Small College, Big World Can international recruitment fit in your enrollment strategy? Judi Marino International Recruitment Officer Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL 1

STEP 1 – Self Study When considering an international student recruitment plan, an institutional self-study is an essential first step. Below are some questions you might begin to ask about your institution. Answers to these basic self-study questions can make the decision to embark into international recruitment easier. 2

FULFILL INSTITUTION’S MISSION ENHANCE CAMPUS DIVERSITY EXCHANGE/STUDY ABROAD OPTIONS INCREASE GLOBAL AWARENESS LINKAGE WITH FOREIGN INSTITUTIONS PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING 3 Why is your institution seeking to enroll international students? This is what we tell the general public:

MEET DEMANDS OF PRESIDENT/BOARD MEMBERS MEET NEEDS OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS IMPROVE ACADEMIC PROFILE/QUALITY MEET FINANCIAL NEEDS - “CHEEKS IN THE SEATS” Regardless, are the institution’s motivations consistent with the institution’s mission statement? If not, time to adjust the mission statement. 4 The real reason(s):

Your mission statement should now reflect internationalization. For sample mission statements, consult the NAFSA website at: nternational_Strategic_Plans_and_Mission_Statements/ 5 Adjust your Mission Statement

Can your institution effectively target, admit, retain, educate and serve international students? What are the ramifications of having international students on campus? SERVICES RETENTION / REPUTATION HOUSING / ROOMMATES CURRENT STUDENT BODY PREJUDICE? CULTURAL SENSITIVITY ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE (CURVE) INCREASED WORK LOAD FOR YOU AND YOUR STAFF INCREASED STRAIN ON EXISTING BUDGET INCREASED WORK LOAD FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT OFFICE COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE 6

What kinds of resources (financial and physical) can be allocated to meet the needs of international students? Will you offer financial assistance or merit scholarships? What will international students contribute to your campus? What risks/problems might they bring? How many students does your institution want? What is the time frame for achieving this goal? Where will you find them? 7 Admissions-specific questions : :

Which departments on campus are supporting the enrollment of international students (president, deans, special interest group, admissions office, students)? Will academic departments need to make changes in their curricula? Does your institution understand, and will it comply with the ethical standards of recruiting students? Will adequate advising be available? What policies will need to be adjusted/created? Who will get credit for recruiting internationally-located students with U.S. Passports? Will financial aid be able to effectively support and advise US citizens living overseas? 8 Step 2 - Planning

Your international admissions person should handle these: An int’l student is one who holds a passport other than U.S. whether they are currently studying inside or outside the U.S. A U.S. passport holder living outside the U.S. U.S. permanent residents whether they are currently studying inside or outside the U.S. 9 Define the population

Look at the worldwide economic and education trends. Sources include: Open Doors ( ) Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Statistics ( UNESCO Institute for Statistics ( ) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( 10 Step 3 – Where to recruit?

NAFSA: Association of International Educators ( – regional and national conferenceswww.nafsa.org Education USA - conference every June College Board Int’l Office No time to read/research?

Look at the international population enrolled at your institutions as well as neighboring institutions and “like” institutions. Look at the reasons international students chose your institution. What are the selling points? Do you have a particular “niche”? Can you entice your current students to recruit another? Chat with colleagues at your neighboring schools about their populations. Bribe them with lunch. Conduct a survey with NSCEC and find out who is doing it well and how. 12 What’s in your own backyard?

Develop a list of countries/regions. Would you like to expand the number of students from a particular country where you currently have a strong presence? Would you like to try developing a new country or region that has not traditionally sent students to your institution? Should you get on the Chinese bandwagon? Employ an agent? 13 Step 4: Map out a Plan - Target Marketing

Identifying marketing messages Are marketing messages different than those for the domestic population? What attributes are important to international students? Survey your current international students: Which countries do the students on your campus come from? Why did they choose your college/university? Why are they still at your school? Why are they satisfied customers? What do they think are the best and worst things about your college/university from an Int’l perspective? 14

Identifying marketing niche Where else did these students apply? Why did they choose your college/university over the others? What is the history of international enrollment at your college/university? Are there significant alumni your college/university may have in other countries? Do you have any international feeder schools? 15

Step 5: Recruiting Steps Utilize external and institutional data on student flows from other countries. Target and recruit from five countries (or one region) where number of students studying in the U.S. are stable or increasing. Target and recruit from schools in countries that are represented on campus and/or were represented on campus before. Make the appropriate time commitment to your market. Realize it will take time for students to enroll. 16

Travel? Armchair Recruiting? Be prepared before you start: pubs/website/policies International counselor/contacts list Group travel vs. Individual travel Small group vs. tours Alumni/ current student recruiting Buying names. i.e. SAT/CIS/Zinch ELS UCAN Boarding schools Twinning agreements Embassy visits 17

Memberships Musts: OACAC - COIS - NAFSA - Education USA - College Board International Education and Services (membership free if your college is a CB member) 18

Listserves Go to NAFSA page: ommunity/Knowledge_Communities/ ommunity/Knowledge_Communities/ and subscribe to any or all of the five knowledge communities that support internationalization. Int’l Enrollment Mgmt is most useful. Subscribe to the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) E-News: You can also post info about your institution of a weekly basis that will be distributed to all educational advisers around the world. 19

Will you offer aid? Scholarships can be a effective marketing tool because scholarships equate to prestige Scholarship possibilities increase applicant pool The more information you gather about outside funding opportunities, the better. Will you offer merit and/or need-based? Partial vs. full rides… 20

Marketing/Publicizing Your Aid Opportunities “ XYZ University does not award financial aid to international students on the basis of need; however, limited scholarships are available. The maximum scholarship available is $ _______. There will be no increase in scholarship or availability for additional aid after arrival on campus. Therefore it is our recommendation that you should apply to XYZ University with the understanding that you will be personally responsible for obtaining funds to attend the university”. A limited number of part time jobs are available on campus, but they are very competitive. Part-time jobs will provide enough money to provide spending money and money for necessities and entertainment. It will not provide sufficient funding to pay for school tuition or fees. 21

Questions? 22