New University Challenge: Open Up and Compete Globally, Says IDP Education

CHESTER, PA, Oct 29 (MARKET WIRE) --
Traditional U.S. universities face unprecedented competition, as the
number of traditional aged college students drops, for-profit and online
universities increasingly draw adult students, and a worldwide surge in
higher education investment entices former U.S.-bound students to
destinations as far reaching as Dubai, Malaysia and Slovenia.
International education, once dominated by Australia, America and the UK,
now has to compete worldwide in a marketplace that Mark Shay and Harmeet
Pental, leading authorities on international recruitment, compare to the
struggling automobile market.

To combat this, Shay and Pental call on higher education leaders in the
United States to increase their international outreach, and offer five
recommendations for U.S. institutions to attract more foreign students.

"The United States remains the destination of choice for many foreign
students, thanks to its strong higher education brand," says Shay, North
American director of IDP Education, the world's largest international
student placement firm. "But that brand is under intense competition
worldwide, as other nations invest heavily in their post-secondary
education sectors and bring to market innovative programs often at a lower
price and with more consumer-oriented features than that of the United
States. If left unchecked, we may see another iconic American industry
succumb to foreign competition."

Shay suggests that now is the time to ramp up investment in international
student facilities, a sentiment confirmed by the high number of university
strategic plans on internationalizing campuses, which Shay puts at more
than 600.

While many of these strategic plans are conceptual, there are a few high
impact commitments that a university can make immediately that won't cost
too much money. For institutions that want to increase their number of
foreign enrollments, Shay and Pental, IDP's regional director of South
Asia, recommend the following:

1. Guarantee student housing. The number one concern from parents back
home is accommodation, and since they often do not get a chance to tour
campuses before applying, it's critical for universities to guarantee
good housing, on or off-campus. Extending deposit deadlines is also
important for these students.

2. Guarantee a place of worship. Most schools offer access to rooms for
prayer and worship, but there are times the campus may be closed
(holidays, weather, etc.). To devoutly religious students, such a
variable in accessibility is cause for concern. They want to be assured
of access to prayer rooms at all times, either on campus or off.

3. Be candid about the diversity of your campus. We often refer to foreign
students generally as "international," but they don't all come from the
same general international location. Even students from the same region
can have very different backgrounds with different customs and beliefs --
Pental sites the vast cultural, religious, linguistic, and dietary habit
between students from North India and South India as an example. These
students want to know specific details about the full diversity of a
campus, and they may be uncomfortable being placed together with other
"foreigners."

4. Insist on student activities. Foreign students can be easily
intimidated by the free social scene on American campuses, and are often
reluctant to accept social invitations. Administrators should push hard to
involve foreign students in social activities, while being respectful of
how our version of socializing may intimidate others, such as Muslim
students and the serving of alcohol.

5. Provide cost of living expectations and on-campus job opportunities.
Finances are a main contributor to foreign student attrition, just as with
domestic students. They often pay full tuitions and fees, but to support
that, the students and their families and sponsors will need to know as
much about expected costs as possible, including cost of living for the
area. Additionally, J-1 and F-1 visas allow students to work up to 20
hours a week, but only on campus except for a few rare exceptions, so to
respect their restrictions, consider leaving some student jobs open for
your international enrollments.

Additionally, while foreign students typically have high retention rates
once enrolled, an important factor that can affect retention is
homesickness. According to Pental, experts debate whether ethnic style
foods and excursions to nearby ethnic communities give foreign students a
refreshing taste of home or actually spur homesickness. Therefore, to
combat this potential problem, Pental recommends strong advising and
counseling to maintain a pulse on the attitudes of each foreign student.
Those entrusted with international student services should listen to
students when it comes to homesickness: they are far from home and it may
be best not to dwell on the styles and traditions of the old country.

"Many institutions are increasingly eager to bring the bright minds and
ambitions of foreign students onto their campuses," says Pental. "These
students provide a fresh perspective and add new dimensions to an
institution's diversity."

He adds, "Celebrating this cultural addition to a campus adds vibrancy to
the educational experience of all students and is a key component in
improving the college experience. University leaders across the United
States see internationalization as a key pillar in the progress of their
institutions. But I've seen first hand that if a school isn't well known
overseas, it can be difficult to enroll these students."

To achieve successful internationalization, Shay and Pental remind us that
we need to invest in student services as well as open mindedness. They
believe that if institutions follow these five recommendations, and work
proactively to alleviate homesickness, they will have a strong chance of
globalizing their campuses and hitting their enrollment numbers.

IDP Education is committed to the global success of international
education, as evidenced by its support of the Australian International
Education Conference that just took place in Sydney, Australia. Issues
currently affecting international students in the United States are
similar to the ones faced by IDP's colleagues in Australia, where the
company has been operating for 40 years. Shay notes that his expertise is
drawn in part from this success overseas.

About IDP Education:

IDP Education is the world's largest student placement firm, with more
than 70 company-owned counseling centers in 24 countries, staffed by
professional counselors. The recent U.S. venture is an addition to the
already successful Australian student placement service, involving all new
counselors and support teams. For more information, visit www.usa.idp.com.

Contact Information:
Matthew Ulmer
Matthew.ulmer@idp.com
609-505-3099

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