Title: Recruiting and Retaining International Students on a Limited Budget
1Recruiting and Retaining International Students
on a Limited Budget
- Thy Yang and Desiree Johnson
- Center for Multicultural Affairs
- Dickinson State University
- Dickinson, ND
2Introduction
- What position do you serve on your campus?
- What do you hope to gain through this program?
3Dickinson State University
- 13 Consecutive Years of Enrollment Growth
- International students make up nearly 15 of the
total enrollment - In 1998, DSU had only 24 international students
on campus. Today, we have over 400 students
enrolled at DSU.
4Global Awareness Initiative
- Established in 2000 with four main objectives
- To create a more diverse and invigorating
learning environment by recruiting and retaining
international students and faculty - To increase student and faculty involvement in
foreign exchange programs - To engage students and area citizens in
activities which foster a greater understanding
of the economic issues and opportunities related
to globalization and - To foster the ideal that individuals can
contribute to world peace through education,
understanding, tolerance and interaction with
people from other cultures.
5Center for Multicultural Affairs
- Thy Yang, Director of Multicultural Affairs
- thy.yang_at_dickinsonstate.edu
- Tracy Peterson, Native American and Student
Support Specialist - Desiree Johnson, Administrative Secretary
- desiree.m.johnson_at_dickinsonstate.edu
6International Students
- 2006-2007 260 international students from 30
different countries (122 new for Fall 2006) - 2007-2008 328 international students (180 new
for Fall 2007) from over 30 different countries - 2008-2009 400 international students (225 new
for Fall 2008) from over 30 different countries
7International Student Enrollment2006- Present
8Diversity InitiativeTuition Assistance
- Students must maintain a 2.00 GPA and complete a
minimum of 24 credits per academic year - Cultural Diversity Tuition Waiver
- In 2007-2008, 120 recipients were identified as
4-year degree seeking - 28 identified as Native American
- 10 Tribal Nations Represented
- Global Awareness Tuition Waiver
- In 2007-2008, 170 recipients were identified as
4-year degree seeking
9Dual Degree Joint Program (DDJ)
- Over 160 of this years international students
enrolled at DSU are DDJ students and will return
to their home country in 1- 2 years time. - DSU has an agreement with schools from China and
Russia. - The principle behind the DDJ Program is
reciprocal acceptance of credits earned at either
institution.
10Chinese Schools
- Beijing University of Technologies
- Central University of Nationalities
- Dalian Jiatong University
- Sichuan International Studies University
- Sichuan Normal University
- Soochow University
- Taiyuan University
11Russian Schools
- Voronezh State University
12Dual Degree Joint Degree Programs
- Art
- Business Administration
- Finance
- Communications
- Computer Science
- History (VSU)
- Political Science (VSU)
- University Studies
13Disney International College Program
- Unique study abroad opportunity which enables
students to experience two unique settings a US
Residential Campus plus placement with a Fortune
500 Company - Students study at DSU for one semester and then
live and work at the Walt Disney World Resorts - Students can choose to pursue a Certificate in
Human Resources Management or take credits needed
for their home university degrees.
14Disney International College Program Enrollment
Trend
- Fall 2007--27
- Spring 2008--32
- Fall 2008--41
15Visiting Scholars
- 8 Visiting Scholars in residence at DSU for Fall
2008 - 7 from China
- 1 from Japan
16New Initiatives
- 1-Year Pre-Med Program with students from Japan
- Fall 2008 4 students bound for medical school
in Eastern Europe - Students will enroll in ESL and pre-med courses
(Biology, Chemistry, etc) - Projecting 20 students for Fall 2009
17New Initiatives
- ESL position added in Academic Success Center
- Alumni Trip to China
- Led by Executive Director of Alumni Foundation
- Group of 20 individuals to tour China
- Reunion and Alumni Gathering to be held in Beijing
18Challenges
- Culture clashes between domestic and
international students - Culture clashes among and between international
students - Community and campus misperceptions about
benefits - Tuition Waiver
- Services provided
- Preferential treatment of students
- Classroom management issues (cheating, grading
curve, etc)
19Good Problems
- Fewer ND students to recruit
- International students supplement lost revenue
- Increased interest in study abroad by US students
- Real world global education
- Economic development
- Promotes world peace
20Overview of International Student Recruitment
- Intensive ESL Programs
- Attending College Fairs
- Advertising in magazines or newspapers
- Retaining Agents
- Developing Sister School Relationships
- Armchair Recruitment
- Web
- Telephone Calls
21Dickinson State University
- Center for Multicultural Affairs
- Director of Multicultural Affairs
- Native American and Multicultural Student Support
Specialist - Administrative Secretary
- Travel Budget is 24,000 per annum
- We do not have an intensive ESL program
- We do not advertise in magazines
- We do not attend college fairs
- We have limited agency agreements
22Dickinson State University
- Sister School Relationships
- Dual Degree Joint Program
- Disney International College Program
- International student and scholar exchange
program - Global Awareness Tuition Waiver
- Reduces out of state tuition (10,796) by 62
(6,653) - Students only pay 4,143 or 2,071.50 per
semester
23Tools
- Questions to ask
- How are my students finding us?
- What are my best international markets?
- Visa rejection rate
- English language requirement
- Financial viability
- What attracts international students to your
school? - Are you making the most of your strengths?
- Is your portfolio diversified?
24Tools
- What are your short term goals?
- What are your mid term goals?
- What are your long term goals?
- How do your communication strategies address
these? - Emails
- Telephone Calls
- Postcards
- Letters
25Tools
- Do you know how many inquiries you receive from
each country? - What do you do that is intentional? What action
do you want to see? - Do you know your conversion rate?
- Inquiry to application
- Application to acceptance
- Acceptance to I-20
- I-20 to SEVIS Fee
- SEVIS Fee to Visa
- Visa to Matriculation
26Tools
- Focus on your strengths and duplicate in other
markets or programs - Athletics
- Dual Degree Programs/ Exchange program
- Referrals
27Are you maximizing the Free Stuff?
- NAFSA membership directory
- http//www.nafsa.org/member_services.ms
- Community colleges
- http//communitycollegesusa.net/
- TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools)
- http//www.schools.com/directory/state.cfm
- US Embassy
- http//educationusa.state.gov/centers/
- SEVIS
- Current Students
28Question
- How many of you have a database of current
students high schools and colleges?
29Question
- How many of you use SEVIS to track your students
progress? - Do you email them their SEVIS Number so that they
can pay their SEVIS Fee immediately?
30Question
- How many of you use the NAFSA Membership
Directory to set up meetings when you travel?
31Question
- Do you offer to send support letters to the
Embassy prior to students interviews?
32Retention How Do We Do It?
- Takes a Village
- Cross-collaboration with other departments on
campus - Residential Life
- Student Senate
- Campus Activities Board
- Food Services
- Student Orientation and Registration (SOAR)
- International Student Orientation
33Retention How do we do it?
- Residence Life
- Home away from home
- Recruit international students to become Resident
Advisors - Assist with training Resident Advisors on issues
of diversity and global awareness - Collaboration on Residence Life Programs
- Attend Residence Life Programs
34Retention How do we do it?
- Student Senate
- Create a student centered culture
- Dont ask for a separate programming budget just
for international students help students
understand the process of obtaining funding - Encourage students to be part of student
government - Assist with campus dialogue on diversity
- Address the issues in a responsible manner
- Build campus unity
35Retention How do we do it?
- Campus Activities Board
- Encourage student leaders to view programming
from international and multicultural students
perspectives - Encourage international students to be active in
various clubs and organizations on campus teach
them how to form their own clubs - Involved students connect with a campus
- Weekend programming to help with home sickness
36Retention How do we do it?
- Food Services
- Our student frustrations begin and end in the
cafeteria - Provide a more diverse menu
- Increase fruits, vegetables
- Rice available at every meal
- Help cater cultural events
37Retention How do we do it?
- Student Orientation and Registration (SOAR)
- Parent Forum to discuss Globalization Initiative
- What is true, what is false?
- What are the benefits?
- How can they help?
- Advise the students of our diversity
38Retention How do we do it?
- International Student Orientation
- Semester long, 1 credit course
- Meets once a week for an hour
- Reduces unnecessary office traffic
- Enables detailed discussion of
- Roommate issues
- American customs
- Differences in cultures
- Academic policies and procedures
- F-1 and J-1 visa rules
39Retention How do we do it?
- Friendship Families
- Support of the community
- Local churches
- Local organizations
- Provide support
- Provide transportation
- Provide family structure in the absence of their
actual family
40Student Development Approach
- All students need to be coached and treated as
learners.
41