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International Student Recruitment, Admissions, and Enrollment
Management: A Case Study of University at Buffalo,
The State University of New York
Presenter: Mr. Joseph Hindrawan, Associate Vice Provost
for International Education and Director,
International Enrollment Management
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
• Type of Institution: Research-intensive public university
• Location: Buffalo, New York
• Undergraduate Degrees: 100+
• Master‘s Degrees: 205
• Doctoral Degrees: 84
• Professional Degrees: 10
• Student Population: 27,017
• International Student Population: 3,894 (14.41%)
• Top 5 Countries: China, India, Korea, Canada & Malaysia
UB International Enrollment Highlights
• UB ranks 17th in the U.S. in international enrollment (Open Doors 2011, Institute of International Education, New York)
• UB has the largest percentage (17%*) of
international students among the top 25 U.S. public
research universities (*includes OPT and intensive
English)
• UB enrolls undergraduate, graduate and exchange
students from 113 countries
• UB hosts 500 visiting international scholars annually
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
International Enrollment, 1996-2011
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Undergraduate
Graduate
Total
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
International Undergraduate Enrollment, 2005-2011
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Other
Canada
Korea
India
China
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
International Graduate Enrollment, 2005-2010
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Other
Canada
Korea
India
China
International Enrollment Management (IEM)
• UB upper administration recognized a decline in
international enrollment in the early 1990’s
• Started international recruitment in 1995
• Established IEM office – 1998
• Created a strategic recruitment plan for
international enrollment management
• International Admissions transferred to IEM in 2000
from Office of Domestic Admissions
Institutional Planning
• University Vision, Mission, Goals, Objectives &
Values
• Why do we want international students?
• Understand our current international student
situation
• Conduct market research
• How many students do we currently have?
• Where do they come from?
Institutional Planning
• Why enroll international students?
• What attracts them?
• Infra-structure support (admission office,
International Student Services, housing, etc.)?
Are we ready for more International students?
• Develop this information into a SWOT Analysis
(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)
• What countries should we target?
Branding/Institutional Recognition • How to develop UB’s name brand recognition?
• How to differentiate UB from other U.S. institutions
of higher education? (Who are our competitors?)
• What are UB’s competitive advantages?
Leverage/build on UB’s reputation in Asia
• Does UB have any cost advantage?
• What is the value of UB’s degree?
• Are UB’s degrees recognized overseas?
Marketing & Recruiting Strategies/ Activities UB Employs • Armchair Recruitment (activities you can do to attract
international student without leaving your campus)
Advertising
Commercial Web Sites
Develop relationships with overseas school
counselors & advising centers
Virtual College Fair (online)
Mass mailing
Marketing & Recruiting Strategies/ Activities UB Employs
• Backyard Recruitment
Recruit locally for both domestic and
international students
• Recruitment Travel
Outreach to other countries – face to face recruiting
Attending Public University Fairs
Visiting “feeder” high schools
Marketing & Recruiting Strategies/ Activities UB Employs
• Third Party Recruitment
Using third party agents to help in recruiting
international students – Pros and cons
How to select effective third party agents?
Manage Recruiting Communication Plan • Purchase commercial software or build in-house a
system to track inquiries, applications, admission
decisions, enrollment and retention
• Develop a communication plan (timeline is different
for different stages):
Prospect stage; Applicant stage; Accepted stage
• Recruiting long term (e.g. applicant in 2 years or more)
• Recruiting short term
Recruiting Tools • Website (attractive, easy to access, easy to navigate,
etc.)
• Brochures and other print publications (creating
effective publicity materials; easy to read; bullet point
rather than lengthy paragraph, attractive design,
culturally sensitive)
• Electronic / Digital Materials
• Social Media (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, IM, etc.)
• Video (expensive)
International Admissions
• Understanding of admissions process
• Understanding of foreign education systems and
credential evaluation
• Student visa regulations
• Ethical practices in admissions
Recruiting Trends and Concerns
What has changed in the last 10 years?
• More competitors (U.S. and foreign universities)
• Direct recruiting versus using third-party agents
• Institutions establishing representative offices in
China
• Growth of regional education hubs (Singapore,
Malaysia, Dubai, etc.)
• Establishment of branch campuses in Middle East
and Asia
Recruiting Trends and Concerns
• Growing access to higher education in China and
India
• Internet marketing outreach
• Growing undergraduate student interest in studying
in the U.S.
• Growing demand for higher education from rising
middle class
• Growing interest in non-STEM fields of study
• Shift from parents’ to students’ decision-making re:
education
Recruiting Trends and Concerns
• Relaxation of U.S. student visa restrictions –
especially for undergraduate students from China
and India
• Develop long- and short-term recruitment strategies
• Consider effectiveness of using recruitment
intermediaries – EducationUSA, placement agencies,
sponsoring agencies, agents
• Consider targeted recruiting in China or India due to
country size
• How important is the university/college brand?
Recruiting Trends and Concerns
• Articulation (2+2 programs), joint degrees, and
dual-degree programs
• Develop attractive and easy-to-navigate websites
• Develop attractive and informative brochures (in
selected foreign languages)
• Develop an effective follow-up process (to handle
large prospective applicant pool)
• Personal presence of college representatives
required to build trust