The Welcome Campus Network, through Welcome.US, is part of Supporting Higher Education in Refugee Resettlement (SHERR), a three-year initiative funded by the U.S Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, that aims at bringing U.S colleges and universities more deeply into the refugee resettlement process. The initiative is led by World Learning, with the additional collaboration of ECDC and the Presidents’ Alliance.
The Welcome Campus Network was established in December 2021 by Welcome.US, in partnership with the National Association of System Heads, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, the Texas International Education Consortium, Every Campus A Refuge, and the University of Texas at El Paso – whose president, Dr. Heather Wilson (former Secretary of the United States Air Force) recruited 27 other universities and colleges to the Network.
The Welcome Campus Network amplifies the work of colleges and universities in welcoming and supporting newcomers seeking safety from across the globe. With additional support as of spring 2023 under the Supporting Higher Education in Refugee Resettlement (SHERR) program, the Welcome Campus Network is seeking to grow and deepen its impact. The SHERR program is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
Welcome Campus Network members are messengers of welcome. They can also be actors in welcome, from providing scholarships, housing units, community sponsorship, and pathways to education to thousands of newcomers and their families, as well as other acts of welcome. The Welcome Campus Network highlights the innovation and transformative power of higher education institutions.
What is the commitment upon joining the Network?
Joining the Welcome Campus Network means joining a community of colleges and universities and organizations working with campuses that are committed to welcoming newcomers. Members participate in meetings twice per month to share information and best practices; learn from national, state, and local officials, advocates, and practitioners on current opportunities, trends, and events; participate in communities of practice; and build common solidarity and community. Through SHERR, Welcome Campus Network members can expect to benefit from tools, training, and other resources.
Institutional members of the Welcome Campus Network commit to being listed on the Welcome Campus Network web page, joining the network’s listserv, attending meetings, and being messengers of welcome in the ways they can. Individual members commit to joining the network’s listserv, attending meetings, and being messengers of welcome in the ways they can.
How to join the Welcome Campus Network?
If you are interested in joining the Welcome Campus Network as an institutional member (college/university), a nonprofit organization working with institutes of higher education, an individual practitioner working at a college or university, or a campus community member who supports newcomers, please contact Manal Sidi, manal@welcome.us or Klaudia Gates, klaudia.gates@worldlearning.org.