of our local economy, your local community college has made an intentional effort to internationalize its campus. While Lower Columbia College (LCC) continues to bring more international students to its campus, the college is also focusing on giving our local students and faculty more educational and learning opportunities outside of the United States.

In 2011-12, there was no international program at LCC and just one enrolled international student. A plan for an international program was formalized in 2013, and the program grew to a peak of 30 students by fall 2020, just prior to the pandemic. While the pandemic resulted in a decline to 25 enrolled students this fall, new recruitment should bring the program enrollment back to pre-pandemic numbers by fall 2023. It is expected that LCC will then see continued growth in international student enrollment. The current international student body reflects students from 10 different countries.

To advance its interests in seeking foreign students, LCC has entered into contracts for admission with Three Rivers Christian School and its international program, with Atomi University (Japan) and Wako High School and Wako International High School (also in Japan).

February and March 2023 saw the Atomi University short-term program return to Lower Columbia College. Atomi University is a women’s college with campuses in Niiza and Tokyo, Japan. Beginning in winter quarter, 2015, the first six students from Atomi came to LCC for approximately three weeks to study English and American culture. LCC added a second, summer cohort, for Atomi students in 2018. The twice-a-year program then went on hiatus at the end of the winter 2020 cohort (19 students) due to the pandemic.

This winter’s “return of Atomi” cohort has 14 students and two chaperones. Each student is housed by a local host family. So far, 91 students have come through the program. Three students have subsequently later returned as “full-time” student enrollees at

Lower Columbia College.

In addition to the Atomi University program, Lower Columbia College has embarked on several other cultural exchange opportunities to enhance the international aspects of our campus. We are currently working with a network of South Korean high schools to increase our connectivity within that country. LCC recently hosted two tours of 27 students connected to that network. It appears three students from these campus tours may be enrolling at Lower Columbia College in the upcoming fall. Three other students from this network are currently enrolled at LCC.

For the past three years, Lower Columbia College has hosted students from a German exchange program. LCC students and Longview high school students are also eligible to apply for this program to study for a year in Germany.

LCC has also established a partnership in Russia funded by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The program brings top Russian students to LCC for a year long stay. LCC hosted five Russian students in 2021-22 and is currently hosting three more this year.

This spring, LCC officially sends its first two students for a study abroad program. These students will spend the quarter studying sociology and Italian life and culture, earning credits for their degrees at LCC.

The international program is now also benefiting LCC faculty. This fall, geology faculty member Dr. Morgan Salisbury will lead a quarter-long study abroad program to Chile where students will study geology, geography, and Spanish. Business faculty member Dana Cummings was selected to participate in the Global Exchange Academy sponsored by Green River College. In this program, Professor Cummings will connect with a fellow faculty member in Mexico to create a joint collaborative class where students from both countries will work on class projects together virtually.

With our efforts, it is hopeful Lower Columbia College will become a more diverse community, that brings global perspective to LCC students and to the area citizens.