By Saki Kambe
The number of international students has dropped. Comparing Spring 2019 to Spring 2016, it was 141 students three years ago, and now it is down to 74 students, according to the Peninsula College International Office records.
Sophia Iliakis-Doherty, the Associate Dean of International Programs, said that 2016 was the first year she was informed that they would see a decline in Malaysian student population. This was because the Malaysian government reported that they would aim to reduce the number of students sent abroad significantly.
“But the Malaysian students at the college continued to graduate through last year,” Iliakis-Doherty said.
The decline in the international student population at the college indeed not only factors in the Malaysian government but so much more. Jack Huls, the Vice President of Student Services, said he believes that there are a number of factors that would explain the situation. The first reason is that the United States dollar is strong compared to Asian currencies, and a lot of international students in the U.S. come from Asia. He said that he heard specifically from Leo Harten, the International Student Recruit Manager, that it is 50 percent more expensive for students to come to the U.S. than to go to Australia.
The second reason is that English-speaking countries like Canada and Australia are aggressive in recruiting international students, Huls said.
“Australia gets national sponsorship to recruit inter- national students to their country; so it’s not just about institutions, but there is also national (sponsorship),” Huls said. As for Canada, their visa regulations are more student-friendly. When an international student goes to Canada and pursues a degree, they get a work permit for up to three years. Whereas in the U.S., a student with an F-1 visa would only get up to a year of work. If a student has a degree in science, technology, engineering and/or math, then they qualify for work permit for up to two
years.
In both Australia and Canada as examples, there has
been a significant concerted national effort that is hard for the U.S to compete against. After getting work experience in Canada, they can even petition for residency to stay in Canada permanently, and it is likely to get approved. What Canada is trying to do is to get a younger workforce because its population is getting older.
Both Iliakis-Doherty and Huls said they believe that the third reason is a political environment where the U.S. appears less welcoming and more hostile.
“The biggest decline (Spring 2017- Spring 2018) clearly takes place after the Trump Administration took office,” Iliakis-Doherty stated. According to Bloomberg News, “the Trump Administration has started taking aim at China’s best and brightest in the U.S, and scrutinizing researchers with ties to Beijing and restricting student visas.” China is now warning its students that want to study in the U.S. to expect delays in getting visas, and to expect more denials, Huls said.
“It seems to me, that U.S. government and the Chinese government, really are at a stalemate,” Huls said. President Luke Robins agrees.
“I don’t think we can deny or ignore the fact that the political climate… some people feel is chilling. It
doesn’t help particularly when one of our major recruiting areas is China when we’re in a trade war with China. At least we’re barking at each other. That doesn’t help,” Robins said.
In light of the current trade imbalance between these two countries, Huls said he is positive that this will have some repercussion, at least in the near future.
However, China is not the only country that is experiencing visa denials, but Vietnam as well. In the U.S. in 2017-2018, there was still a 2.4 percent increase in overall international students nation-wide, but this increase rate is fluctuating, according to Open Doors, a U.S. educational resource on international students. Huls said that it had been 3percent or higher for years, but he forecasts it will likely go down in the next few years.
Huls said he believes that the key to success in gaining more international students once again, regardless of the U.S. dollar being strong or the current U.S. political situation, is enriching the students’ lives at Peninsula College. One way for this is Guided Pathways. Guided Pathways is “really an entire redesign of our instructional and service delivery efforts that captures more students and then keep them to the successful completion of a degree or certificate,” Huls said.
Another way is by introducing more short-term exchange programs. Peninsula College hosted a group of students from Japan last summer, which Huls recalls as a huge success. He hopes to see more domestic American students study abroad and have a life-changing experience.
In addition to enriching the students’ lives at the college, Huls said he thinks it is necessary to focus efforts strategically on where students are getting visas.
“We want to diversify our international student population with a mix of students, but when the deck is stacked up against you, in terms of visa denial rates going up in certain countries like China, we have to focus elsewhere for other opportunities,” Huls said.
Contributions by Ricky Talbot