Shoreline CC President tours Asia to meet with international partners

Shoreline Community College Executive Director of International Education Diana Sampson, President Cheryl Roberts and officials from Qingdao University (from left) meet at Qingdao University, Qingdao, China, in December, 2014

By Jim Hills

While leadership may have changed this past summer at Shoreline Community College, the commitment to international education is as strong as ever.

In December, college President Cheryl Roberts, International Education Executive Director Diana Sampson and Associate Director of Outreach Bo Fu visited China, Cambodia and Indonesia.

“We fully accomplished our mission to strengthen Shoreline’s relationships and cooperation with international partners and laid a foundation for future global engagement and exchange,” Sampson said. “The trip was very successful.”

Shoreline is ranked in the top 20 of colleges and universities across the U.S. welcoming students from around the globe. Shoreline now has more than 1,000 students from 34 countries attending the college. Bringing international students to the campus is part of the college’s overall efforts to help all students be successful in an increasingly globalized world.

Washington is one of the most trade-dependent states in the country with more than two-thirds of all jobs impacted by international trade, Roberts noted.

“This was a terrific trip,” said Roberts, who came to Shoreline in August, 2014 after seven years as president at Chemeketa Community College, in Salem, Ore. She has previously held positions at South Seattle College, the University of Washington and other colleges. “I was able to see and participate in this important global outreach effort. International education is important to all our students and the communities we serve.”

President Roberts visited China, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Details of her trip are here.