FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT (July 10, 2025) — Sacred Heart University’s Office of Graduate and International Student Life has the unique challenge of engaging SHU’s graduate population of more than 3,000 students who have diverse backgrounds and needs. Under the leadership of Kristof Zaba, executive director of graduate and international student life, the office has expanded its offerings to ensure all those various needs are met.
Graduate students enter college with a wide range of life experiences that set them apart from traditional undergraduates.
While some have transitioned directly from undergraduate programs, many others bring years of professional experience, family responsibilities, and diverse cultural backgrounds. Some are balancing full-time jobs and parenting while pursuing their degrees, while others are studying remotely or have traveled internationally to further their education. This diversity enriches the graduate community, reflecting a broad spectrum of goals, challenges and perspectives that shape the academic environment in meaningful ways.
Whether supporting international students or those returning to college after a decade, Zaba is committed to ensuring every student feels supported and empowered to thrive academically. Over the past year, he and his team have restructured the Office of Graduate and International Student Life and expanded its resources to better promote student success.
About Zaba
Zaba understands the challenges graduate students face firsthand, having immigrated to the United States from his native Poland as a young adult to pursue his college education at Baruch College in New York City. From there, he went on to earn his Master’s degree in higher education administration at Baruch and his EdD in organizational leadership at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Even though he was never a true international student himself, his own experiences as an immigrant student attending college and acclimating to life in the United States allow him to connect with SHU’s graduate students on a deeper level and truly understand their challenges.
“I can relate to students and understand what kind of support they need,” Zaba said. “Students often see themselves in others if their experiences and career trajectory are like their own. [The similarity] builds trust.”
Zaba, who has extensive experience in academic support, student engagement, and program management, has dedicated his career in higher education to helping students succeed and achieve their goals. Prior to coming to Sacred Heart, he was dean for international programs and global engagement at Montana State University (MSU), where he led a comprehensive portfolio of student services for international students, oversaw study-abroad programs, and managed international partnerships.
His MSU role also included guiding student-engagement initiatives, advising immigration-compliance, and developing faculty-directed study-abroad programs. In addition, he led committees on global safety and strategic planning and coordinated efforts across the university to promote international engagement initiatives both for students and faculty.
Before MSU, Zaba was executive director of the global student-success program at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he directed academic support, extracurricular engagement, and multicultural programming for international students. He also managed enrollment initiatives, compliance, and operations, which contributed to high student retention and success rates.
Zaba shared that while he has enjoyed all his roles in higher education, the ones he’s valued most are those — like his current Sacred Heart position — that allow him to lead and engage directly with students.
What the office does
The core mission of the staff in SHU’s Office of Graduate and International Student Life is to ensure that graduate students feel supported as they work toward achieving their academic goals. Once enrolled, students can turn to the office — located at SHU’s West Campus — for guidance, support, and access resources that help them navigate challenges and maintain steady progress in their studies.
Sefali Koirala, a public health graduate student from Nepal, has been actively involved with graduate-student life since coming to SHU, and she said the office has significantly enhanced her graduate-school experience. “As an international student, I find their support has helped me adjust to a new environment and feel more connected,” Koirala said.
If graduate students need help finding housing, the staff can connect them with local landlords and graduate housing opportunities on campus. If they didn’t have time to eat or make dinner before heading to SHU’s West Campus for a late evening class, the newly-opened graduate and international-student lounge has a kitchenette complete with a microwave, and a fridge loaded with snacks to fuel them for a long class. If they need a place to study, they can grab a bag of chips and enjoy the study lounge right next to the kitchen. Staff can also help students connect with on-campus resources such as career and professional development, wellness resources, and fitness classes and other opportunities to help students develop academic skills, network, and prepare for their future careers.
“We serve as a go-to for anything,” Zaba said. “With our knowledge and experience, we’re here to guide, advise, and most importantly, represent and advocate for students’ interests.”
To help international students adjust to their new environment at SHU, the department enrolls them in a “Graduate Year Experience” course in their first semester. Modeled after the undergraduate “First-Year Experience,” the course familiarizes students with what to expect from their academic programs, life in the US, and provides them with a deeper understanding of the resources available to them. “It truly supports students through their transition and helps them become successful students,” Zaba said.
The Office of Graduate and International Student Life plays a key role in keeping students informed and engaged throughout the academic year. Zaba’s team regularly communicates with students about a wide range of topics — from academic resources and immigration compliance to shuttle schedules, dining-hall operations, free flu clinics, health and wellness offerings, and campus events. The goal is to ensure students don’t miss out on valuable opportunities that support both their academic and personal well-being.
To avoid scheduling conflicts and to prioritize academics, staff carefully coordinate with other departments and maintain a calendar of graduate-student events. For example, they would avoid planning a social gathering at Red’s, the on-campus bar, if a guest lecture is scheduled for social-work students that same evening. This kind of coordination ensures that all students can benefit from the services offered without compromising their academic commitments.
In fall 2024, the office launched the Graduate and International Student Life Engagement Calendar — an initiative designed to enhance the overall student experience through a more holistic and integrated support system. This centralized calendar identifies, promotes, and coordinates meaningful engagement opportunities tailored to the diverse needs of graduate and international students across in-person, online and hybrid programs. By providing students with a single, accessible resource, the calendar empowers them to make strategic choices about how they engage with the campus community — supporting their academic, social, and personal growth throughout their time at SHU.
“Sacred Heart University offers a wide range of programs throughout the academic year, and we want students to take full advantage of these opportunities to network, connect with peers and faculty and build relationships that can support their future professional success,” Zaba said.
Koirala said what she appreciates most is the office’s effort to create a welcoming environment for international students by arranging cultural events, encouraging cultural exchanges, and hosting international snack stations. “They also address important student needs by supporting food insecurity, housing challenges, and transportation issues,” she said. “Overall, the office of graduate-student life plays a vital role in supporting both academic and personal well-being.”
SHU stood out to Koirala because it offered exactly what she was looking for — a community-oriented and STEM-designated Master’s degree in public health program with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through internships. Also, the University’s location, close to New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, provides great exposure to diverse learning and career opportunities, she added.
Why SHU?
Zaba encourages students considering a master’s or doctoral degree to take a close look at Sacred Heart University, highlighting the strength and quality of its academic programs, which are designed to prepare students for meaningful and successful careers. He also wants students and their families to know that when someone enrolls in a SHU program, they are supported by a dedicated team of professionals working behind the scenes to help them reach their full potential.
“Students may not meet them every day, but there are people in this office — and in many others across the university — who truly care about their well-being,” he said. “They are deeply invested in each student’s success and are committed to ensuring that, once admitted, students are supported throughout their journey and positioned to complete their degree within one to two years — setting them up for a fulfilling career and a successful professional life.”
Bottom line — the office staff is there to help graduate students succeed. “Anything we can do to make sure students are happy and successful, we are dedicated to doing,” Zaba said.
About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the US, Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs on its Fairfield, Connecticut campus. Sacred Heart also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. More than 10,000 students attend the University’s eight colleges and schools: College of Arts and Sciences; School of Communication, Media, and the Arts; School of Social Work; School of Computer Science and Engineering; College of Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education and Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business and Technology; and the Dr Susan L Davis RN and Richard J Henley College of Nursing. Sacred Heart, a Laudato Si’ campus, stands out from other Catholic universities as it was established to be led by the laity. This contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change — in their own lives, professions, and communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition, and Best Business Schools: 2024 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliate station, WSHU Public Radio, a Division I athletics program, and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance, and theatre. sacredheart.edu
