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Students from abroad have been increasingly important to American institutions' enrollment strategies. But that's not the whole story.
For many United States colleges and universities, increasing international student enrollment has become a strategic priority. Such students often pay full tuition, and amid state funding and other cutbacks, admissions offices are increasingly reaching across national borders in their recruiting campaigns.
But that's not the only reason to go international. As institutions consider their place in an ever-globalizing world, many are seeking international students as a way to bring a global presence and perspective to campus, and to further institutional internationalization efforts.
Indeed, student mobility in both directions- domestic students going abroad, and international students coming in-is one of six pillars of the CIGE Model for Comprehensive Internationalization, developed by ACE's Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement (CIGE), which delineates key areas that require attention as institutions pursue integrated, campus-wide internationalization.
Though it is important for institutions to recognize that international student recruiting alone is not sufficient to achieve internationalization, it can certainly play an important role in the process. Noting the need for thoughtful, data-driven information to inform recruiting efforts, CIGE recently hosted a webinar featuring three experts on global student mobility: Rajika Bhandari, deputy vice president of research and evaluation at the Institute of International Education (IIE); Rahul Choudaha, chief knowledge officer at World Education Services (WES); and Clay Hensley, senior director of international outreach and strategy at the College Board.
Along with their other insights, their remarks should make anyone at an American campus who recruits international students take notice.
A Growing Enrollment Pie
At the same time as the United States is wrestling with declining enrollment, higher education is expanding rapidly on a global scale. According to IIE's Rajika Bhandari, worldwide higher education enrollment is predicted to reach 262 million- double the current level-by 2025. This expansion is expected to give rise...