In our day-to-day professional work in international education, we all struggle to manage information flow, identify opportunities, synthesize possible solutions, and act appropriately to better ourselves, our audiences, and our world. To help in this often overwhelming task, Social Media & International Education (SMIE) Consulting offers this free weekly e-news brief to share our perspectives and to provide some wisdom along the way. Happy reading!
- If you’re curious about the future of English language testing online, check out this PIE webinar on Tuesday. I wonder if they will be discussing the split infinitive in the title of this event. Very Star Trek but grammatically incorrect.
- Nailing your email comm flow for international students is no easy feat. The folks at Studyportals have put together their top 10 to do items to maximize your impact. Their downloadable e-book is worth a look.
- Looking to recruit Dutch students? If so, learn the web, digital, and social habits of netizens of the Netherlands in this Webcertain guide.
- The team at Webcertain are putting on a retrospective look at social and digital trends from 2022 that should impact brands hoping to make a broader impact in the new year in an early Tuesday morning webinar for my US colleagues.
- For those college admissions reps, new to social media marketing, this Social Media Explorer review of the top 10 Meta business suite tools for FB and IG is a good read and includes ways to include royalty-free music to posts.
International Education News
- Recruitment and retention in international education circles used to mean how well we bring in and retain overseas students. Now, with the “Great Resignation” the struggle is real to find replacements for open positions in offices, everywhere. Good article in the latest NAFSA magazine.
- The disconnect between intl students’ hopes of a life in the US after graduation and the reality of the struggles obtaining H1Bs is real. “According to NSF, 77% of intl students expressed intent to remain in the US and work after the conclusion of their OPT. However, only 46% were able to do so.”
- I’ve spoken on this issue recently and continue to be amazed at how we do not show support for our Chinese students on campus who choose to speak out against the Chinese government, despite the serious risks they take in doing so.
- The number of credentials offered in the United States surpasses 1 million for the first time. Interestingly, less than a third of those are offered at US colleges and universities. Question - are international students eligible for yours (beyond degrees)?
- Will the revolt of law schools against the US News Rankings be the beginning of the end of the rankings mania that has perpetually fed upon itself by engulfing students, parents, and colleges in a game that distorts institutional value? I hope so.
- The US government has to be all-in on ramping up visa appointment availability for prospective students. The key to making this happen beyond the interview waiver for repeat visitors - double the number of consular officers.
- While the ABA recently took a big step to allow law schools to go test-optional, not all law school deans agree. Here’s the counter-point argument to why admissions offices need a standardized score like the LSAT.
Solutions Central
- Speaking of test-optional, has this become the new normal for post-pandemic admissions at US colleges for undergraduate applicants? Hopefully, yes. Less than 50% of early decision applicants submitted scores. But like addicts trying to kick a habit, some colleges want that crutch to make the transition easier. Hard habit to break.
- Last week at the AIRC Conference, I presented with Derrick Alex and Manisha Zaveri on the under-the-radar topic of the growing Indian undergraduate market available for U.S. colleges and how to effectively target this expanding demographic.
- The new US Charges d’Affaires for India, Elizabeth Jones, acknowledges the demand for US visas from Indian citizens is a real problem that is getting the full attention of the State Department. Consulates in India should be fully staffed by summer.
- Are Indian students THE solution to declining domestic demographics at US colleges at both undergrad and graduate levels? They certainly can be part of the answer, but should not be the only solution, ever. Insert all eggs in one basket meme here.
- The Intead part two article on the next three Latin American countries that US colleges should target for recruitment is out. The focus on Venezuela, Peru, and Argentina is well worth a read.
- While this PIE News piece is about agent perspectives on the UK admissions process in terms of recommended best practices for universities, the findings resonate here in the US for colleges seeking quality relationships with agents.
- Global - Should an embrace of the return to pre-pandemic optimism on international enrollment growth a sustainable position? According to experts Hans de Wit and Phil Altbach, there are several reasons to be concerned about the ethical implications of this path.
- Canada - Despite the incredible success Canada has seen with its international student recruitment strategy, questions are being asked (perhaps harshly) about the “predatory” relationship the normally nice nation has with overseas students.
- China - Remember when we talk about transnational education, the undisputed top of the pile is the UK. Just in China alone there are over 61K students studying there for British uni degrees.
- China - Despite signs of loosening the Covid-19 lockdown measures within China, the related decline in economic productivity contributes to more Chinese students seeking post-graduate study abroad.
- Colombia - The pathway provider, INTO, is changing its approach. With a new in-country center in Colombia, the first of eleven set to open in the next 12 months, Will be interesting to see if this model proves more successful and sustainable.
- Indonesia - The massive collection of islands that forms Indonesia has long been seen as a sleeping giant for sending students abroad. It’s never really happened on a large scale, particularly to the US, but recent upticks and activity in-country show signs of growth.
- Russia - So why do international students continue to call Russia home for their studies? Scholarships talk and often trump any concerns of political actions or instability. “Russia has recently increased state-funded spots for international students, renewed efforts to recruit students from Africa and planned exchanges with Iran.”
- United Kingdom - Here’s the right perspective on what’s being proposed by the Sunak government from former University Champion, Jo Johnson: “It’s hard to imagine a policy more likely to harm UK ambitions to become a science superpower and to level up across the country than a mindless crackdown on international students.”
- United Kingdom - Is the British government regressing to the Theresa May era when it comes to international student policies? One would be forgiven for coming to that conclusion with recent actions. Certainly no clarity overall coming from No. 10.
- United Kingdom - On the other hand, perhaps some of the British government’s concerns over net migration numbers and international students’ dependents are being driven by some unis “bring your family” campaigns.
- United Kingdom - We could learn a few things from our British colleagues. This recent announcement to launch a one-stop shop agent training and engagement hub makes a lot of sense and can move things in the right direction.
SMIE Consulting Midweek Roundup
If you’d like a more in-depth analysis of the main news stories each week, check out our Midweek Roundup international education live chat on Wednesday at 1pm ET on the SMIE Consulting Facebook page, YouTube channel, Twitter feed, and LinkedIn. A podcast version is available as well on all major podcast provider platforms.
