Officials expect international student influx with health center construction

Plans are underway to construct the Integrative Health Center at UNA.

UNA officials are partnering with Shenqi Ethnic Medicine College (SEMC) based out of Giuyang City, China, to build the state-of-the-art facility.   

“The Integrative Health Center at UNA will offer unique learning and career opportunities to all students who choose to enroll in the new Integrative Health concentration of UNA’s existing Master of Science in Health and Human Performance,” said Chunsheng Zhang, vice provost for international affairs.

By fall 2014, UNA and Chinese officials hope to have 50 to 100 students enrolled in the program. By the time the program is fully installed, they hope to have 500 students enrolled.

“The Integrative Health program has been widely promoted at SEMC, UNA’s primary partner for this program,” Zhang said. “UNA administrators have made numerous visits to the college to meet with the college officials and students to promote the program and to anticipate special needs the students might have when they arrive at UNA.”

Officials are discussing the option of presenting a UNA English as a Second Language (ESL) program at the SEMC campus to better prepare the Chinese students before their arrival at UNA. Bridge courses to prepare the students for the graduate level coursework have already been identified and discussed, Zhang said.

The Integrative Health Center will be open for enrollment for students of all nationalities but will greatly increase interaction among the Chinese, Shoals and UNA communities.

“One of the huge benefits for all students, Chinese, American and other nationalities alike, is to be engaged with each other and to share and learn multinational cultural perspectives regarding integrative health and the best practices in staying healthy and productive,” Zhang said.

Zhang is hopeful the program will contribute to the Shoals economy as incoming students rent apartments and purchase vehicles from local business owners.

As construction of the Integrative Health Center begins, the UNA housing department is anticipating the influx of students with discussions concerning new residence halls and apartment complexes.

“The program sounds exciting,” said Kevin Jacques, director of housing. “It’s totally unique. I really think it can help the university.”

Housing experienced difficulties in the fall 2012 semester when they ran out of male rooms, a first in 10 years for the department.

“We’re trying to have open discussion in anticipation (of the center), but we need more concrete details,” Jacques said.