International Students Won’t Be the Answer to Colleges’ Recessionary Woes
International students bailed out (some) American colleges in the last recession. Students from abroad were particularly critical in helping public research universities make up lost ground – on average, for every 10-percent decrease in state appropriations, these institutions experienced a 12-percent increase in foreign enrollments. But don’t count on international students as a safety net in the next downturn. Several factors – including changes in American visa policy, the perception of the United States now as unwelcoming to outsiders, and the trade war with China, the largest source of foreign students – have already led to two years of declines in new international enrollments. And few experts expect a turnaround.
Middle East-Studies Program Accused of Misusing Federal Funds
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating a Middle East-studies program run jointly by Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In a letter published in the Federal Register, the department accuses the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies of misusing federal Title VI funds, which support international and foreign-language studies at American colleges. In it, Robert King, assistant secretary for postsecondary education, questions how the center’s programming “supports the development of foreign language and international expertise for the benefit of U.S. national security and economic stability.” He also suggests that the program treats Islam more favorably than other religions. To remain eligible for funding, the universities will have to submit an updated list of how they plan to use Title VI monies in the next year and include a description of how each activity meets the goals of the federal program.
Student Publication Removes Opinion Article Criticizing Chinese Students
A student-run political journal at Vanderbilt University deleted an opinion article that criticized the “wholesale import” of Chinese students into American colleges. Editors of the Vanderbilt Political Review removed the piece, titled “What Do We Gain from Allowing Chinese Espionage,” from the publication’s website, citing “strong responses,” especially from international students. In a statement, the journal’s editorial board – which had not been in place when the commentary was originally published last spring – objected to its “discriminatory rhetoric.”
New Ranking Measures Study Abroad
For the first time, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the best colleges for study abroad, as part of its annual rating of American colleges and universities. Elon University, in North Carolina, topped the list of best institutions for sending students overseas. Great, right? Not so fast. The magazine’s methodology has left some educators scratching their heads: The ranking relies wholly on reputation, with the top colleges determined by nominations by college presidents, provosts, and admissions deans. In this week’s edition of my global newsletter, latitude(s), readers weighed in on how they’d craft a better ranking, including surveying students, assessing the impact on participants after they return home, and rewarding institutions for sending a more diverse group of students abroad and to more diverse destinations.
Correction (9/19/2019, 10:50 a.m.): This article’s original headline has been changed to reflect that Yale University and the National University of Singapore founded Yale-NUS. But they do not run Yale-NUS.