Preface

On behalf of the entire staff of the Center for International Education (CIE), I am pleased to share this report with you. In this document, you will find statistical information on Course Abroad/ Study Abroad, International Student and Scholar Services, and Intensive English Language Program.

The report is intended to inform the research, education and related outreach communities at Central Connecticut State University about the state of international education programs and services at our University. Our intention is simply to share with the university community clear, accurate, and unbiased information about the size, scope, and depth of international program activities at our University. We hope that this information will be useful to you.

This report was the result of the valuable contributions from all the staff in CIE. They all spent countless hours helping me prepare this report. There is no way I could have compiled the data and put this report together without their assistance. I am deeply grateful to all of them.

We at CIE look forward to your suggestions for how we can expand and improve our services for the entire university community.

Please direct your comments to mndiaye@mail.ccsu.edu or bigelow@mail.ccsu.edu and please continue to visit our website at http://www.ccsu.edu/cie/ for more extensive and up-to-date information on international education programs and services studies at CCSU.

Momar NdiayeMomar Ndiaye, Ph.DDirector, Center for International Education

Central Connecticut State University1615 Stanley Street, P.O. Box 4010New Britain, CT 06050-4010

Tel: (860) 832-2040

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the following people for their outstanding contribution towards the realization of this report:

Oluwatoyin Ayeni, Associate Director International Student and Scholars Services

Center for International Education

Hoa Do, University AssistantInternational Student and Scholars Services

Center for International Education

Christie Ward, Associate DirectorIntensive English Language ProgramCenter for International Education

Carmetta Williams, Program AssistantIntensive English Language ProgramCenter for International Education

Lisa Marie Bigelow, Associate DirectorCourse Abroad/Study Abroad Programs

Center for International Education

Noreen Knortz, University AssistantCourse Abroad Programs

Center for International Education

Mikka Tracey, Program AssistantCourse Abroad Programs

Center for International Education

Erin-Leigh Beecher, International Education CoordinatorStudy Abroad Programs

Center for International Education

Taylor Tavera, University AssistantStudy Abroad Programs

Center for International Education

Paa Kwesie Cudjoe, Keithlin T. Caroo, Yasmin Asante, Charlotte BranchStudent Assistants

Center for International Education

CONTENTS

Major Headings ____________ Page number

STUDY ABROAD ……………………………………………………,……………………………………… 1National Ranking of CCSU’s Study Abroad Program …………………………………………………………….. 2Study Abroad by Program Type ……………………………………………………………………………………. 3Study Abroad by Semester/Term…………………………………………………………………………………………... 8Study Abroad by Ethnicity …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11Study Abroad by Gender ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14Study Abroad by School Affiliation …………………………………………..……………………………………….. 16Study Abroad by Destination ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19Scholarship Support for Study Abroad .……………………………………………………………………….. 22Conclusions and Recommendations ……………………………………………………………………………………. 23

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND SCHOLAR SERVICES..…………………….…………….…………………… 24International Students and Scholars by Category and Gender..………..……………………………………. 25International Studies by Country of Origin …………………………………..…………………………………….. 28Conclusions and Recommendations ……………………………………………..……………………………………… 34

INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM ……..……………………….……………………………… 35IELP Participants by Gender…………………………………………………...……………..…..…………………………. 35IELP Participants by Visa/Immigration Status………………………………………………..………………………. 37IELP Participants by Country of Origin ………………………………………………………………………… 40Recommendations …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 46

STUDY ABROAD

BY LISA MARIE BIGELOW

CCSU’s study abroad programs offer students the opportunity to spend anywhere from one week to one year

abroad immersed in another culture earning credits that count towards degree requirements. Through these

experiences, students gain knowledge and skills while also developing an attitude open to new ways of

thinking, a prerequisite for success in today’s globalized society. The Center for International Education (CIE)

administers two types of study abroad programming: long-term programs through which students spend a

semester or year abroad and short-term faculty-led programs that include an overseas component ranging in

length from one to five weeks. This analysis covers the fourteen-year period from 2001 to 2014 and includes

data on the 4,040 students who went abroad on CCSU international programs during that period.

The long-term study abroad programs takes on two forms: partnership programs with overseas university

partners (of which CCSU currently has 22) and programs sponsored by third-party study abroad providers,

such as the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). Two types of partnership programs are offered:

one-way direct enrollment programs and exchange programs. Through the direct enroll programs, students

enroll directly at and pay tuition and living expenses directly to the host institution. CCSU exchange programs

have three different types of payment structures: (a) Students pay tuition only to their home university.

Room and board is paid directly to the host institution; (b) Students pay tuition and room to their home

university. Board is paid directly to the host; and (c) Students pay tuition, room and board to their home

institution.

In all instances, full-semester/year study abroad students must apply to CIE and meet study abroad criteria,

which include a minimum GPA of 2.75 and the recommendation of their academic advisor. While abroad on a

full-semester/year program, students must carry a minimum of twelve credits/semester (or equivalent).

Students must obtain prior approval from their academic advisor for the coursework to be taken overseas and

upon completion of the study abroad program, CCSU records all letter grades earned and calculates the grades

earned abroad into the CCSU GPA. Students accepted to participate in a CCSU-sponsored study abroad

program may apply institutional, state, and federal financial aid toward the cost of their study abroad

experience.

Page | 1

The short-term faculty-led study abroad program, also called the Course Abroad Program, now in its 27th

year, is the University’s flagship study abroad program. Features that make this program popular among CCSU

students (and their counterparts within the Connecticut State College and University system) include the

short-term duration of study, the comprehensive nature of program arrangements, and the fact that these

programs are led by CCSU faculty, often faculty from the department of their major. This program works well

for students who, for a variety of reasons including employment and family responsibilities, cannot spend a

semester or longer period of time abroad. CCSU offers between 30 and 40 Course Abroad programs per year.

Programs are offered in Winter and Summer Session, as well as embedded in Spring semester-long courses (in

this model, the travel component occurs over Spring Break). Course Abroad programs are planned at least

one year in advance. CIE issues a Call for Proposals each February inviting faculty to propose to offer a

program in the following calendar year. Once programs are submitted to and approved by the department

chair and academic dean, they are reviewed and, in most cases, accepted by CIE. The latter assists faculty with

marketing and recruitment, logistics support (including all financial transactions), student registration,

scholarship awards, and pre-departure orientation for both faculty and students. CIE offers ongoing support

and assistance to all participating students and faculty, including 24/7 support during the delivery phase of all

Course Abroad programs.

National Ranking of CCSU’s Study Abroad Program

The Institute on International Education (IIE) annually tracks study abroad enrollment data, classifying the data

according to duration and institution type using the Carnegie classification system. The data is published

annually in Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange. CCSU’s study abroad program has

consistently been ranked among the Top 40 Master’s Level Institutions in the category of All Types of Study

Abroad and in the Top 20 Master’s Level Institutions in the category of Short-Term Programs. CCSU debuted in

the Open Door Report in 2008 when the short-term program was ranked 18 th in the country. Subsequently,

the program was ranked 19th in 2009 and 2011, 11th in 2012, 17th in 2013 and, most recently in 2014, the

program was ranked as the 8th largest short-term program at all Master’s level institutions in the country for

academic year 2012-2013.1 In all years in which the short-term program made the Top 20 list, CCSU was the

only Connecticut institution of higher education on the list.

As for the IIE Open Doors ranking in the category of Top 40 Master’s Level Institutions for All Types of Study

Abroad Programs, CCSU debuted on the list in 2009 when CCSU’s Study Abroad program was ranked 33rd h in

1 Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange, 2014. P. 110Page | 2

the country. In this category, CCSU was subsequently ranked 14 th in 2010, 30th in 2011, 23rd in 2012, and 27th in

2013. CCSU proudly placed 18th in the nation in this category in 2014.2

STUDY ABROAD BY PROGRAM TYPE

The full-semester/year study abroad program, as currently structured, limits enrollment. Some of the existing

partnerships are more attractive to students than others. The most popular and, thus, most enrolled

partnership programs are those offered in the United Kingdom. This popularity is based primarily on English

being the language of instruction. Other programs, such as existing partnerships in Hungary, Poland, China,

and South Korea, are less attractive to students because the language of instruction is, for the most part,

something other than English.

Another challenge that the Partnership Program faces is the lack of a catalog of course articulations. Students

must negotiate prior credit approval for each and every course they intend to take abroad. To date, faculty

have been reticent to catalog these approvals, which would allow all future students taking the same courses

overseas to receive the same CCSU course equivalency upon completion. A third factor that must be

considered is that study abroad, in general, is not embedded in the curriculum to the extent it should be.

Despite the existence of a set of Study Abroad Advising Sheets – which draw parallels between CCSU majors

and courses available through the Partnership Program – the credits earned by most study abroad students

are applied to their General Education requirements.

Table 1 presents the raw data for study abroad participation by program type and session/year for the period

from Fall 2001 to Summer 2014. During that period 4,040 CCSU students participated in overseas programs.

CCSU began offering the Passport to Global Citizenship Program in school year 2008-09 (SY08-09). This non-

credit cultural enrichment program was originally designed to provide an intensive international experience to

first-year students during the Winter Session of their freshman year. The goal of the program is to encourage

students to obtain a passport for the purpose of eventually studying abroad for academic credit. The first four

Passport programs were offered in London, England; England was chosen primarily because of its facility of

language. Beginning in SY11-12, the Passport program was expanded to include programs for targeted

2 Open Doors, 2014. P. 101Page | 3

populations that were under-represented, such as students in the B.S.-Ed program, business and technology

majors, and graduating seniors.

As Chart 1.1 shows, overall enrollment in study abroad has increased steadily over the 14-year period studied.

Full semester study abroad peaked in SY07-08 when enrollment reached 81 students, representing a 395%

increase over SY01-02. Course Abroad enrollment reached its peak in SY12-13 when enrollment reached 340.

This represents a 293% increase over SY01-02. The growth in full-semester/year study abroad programs is

impressive, in part, because the number of partnership programs has actually diminished over the reporting

period. In SY01-02, CCSU had nearly 50 partners “on the books.” Many were unsustainable, either because

the language of instruction was something other than English or a language offered by CCSU’s Modern

Language Department or because CCSU could not, in the long-term, recruit enough students to “balance” the

exchange program.

Page | 4

The growth of the Course Abroad program is tied directly to increased participation by faculty representing a

wider set of CCSU departments. In 1995, for example, the Geography Department was the only department

sponsoring a short-term study abroad program. As of AY13-14, every CCSU department had sponsored at

least one Course Abroad program.

Chart 1.1: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Distribution by Program Type

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Course Abroad ProgramSemester/Academic YearPassport to Global Citizenship Program

As shown in Chart 1.2, enrollment in full-semester study abroad is relatively small. As Chart 1.4 shows, full

semester/year population represents fewer than 20% of the students who study abroad, and is only slightly

higher than twice the number of students who have participated in a Passport to Global Citizenship program.

This data suggests that significant work is needed to make full-semester study abroad a more relevant and

attractive option for CCSU students. Possible ways of doing this include working with faculty to embed study

abroad in the curriculum, expanding the number and geographic reach of CCSU-sponsored full-semester/year

study abroad programs, and using scholarships as an incentive.

Page | 5

Chart 1.2: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Trends by Program Type

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Passport to Global Citizenship ProgramSemester/Academic YearCourse Abroad Program

Chart 1.2 also shows somewhat erratic, but overall significantly positive growth in the Course Abroad program.

The enrollment trend, except in the case of SY11-12, directly correlates with the number of programs offered.

Chart 1.3 shows how many Course Abroad programs were proposed by faculty, compared with how many

actually ran, as opposed to being cancelled because of low enrollment. Over time, when the number of

programs offered increased, so did enrollments; when the number of programs offered decreased,

enrollments dropped. SY11-12 was an anomaly for which there is no explanation.

The “sweet spot” in Chart 1.3 is in SY05-06 and SY06-07, when no courses were cancelled due to low

enrollment. The largest number of programs offered in any one academic year occurred in SY12-13 when 38

programs were offered. However, this was also the year in which the largest number of programs – twelve –

were cancelled due to low enrollment. Despite cancellations, this year also saw record enrollments.

Page | 6

Chart 1.3 CCSU Course Abroad Programs: Trends in Number of Programs Offered

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Programs OfferedPrograms Cancelled Programs Run

Chart 1.4 summarizes participation by program type across the fourteen-year reporting period. During this

period, 73% of the CCSU students who studied abroad on a credit-bearing program did so via the Course

Abroad program. Using SY12-13 as an example, 86.9% of CCSU students participating in an international

program went on a short-term program. This number is significantly higher than the national average of

60.3% reported for SY12-13 by IIE.3 It should be noted, however, that in this particular year, CCSU experienced

a 14-year record high enrollment in Course Abroad program participation.

Chart 1.4: 2001-2014 CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Total Percentages by Program Type

8.9%18.3%

72.7%

Passport to Global Citizenship ProgramSemester/Academic YearCourse Abroad Program

3 Institute on International Education, Open Doors 2014 Fast Facts.Page | 7

STUDY ABROAD BY SEMESTER/TERM

Full-semester study abroad programs occur during the Fall and Spring semesters. Short-term faculty-led

programs occur over Winter Session, Spring semester, and Summer terms.

Chart 2.1 reveals that, predictably, Fall semester is the period in which the least number of students study

abroad. This is primarily because Course Abroad programs are not offered in the Fall semester; it is also

because, as shown in Chart 2.2, the Spring semester is more popular among students studying abroad for a full

semester.

Chart 2.1: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Distribution by Semester/Term

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

SummerSpringWinterFall

Page | 8

Chart 2.2: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Full-semester Study Abroad by Semester

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

FallSpring

As Chart 2.3 shows, the Summer term Course Abroad programs have had higher enrollments than Winter and

Spring programs over most of the reporting period. This did not hold true, however, in SY9-10 and SY10-11,

when Spring enrollments outpaced Summer enrollments. Since SY11-12, however, Summer has, once again,

taken the lead. Winter enrollments have always been significantly lower than Summer program enrollments

and, except for the three-year period SY04-05 through SY06-07, significantly lower than Spring enrollments.

One contributing factor to the three-year period of SY04-05 through SY06-07, when Spring programs were the

least enrolled, was the total number of programs offered in the Spring semester.

Chart 2.3: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Short-term Course Abroad Participation by Semester

Page | 9

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

WinterSpringSummer

It is interesting to note that Summer Course Abroad programs are more expensive than Winter and Spring

programs, yet they have the highest enrollments. The cost is high because summer is peak travel season,

causing airfare and accommodation costs to rise. Also, students who register for Summer Course Abroad

programs must pay not only the travel program fee, but also Summer course fees. The same two-part cost

structure – travel costs and course fees -- applies to Winter programs. However, Spring programs are the

least expensive for a full-time CCSU student because the course tuition is included in their full-time tuition;

they only pay additional fees for the travel program. The data suggests that cost is not the most important

factor in determining when a student studies abroad on a short-term program; the semester/term in which a

program is offered, the destination, and the length of time abroad are more significant factors.

Chart 2.4 depicts the trend in study abroad enrollments across all types of programs by semester/term. In the

aggregate, Spring and Summer enrollments significantly outpace Fall and Winter programs. As Chart 2.5

shows, over the fourteen years covered by this analysis, 36% of the 4,040 students who studied abroad did so

during the Spring semester and 35% of the students chose to go abroad in the Summer term, while a mere

8.5% of the students went abroad in Winter.

Chart 2.4: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Trends by Semester/Term

Page | 10

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

FallWinterSpringSummer

Chart 2.5: 2001-2014 CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Total Percentages by Semester/Term

8.5%

20.3%

36.0%

35.1%

FallWinterSpringSummer

Page | 11

STUDY ABROAD BY ETHNICITY

Table 2 presents the raw data by Ethnicity and Session-Year:

Page | 12

Non-Spanish White students accounted for over 77% of all CCSU students who studied abroad over the

fourteen year period 2001-2014. A snapshot of data was taken for SY12-13, the last year in which all data was

available. Study abroad participation was compared to the overall CCSU population and national data derived

from IIE’s Open Doors Report4:

Chart 3.1: Study Abroad Comparisons by Ethnicity

EthnicityCCSU Student Population,

Spring 2013CCSU Study Abroad

Population, 2012-2013National Data According to IIE

Open Doors, 2012-2013White, non-Hispanic 70.7% 74.9% 76.3%

Hispanic 9.6% 9.96% 7.6%

Black, non-Hispanic 9.6% 6.36% 5.3%

Asian 3.1% 1.91% 2%

In 2012-2013, Black students accounted for 6.36% of the CCSU study abroad cohort. This percentage outpaced

the national average, but was significantly lower than the 9.6% Black population at CCSU in Spring 2013.

Hispanic students comprised 9.96% of CCSU’s 2012-2013 study abroad cohort. This percentage is slightly

higher than the 9.6% Hispanic population at CCSU in Spring 2013 and over two percentage points igher than

the national average of 7.6%.

The study abroad participation rate by CCSU Asian students in 2012-2013 was 1.91%. This is lower than both

the national study abroad participation rate (2%) and the relative size of the Asian population at CCSU (3.1%).

Study abroad by White students (74.9% of the 2012-2013 study abroad cohort) was higher than the

percentage of White students at CCSU in Spring 2013 (70.7%), but lower than the national study abroad

statistic of 76.3% for the same period.

Note:  Between 2008 and 2010 institutions had to change how they collect race and ethnicity on admissions and

personnel applications in order to conform to how federal agencies were collecting this data.  CCSU

implemented this change beginning in 2010. Previously, CCSU requested prospective students and employees

to identify themselves by selecting one and only one race.  The new requirements ask two questions: 1) Are you

Hispanic: (Yes/No)? and 2) What race are you (select all that apply)?.

4 Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange, 2014. p. 84Page | 13

Chart 3.2: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Distribution by Ethnicity

SY01-0

2

SY02-0

3

SY03-0

4

SY04-0

5

SY05-0

6

SY06-0

7

SY07-0

8

SY08-0

9

SY09-1

0

SY10-1

1

SY11-1

2

SY12-1

3

SY13-1

40

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Chose not to report

Multiracial/Other

Hispanic or Latino

Black/African-American

Asian-American/Pacific Islander

Native American/Alaskan

White, non-Hispanic

Chart 3.3: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Trends by Minority Participation

SY01-0

2

SY02-0

3

SY03-0

4

SY04-0

5

SY05-0

6

SY06-0

7

SY07-0

8

SY08-0

9

SY09-1

0

SY10-1

1

SY11-1

2

SY12-1

3

SY13-1

40

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Native American/Alaskan Asian-American/Pacific IslanderBlack/African-AmericanHispanic or LatinoMultiracial/Other Chose not to report

Chart 3.4: 2001-2014 CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Total Percentages by Ethnicity

77%

1%2%

5% 9%2% 6%

White, non-HispanicNative American/Alaskan Asian-American/Pacific IslanderBlack/African-AmerocanHispanic or LatinoMultiracial/Other Chose not to report

Page | 14

STUDY ABROAD BY GENDER

Table 3 presents the raw data for study abroad program participation by gender:

Using Spring 2013 statistics, Chart 4.1 shows that CCSU’s study abroad participation by gender is nearly on par

with national study abroad data. It is worth noting that, relative to the size of the overall CCSU student

population in Spring 2013, fewer men are participating in study abroad.

Chart 4.1: Study Abroad Participants Comparisons by Gender

Gender

CCSU Student Population,

Spring 2013

CCSU Study Abroad

Population, 2012-2013

National Data According to IIE

Open Doors, 2012-20135

Male 49% 35% 34.7%

Female 51% 65% 65.3%

5 Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange, 2014. p. 85Page | 15

Charts 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4 indicate that in almost all instances, when there is a rise in study abroad participation,

participation by male student changes in direct proportion to changes in overall participation rates.

Chart 4.2: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Distribution by Gender

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

MaleGender

Chart 4.3: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Trends by Gender

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

MaleFemale

Chart 4.4: 2001-2014 CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Total Percentages by Gender

34%

66%

MaleFemale

Page | 16

STUDY ABROAD BY SCHOOL AFFILIATION

Note: All data in this section of the report is for the period of time preceding the reorganization of departments following the creation of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Bucking national statistics in this area, more than half (52%) of the CCSU students who participated in study

abroad from 2001 to 2014 were majors from within the School of Arts and Sciences. During this same

timeframe, participation in study abroad by CCSU majors in Business and Engineering and Technology

comprised 12.5% and 10.5% of the CCSU study abroad population, respectively. School of Education and

Professional Studies majors comprised 13% of all CCSU students going abroad over this 14-year period, while

undeclared majors accounted for the remaining 11.6%.

Table 4 presents study abroad by College/School affiliation:

According to IIE’s 2014 Open Doors Report, during academic year 2012-2013 Business and Management

majors comprised 21.2% of the 178,984 U.S. students who studied abroad that year. This number was

followed closely by Engineering majors, who represented 19.2% of the U.S. study abroad population. In that

Page | 17

same year, CCSU Business students comprised only 6.1% of the CCSU study abroad population and those

majoring in the School of Engineering and Technology comprised only 7.6%. These participation rates are

significantly lower than the national statistics, suggesting that there is much room for improvement in

internationalizing the curriculum within these two schools. Participation by CCSU majors within the School of

Education and Professional studies comprised 13.1% of CCSU’s study abroad population in SY12-13, a

percentage significantly higher than the corresponding national statistic of 5.6%. The likely driver of that

accomplishment is the large percentage of Nursing majors who studied abroad that year.

Chart 5.1: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Distribution by College/School Affiliation

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

UndeclaredEducation and Professional Stud-iesBusinessArts & SciencesEngeneering and Technology

As presented in Chart 5.2, the fourteen year trend shows study abroad participation by students majoring in

disciplines within the schools of Arts and Sciences, Education and Professional Studies, and Engineering and

Technology is on the rise, with the sharpest increases occurring within the School of Arts and Sciences

occurring between 2004 and 2008. The trend among Business and undeclared majors is down, with 54.6%

fewer Business majors studying abroad in 2012-2013 than in 2007-2008 when study abroad by Business

majors in an academic year hit a record high of 64 students.

Page | 18

Chart 5.2: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Trends by College/School Affiliation

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Engeneering and TechnologyArts & SciencesBusinessEducation and Professional Stud-iesUndeclared

Chart 5.3: 2001-2014 CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Total Percentages by College/School Affiliation

10.5%

52.4%

12.5%

13.0%11.6%

Engeneering and TechnologyArts & SciencesBusinessEducation and Professional Stud-iesUndeclared

Page | 19

STUDY ABROAD BY DESTINATION

The top ten destinations for CCSU study abroad students over the fourteen year period 2001-2014 were the

United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, France, Germany, Jamaica, Australia, Belize and New Zealand.

These destinations are nearly identical to the top ten destinations of U.S Study Abroad students as reported in

IIE’s 2014 Open Doors Report.6 The only difference between the two lists is that Belize and New Zealand on

CCSU’s Top Ten list were replaced with Costa Rica and Ireland in the report.

The United Kingdom is the most popular study abroad destination among CCSU students. The oldest and

largest study abroad partner – the University of Central Lancashire – is located there, as are numerous Course

Abroad programs each year, as well as the Passport to Global Citizenship Program for first-year students. Over

the period 2001-2014, 21.9% of the 4,040 CCSU students who studied abroad chose the United Kingdom as

their destination. In SY12-13, 102(21.6%) of the 472 students who studied abroad that year did so in the UK.

According to the Open Doors Report, 13% of all U.S. students who studied abroad in 2012-2013 selected the

United Kingdom as their host destination.

Chart 6.1: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Distribution by World Region

SY01-02

SY02-03

SY03-04

SY04-05

SY05-06

SY06-07

SY07-08

SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13

SY13-14

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

United Kingdom

Oceania

Non-contiguous United States

Multi-destination

Middle East

Latin America/Caribbean

Europe

Asia

Africa

6 Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange, 2014. p. 87Page | 20

Strong language programs and an active faculty in the Modern Languages departments are responsible for the

large number of CCSU students who opt to study abroad in Spain, Italy, and Japan. These destinations

constitute, respectively, the second, third, and fourth most popular study abroad destinations among CCSU

students. In all these cases, CCSU has language immersion partnership programs which provide students the

opportunity to study abroad for a semester or year immersing themselves in language study. In addition, the

Modern Language department annually offers Summer Course Abroad programs to these countries to allow

students to study language and culture in an intensive immersion program. Faculty outside the Modern

Language program also offer Course Abroad programs to Spain and Italy on a regular basis.

Chart 6.2: 2001-2014 CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Total Percentages by World Region

3.6%7.5%

24.8%

24.1%

1.6%

1.4%

1.5%

13.6%

21.9%

Africa

Asia

Europe

Latin America/Caribbean

Middle East

Multi-destination

Non-contiguous United States

Oceania

United Kingdom

Table 5: CCSU Study Abroad Participants: Distribution by Destination

DestinationSY01-

02

SY02-

03

SY03-

04

SY04-

05

SY05-

06

SY06-

07

SY07-

08

SY08-

09

SY09-

10

SY10-

11

SY11-

12

SY12-

13

SY13-

14

Australia 0 12 0 20 0 21 0 16 0 6 14 2 1

Austria 0 15 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 0 0 0

Barbados 1 0 3 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Belize 0 0 0 14 10 0 19 0 0 0 0 13 7

Brazil 12 0 1 0 0 0 24 10 3 1 1 0 0

Chile 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 16 0 6 0

China 16 0 0 0 8 10 9 28 19 2 17 30 9

Costa Rica 0 0 11 0 8 0 13 0 0 0 0 9 0

Page | 21

Cuba 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 9

Czech Republic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 1

France 0 1 16 7 19 8 17 6 18 6 19 4 21

Germany 3 4 2 22 10 4 7 4 17 24 8 8 7

Iceland 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 7 0 0 0 0 0

Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 7 0 0 21 0 15

Italy 35 29 32 11 5 34 44 31 51 51 16 24 29

Jamaica 0 0 0 0 1 8 2 5 0 22 28 35 18

Japan 2 9 0 7 0 17 29 25 14 2 11 18 26

Mexico 13 0 2 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Multi-destination - Africa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13

Multi-destination - Asia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 0

Multi-destination - Europe 0 9 9 9 0 23 27 0 0 0 9 82 44

Multi-destination - L.

America/Caribbean 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0

Multi-destination - United

Kingdom 16 0 20 0 21 0 21 0 12 11 0 13 14

Multi-destination - Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 9 10 7 0

N. Africa & Middle East 0 0 0 0 0 27 0 4 0 0 0 0 0

New Zealand 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 18 13

Nicaragua 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 0 0 0

Non-contiguous U.S. 0 0 13 0 12 18 0 13 0 0 0 0 0

Other - Asia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 1

Other - Europe 2 2 33 16 16 32 16 9 3 14 13 10 33

Other - Latin America/

Caribbean 0 0 14 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0 0

Panama 0 0 10 10 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Peru 0 0 0 11 0 7 0 24 0 13 0 0 0

South Korea 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 8 10 9 10 3 12

Spain 9 36 32 24 38 8 48 44 41 50 19 57 48

Sub-Saharan Africa 6 6 0 3 13 13 1 0 14 26 8 0 6

United Arab Emirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 6 5 7 0 12

United Kingdom 12 36 23 38 55 62 86 134 113 69 69 89 63

Total 139 187 229 198 220 330 401 402 360 366 334 472 402

Page | 22

SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT FOR STUDY ABROAD

The CIE coordinates the University’s Study Abroad Scholarship Program. Scholarship funds are derived from a

number of internal and external sources. Internal sources include special allocations and institutional financial

aid earmarked for study abroad; external sources include the CCSU Foundation, Inc. and other private, state,

and federal granting agencies.

CIE scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis, although the CIE strives to fund all qualified applicants.

Criteria includes matriculation at CCSU, course registration associated with the study abroad experience, and

an overall GPA of at least 2.50. CIE nominates students through the CCSU Scholarship Committee, which

includes one committee member representing CIE. Awards approved by the Scholarship Committee are

awarded through the Financial Aid office, which ensures that a valid course registration exists prior to

disbursing the award. CIE scholarships are contingent upon studying abroad; if a student withdraws from a

study abroad program, the CIE scholarship award is rescinded.

The main source of CIE scholarships is the CCSU Foundation, Inc., which, in accordance with individual donors’

wishes, holds endowments dedicated for study abroad to particular countries or geographic regions. The

study abroad destinations covered by current Foundation endowments includes East Asia (in its entirety),

Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

Chart 7: 2005-2014 Study Abroad Scholarship Support: Total Percentages by Source

36.1%

12.2%13.6%

20.5%

4.1%

1.1% 11.1%

1.2%CCSU Foundation, Inc.

Parking Fines/Vending

CIE Special Programs

Financial Aid Set-Aside

Institutional Advancement

Alumni Association

Special Allocation

FIPSE

Page | 23

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

As validated by the current IIE Open Doors rankings, the University is making steady and continued progress

toward its strategic planning goal of sending 1,000 students abroad annually. The CCSU study abroad

population mirrors national statistics in the categories of gender and study abroad destinations. CCSU is

making progress on increasing study abroad participation rates among minority and other under-represented

populations. Faculty commitment to the short-term Course Abroad program is strong, as is departmental

participation. Study abroad participants represent all majors, as well as the graduate program. The University

provides adequate scholarship support for the current number of participating students.

In order to improve upon the current situation, there are a number of things that could be done to further

enhance the success and reputation of the CCSU Study Abroad program. To that end, the following

recommendations are made:

Develop a catalog of course articulations for all study abroad Partnership programs;

Develop incentive plans to encourage academic departments to embed study abroad in the curriculum of their majors;

Hire an additional study abroad advisor to increase the visibility of the study abroad program through collaboration with the school-based advising centers and college-prep programs;

Increase institutional support for study abroad by increasing the amount of financial aid earmarked for study abroad participating, providing internal funding to offset Course Abroad overhead costs, and offering partial or full tuition scholarships for full-semester study abroad;

Develop new models of study abroad, including summer institutes offered by CCSU on campuses of foreign partner institutions;

Transition from a paper-based application to an online (web-based) application form;

Increase the number of Partnership programs with institutions offering instruction in English;

Increase the number of full-semester study abroad opportunities by creating new bilateral partnerships and affiliating with a wide variety of third-party program providers that will extend the curricular offerings and geographical reach of the CCSU Study Abroad program;

Continue to provide Passport to Global Citizenship Programs that introduce students, particularly first-year students, to the importance of gaining first-hand international experiences in order to develop intercultural competencies and whet their appetite for participating in longer, credit-bearing study abroad programs; and

Develop additional customized short-term study abroad programs for targeted, under-represented populations, such as the Passport to Global Citizenship Program for EOP students which was offered in China during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Page | 24

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND SCHOLAR SERVICES

BY OLUWATOYIN AYENI

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is an important unit of the Center for International Education

(CIE) at Central Connecticut University (CCSU). The role of ISSS is to support international students and

scholars by providing information on visa application before their arrival on campus, at initial contact during

international orientation and throughout their entire student experience at CCSU. In addition, ISSS provides

international students and scholars with information regarding their new environment and the tools required

to navigate their way around campus and be successful academically. There are three main areas of services

provided by ISSS: Immigration Services, Programing and Outreach, and Cultural Adjustment and Advisement.

The international student population on campus is currently about 2% of the total CCSU student population

(www.ccsu.edu/about/files/FactsS2014.pdf). The international population at CCSU holds several visa

classifications defined as follows:

F-1 Student: An international student pursuing a full program of study at the Undergraduate or Graduate level or enrolled in the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at CCSU.

J-1 Student: An international exchange student participating in a semester-long or academic year course of study at CCSU as part of a cultural and/or academic exchange.

J-1 Scholar: An international exchange scholar engaging in teaching, research, professional development and/or other scholarly activities at CCSU.

H-1B Faculty: An international faculty member hired by CCSU, in a full-time tenure-track position.

This report provides data on CCSU international students and scholars from school year 2008/09 (SY08/09) to

school year 2013/14 (SY13/14). The data was extracted from ISSS current and archived records. Degree-

seeking student data are from fall and spring enrollment, while data on non-degree students and scholars are

from fall, spring and summer enrollment. Data on international faculty include fall and spring employment.

Students present for a single semester within an academic year are counted as one (1); students present for

both semesters of the academic year are counted as two (2).

Page | 25

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS BY CATEGORY AND GENDER

Table 6: International Students and Scholars Distribution by Category and Gender

Category/School Year (SY) SY08-09 SY09-10 SY10-11 SY11-12 SY12-13 SY13-14 TotalA- Undergrad & Grad StudentsUndergrad Male 89 87 90 66 53 60 445Undergrad Female 77 70 60 50 52 57 366 Total Undergrad 166 157 150 116 105 117 811Grad Male 32 24 18 21 20 32 147Grad Female 34 30 26 15 24 39 168 Total Grad 66 54 44 36 44 71 315All Undergrad & Grad 232 211 194 152 149 188 1,126

B- "Non-Degree" StudentsEnglish-2nd-Language-IELP 83 62 80 71 73 55 424Int'l Training-Jamaica 79 47 92 77 87 42 424Int'l Training-Nigeria 0 23 56 6 0 0 85Int'l Training-China 20 0 0 0 0 0 20Exchange Students 57 57 50 41 65 55 325 All "Non-Degree" 239 189 278 195 225 152 1,278 Male 75 81 113 72 75 57 473 Female 164 108 165 123 150 95 805

All Students [A] + [B] 471 400 472 347 374 340 2,404

C- International Scholars Int'l Scholar Male 2 1 0 1 4 Int'l Scholar Female 2 2 1 1 2 8 All International Scholars 2 4 0 2 1 3 12

All Internationals 473 404 472 349 375 343 2,416

Table 6 provides a breakdown of the total distribution of international students and scholars who attended

CCSU from SY08/09 to SY13/14 by category and gender. H-1B faculty are not included in this table. The data

include both degree and non-degree-seeking international populations. The “degree-seeking students”

category includes graduate and undergraduate students, “non-degree-seeking students” includes exchange,

Intensive English Language and professional development students; and “international scholars” includes

visiting scholars who are here conducting research and/or engaging in other scholarly activities.

Page | 26

Chart 8.1: Enrollment of Degree and Non-Degree-seeking International Students

SY08-09 SY09-10 SY10-11 SY11-12 SY12-13 SY13-14

232211

194

152 149

188

239

189

278

195

225

152

All Undergrad & Grad All "Non-Degree"

Charts 8.1 and 8.2 and Table 6 indicate that overall undergraduate international student enrollment is much

greater than international graduate student enrollment. For the period of SY12/13 to SY13/14, there was an

increase in international graduate enrollment; this trend is likely to be a result of undergraduate international

students remaining at CCSU to pursue graduate studies.

Chart 8.2: Comparison of Undergraduate and Graduate Enrollment SY08-09 to SY13-14

SY08-09 SY09-10 SY10-11 SY11-12 SY12-13 SY13-140%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total Undergrad Total Grad

Page | 27

Chart 8.3: Degree-seeking Undergraduate and Graduate International Students by Gender

S Y0 8 - 0 9 S Y 0 9 - 1 0 S Y 1 0 - 1 1 S Y1 1 - 1 2 S Y1 2 - 1 3 S Y1 3 - 1 40

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Undergrad Male Undergrad Female Grad Male Grad Female

Chart 8.3 provides a breakdown of degree-seeking international students by gender. There were more

international undergraduate male students attending CCSU than international undergraduate female students.

However, at the graduate level, there were on average more female international students than their male

counterparts.

Chart 8.4: Non-Degree-seeking International Students by Gender

Male37%

Female63%

Chart 8.4 represents the gender makeup of non-degree-seeking international students from SY08-09 to SY13-

14. This group is comprised of all exchange students, Intensive English Language, Jamaican participants and

those who came for professional training. For the time period SY08-09 to SY13-14 there was a total

enrollment of 1,278 with 805 (63%) females and 473 (37%) males (See Part B of Table 6 non-degree students).

Page | 28

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

CCSU is home to international students from over 100 countries. Table 7 depicts the distribution of degree-

seeking international students at CCSU based on their country of origin and continent.

Table 7: Degree-seeking International Students by Country/Region of Provenance

Provenance/School Year (SY) SY08-09 SY09-

10SY10-

11SY11-

12SY12-

13SY13-

14 Total

Asia India 31 34 42 25 12 25 169 China 15 21 21 19 19 21 116 South Korea 10 7 11 14 14 14 70 Saudi Arabia 5 10 10 8 7 21 61 Vietnam 4 2 3 4 7 3 23 Other 52 41 32 16 19 23 183

Total Asia 117 115 119 86 78 107 622Europe United Kingdom 22 19 15 8 12 13 89 Germany 3 7 3 2 15 Poland 14 7 5 6 4 2 38 Spain 1 1 Sweden 3 2 2 2 2 11 Other 21 24 9 9 9 10 82 Total Europe 63 59 34 23 27 30 236

Africa Angola 1 1 2 4 8 Egypt 1 4 3 2 10 Ghana 2 2 2 4 2 12 Morocco 2 2 8 8 20 Nigeria 4 4 3 2 4 2 19 Other 3 1 1 3 5 13

Total Africa 11 8 10 13 19 21 82South America Brazil 2 2 Colombia 2 2 2 6 Ecuador 2 2 2 2 8 Venezuela 1 1 Other 1 1 3 5 Total South America 6 3 2 2 2 7 22Total Other* 35 26 29 28 23 23 164

Grand Total 232 211 194 152 149 188 1,126*Total Other represents international students from the Caribbean, Central America, the Middle East, North America, and

Oceania.

Page | 29

The top three countries of origin for degree-seeking international students were India (169), China (116) and

United Kingdom (89). Of the 1,126 degree-seeking international students, 55% were from Asia, 21% from

Europe, 7% from Africa, 2% from South America, and 15% from “Other” which includes North America,

Australia & Pacific Islands (See Charts 9.1 and 9.2).

Chart 9.1: Distribution of Degree-seeking International Undergraduates and Graduates SY 08/09 thru SY13/14

Asia55% Europe

21%

Africa7%

South Amer-

ica2%

Other15%

Within the continent of Asia, the country of India has the highest number of degree-seeking international

students attending CCSU. The enrollment of international students from the continent of Asia has been

increasing due to program offerings of particular interest being available at CCSU.

The number of enrolled international students from Saudi Arabia quadrupled over the reporting period. This

increase can be attributed to, among other things, the matriculation of Saudi Arabian students who completed

the Intensive English Language Program and the availability of scholarships from the Saudi Arabia Cultural

Mission (SACM.)

CCSU enrolled more international students from the United Kingdom than any other European country

followed closely by Poland. Among the countries representing the continent of Africa, Morocco and Nigeria

had the largest enrollment of students at CCSU. As for South America, only a total 22 students chose to study

at CCSU during the period under review.

Page | 30

Chart 9.2: Distribution of Degree-seeking International Students by Continent from SY08/09 through SY13/14

SY08-09 SY09-10 SY10-11 SY11-12 SY12-13 SY13-140

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Asia Europe AfricaSouth America Other

Page | 31

Table 8 provides information on non-degree-seeking international students and visiting scholars according to

country/continent of origin. There were over 100 countries represented at CCSU during this time period. For

purposes of this report, we will focus on those countries with the highest number of students enrolled.

Table 8: Non-Degree International Students and Scholars by Country/Region of Provenance

Provenance/School Year (SY) SY08-09

SY09-10

SY10-11

SY11-12

SY12-13 SY13-14 Total

Asia China 18 13 10 2 10 24 77 South Korea 43 21 23 17 14 7 125 Japan 11 16 12 14 17 11 81 Saudi Arabia 1 4 10 25 25 65 Turkey 9 2 4 3 2 20 Vietnam 14 8 3 2 27 Other 9 5 9 7 7 2 39

Total Asia 104 66 65 55 75 69 434Europe United Kingdom 19 22 26 17 20 16 120 Poland 4 2 4 8 2 20 Spain 10 3 8 12 9 8 50 Sweden 1 2 1 1 1 2 8 Germany 3 3 1 6 13 Other 3 4 6 5 2 20

Total Europe 37 36 42 36 44 36 231Africa Angola 2 6 3 5 3 19 Egypt 1 4 5 Ghana 0 Morocco 1 4 5 Nigeria 4 23 56 6 89 Other 5 6 2 13

Total Africa 6 30 65 21 6 3 131South America Brazil 11 10 5 4 6 1 37 Colombia 1 2 4 3 1 11 Ecuador 1 1 2 Venezuela 2 3 1 6 Other 1 3 2 6

Total South America 13 12 13 7 13 4 62

Total Other 81 49 93 78 88 43 432Grand Total 241 193 278 197 226 155 1,290

Page | 32

Chart 10.1: Total Distribution of Non-Degree International Students and Scholars (SY08/09- SY13/14)

Asia34%

Europe

18%

Africa

10%

South America

5%

Other33%

All continents considered, Asia contributed the largest number of students (34%). Students from other

continents were distributed as follows: Europe (18%), Africa (10%), South America (5%) and remaining (33%)

included students from North America, Australia-Pacific Islands/Oceania.

Chart 10.2: Distribution trend for Non-Degree-seeking International Students and Scholars

SY08-09 SY09-10 SY10-11 SY11-12 SY12-13 SY13-140

20

40

60

80

100

120

Asia Europe AfricaSouth America Other

Within the continent of Asia, South Korea (125) contributed more students than any other country, followed

by Japan (81), China (77) and Saudi Arabia (65). Many of these students enrolled in the Intensive English

Language program. The United Kingdom and Spain contributed the largest numbers of European students

enrolling respectively 120 and 50 students. United Kingdom students, for the large part, were non-degree

exchange students, whereas Spanish students were in the Intensive English Language program. Among the

African countries, Nigeria contributed the largest number of participants in non-credit training programs.

Page | 33

Undergrad Grad Undergrad Grad Undergrad Grad Undergrad Grad Undergrad Grad Undergrad Grad TotalSchool of Arts & Sciences Biology 11 3 7 2 12 1 1 2 3 2 8 3 55 Computer Science 4 5 10 2 15 9 7 6 58 Mathematics 4 10 4 11 4 7 5 6 7 7 3 5 73 Other 45 8 35 6 18 2 17 10 14 16 17 16 204 Total 64 26 56 21 49 10 32 18 31 25 34 24 390 School of Business Finance 16 9 6 4 3 4 42 International Business 16 3 19 Marketing 10 12 8 2 4 4 40 Other 21 2 30 30 25 21 20 149 Total 63 2 54 0 44 0 31 0 28 0 28 0 250 Engineering & Technology Computer Info.Tech. 11 9 14 7 2 9 52 Mechanical Engineering Tech. 17 17 18 14 18 22 106 Technology Management 6 7 8 6 7 10 44 Other 6 7 13 5 19 5 19 3 13 3 10 11 114 Total 23 24 30 21 37 27 33 16 31 12 32 30 316School of Education & Prof Study Marriage & Family Therapy 8 4 3 4 4 23 Nursing 2 2 7 9 4 4 28 Physical Education 13 2 10 11 9 10 2 15 2 74 Other 1 4 5 8 2 4 2 2 1 1 4 11 45 Total 16 14 17 12 20 7 20 2 15 7 23 17 170

Grand Total 166 66 157 54 150 44 116 36 105 44 117 71 1,126

SY12-13 SY13-14

Table 10-c: International Undergrad & Grad distribution by Major/College of Affluation

Col lege/Major/School Year (SY)SY08-09 SY09-10 SY10-11 SY11-12

Table 9 shows the distribution of students by majors at level of study.

Arts and Sciences and Engineering and Technology have the highest total number of international students in

their programs, followed closely by the School of Business. A closer look at the distribution of undergraduate

and graduate programs shows that Arts and Sciences has consistently enrolled students at both

undergraduate and graduate programs. Business had no graduate programs during the reporting period. This

can be explained by the fact that the Master’s in International Business Administration stopped enrolling

students at that time. Engineering and Technology continued to attract international students at both the

graduate and undergraduate levels. It will be of interest to see how the numbers will pan out next year with

the transition of all STEM degrees from Arts and Sciences to Engineering and Technology. Enrollment in

Mechanical Engineering Technology remained strong at 106. Engineering and Technology programs remained

of great interest to international students. The School of Education had 170 students enrolled, 74 of which

were Physical Education majors.

Page | 34

Table 9:

Chart 11.1 shows the population of CCSU’s international faculty over time. Work authorization visa

applications for international faculty are processed through the Center for International Education. The data

shows a spike in the hiring of international faculty at CCSU between the SY12/13 and SY13/14. This trend is,

most likely, a function of the increasing globalization of the labor market. Over the years, CCSU has hired

international faculty from different parts of the world with the highest number from China.

Chart 11.1: Distribution of International Faculty from SY07/08 through SY13/14

SY07-08 SY08-09 SY09-10 SY10-11 SY11-12 SY12-13 SY13-140

5

10

15

20

25

30

International Faculty

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Until recently, the number of international students at Central has depended on word of mouth. It is

encouraging to note that there is an on-going conversation about international student recruitment strategies

and plans to implement such strategies.

Because overall cost (including tuition, fees, and living) is an important factor that international students

consider when choosing a place to study, and because CCSU becomes more expensive when the dollar is

strong, CCSU should consider financial incentives in order to increase international student enrollment.

CCSU should also enhance its relationship with community colleges in order to increase international student

enrollment. There has been recently an increase in the number of international students transitioning from

local community colleges and CCSU.

Page | 35

INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM

BY CHRISTIE WARD

As an integral component of fulfilling the mandate of Central Connecticut State University as a Center for

Excellence in International Education, it is the mission of the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) to

provide English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in American English and an introduction to American

culture.

IELP serves international students, non-native speakers of English residing in the surrounding area, faculty

members from abroad, and foreign professionals. Specifically, IELP offers English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

to individuals who are seeking matriculation into American universities, especially CCSU, and facilitates the

transition of these students into mainstream academic courses. For those not wishing to pursue academic

study, IELP provides ESL for enrichment and the improvement of communicative competence.

Customized programs in English for Special Purposes (ESP) are offered at IELP to meet the needs of businesses

operating in the area and abroad. Additionally, IELP provides professional support for practicum and

assistantships for students who are pursuing their Master's Degree in TESOL at CCSU.

As a fully self-funded program, IELP is solely responsible for its own marketing and recruitment. While

enrollment trends are profoundly impacted by the vagaries of the global political and economic climate, IELP

has, through the years, managed to maintain a healthy level of diversity among its participating clients.

The following tables and charts explore IELP’s enrollment trends by gender, visa/immigration status, and

country of origin.

IELP PARTICIPANTS BY GENDER

During the period of School Year 2003/04 (SY03/04) thru School Year 2013/14 (SY13/14), IELP enrolled a total

of 422 (33%) male and 871 (67%) female participants, for a combined total of 1,293 participants. These data

are in keeping with the general international education trends for most institutions, which often find females

studying abroad at nearly double the rate of males.

Page | 36

Table 10: IELP Participants by Gender

School Year (SY)

SY03/04

SY04/05

SY05/06

SY06/07

SY07/08

SY08/09

SY09/10 SY10/11 SY11/1

2SY12/1

3SY13/1

4Total

Male 32 30 22 49 37 56 39 39 33 49 36 422

Female 64 61 77 88 85 119 88 86 81 76 46 871

Total 96 91 99 137 122 175 127 125 114 125 82 1,293

Table 10 provides a breakdown of IELP participants by gender. Females chose to study in IELP at a significantly

higher rate than males during every year of the program. In SY2008/09, both male and female enrollment

increased dramatically, peaking at 175; this increase can be attributed largely to the relative weakness of the

U.S. dollar at the start of the economic crisis. Furthermore, during SY2012/13, there was a notable bump in

overall male enrollment, the result of the program’s first influx of primarily male Saudi Arabian scholarship

students.

Chart 12.1: IELP Participation by Gender

S Y 0 3 / 0 4 S Y 0 4 / 0 5 S Y 0 5 / 0 6 S Y 0 6 / 0 7 S Y 0 7 / 0 8 S Y 0 8 / 0 9 S Y 0 9 / 1 0 S Y 1 0 / 1 1 S Y 1 1 / 1 2 S Y 1 2 / 1 3 S Y 1 3 / 1 40

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Male Female

In SY2013/14, the gap between male and female participants closed significantly. This is due in part to the fact

that IELP saw a drop in enrollment in its University Prep program, a course that primarily enrolled primarily

international Au Pairs working for families in the Connecticut area. Another reason for the closing of this gap is

that SY13/14 was the year that the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM) Scholarship Program first began to

send a significant number of both male and female students to IELP.

Page | 37

Chart 12.2: Total IELP Participation by Gender

SY03/04 SY04/05 SY05/06 SY06/07 SY07/08 SY08/09 SY09/10 SY10/11 SY11/12 SY12/13 SY13/140%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Male Female

IELP PARTICIPANTS BY VISA/IMMIGRATION STATUS

The primary goal of the Intensive English Language Program is to serve international students, so it is not

surprising that half of all IELP participants between SY03/04 and SY13/14 entered the United States on an F-

1/F-2 student visa. This type of non-immigrant student visa allows foreigners to pursue education (academic

studies and/or language training programs) in the United States. Students on the F-1 visa must maintain a full-

time course of study, which for IELP participants means 20 hour per week of intensive English. Travelers on

the F-2 visa are the spouses or dependents of students and are permitted to study only part-time.

Page | 38

Table 11 shows IELP enrollment by visa type. It is important to note that students holding F-2 and J-2 status

are not, necessarily, dependents of CCSU students; they could be the spouse or dependent of an F-1 or J-1

student attending another institution of higher education in the local area.

Table 11: IELP Participants by Visa/Immigration Classification

School Year (SY)

SY03/04

SY04/05 SY05/06 SY06/0

7SY07/0

8SY08/0

9SY09/1

0SY10/1

1SY11/1

2SY12/1

3SY13/1

4 TotalF-1/F-2 41 29 32 62 57 78 57 64 83 82 66 651J-1/J-2 17 27 28 52 36 40 34 30 12 16 6 298

B-1/B-2 10 7 4 1 6 36 10 6 3 1 2 86U.S.

Citizen/PR 26 23 22 19 18 15 22 22 15 18 5 205Other 2 5 13 3 5 6 4 3 1 8 3 53Total 96 91 99 137 122 175 127 125 114 125 82 1,293

As Table 11 indicates, the second most common visa classification for IELP participants during the same eleven

year period was the J-1/J-2 visitor visa. The J visa classifications a non-immigrant visa issued by the United

States to exchange visitors participating in programs that promote cultural exchange. The majority of IELP’s J-

visa participants were in the United States serving as international Au Pairs for families in the Hartford region

and beyond. All Au Pairs are required to complete at least six hours of academic credit or equivalent in formal

educational settings at an accredited U.S. post-secondary educational institution, and through the years, many

have elected to enroll part-time in IELP’s daytime Listening/Speaking or Reading/Writing classes, or in IELP’s

part-time integrated skills evening class, University Prep. The popularity of the University Prep among Au Pairs

remained relatively high until SY11/12, at which time other colleges and universities in the area began to offer

continuing education courses in disciplines other than ESL, specifically tailored to the needs of the areas Au

Pairs.

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Chart 13.1: IELP Participation by Visa Status

S Y 0 3 / 0 4 S Y 0 4 / 0 5 S Y 0 5 / 0 6 S Y 0 6 / 0 7 S Y 0 7 / 0 8 S Y 0 8 / 0 9 S Y 0 9 / 1 0 S Y 1 0 / 1 1 S Y 1 1 / 1 2 S Y 1 2 / 1 3 S Y 1 3 / 1 40

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

F-1/F-2 J-1/J-2 B-1/B-2 U.S. Citizen/PR Other

United States citizens and permanent residents made up the third largest classification group of IELP

participants between SY03/04 and SY13/14; at 205, they were 16% of the total enrollment. The main issues

that prevent more residents from enrolling in IELP are their work schedules, which often make an intensive

program untenable, and the federal requirements that restrict students from using financial aid to pay for

non-credit coursework. This restriction makes IELP cost prohibitive for many citizens and permanent

residents. Nevertheless, there are those who realize that studying in an intensive English program is the

fastest and most effective way to reach their English proficiency goals, so they view IELP as a worthwhile

investment. Since changes to federal financial aid policy are unlikely, finding sources of scholarship money to

support citizens and permanent residents who wish to study in IELP would a great opportunity.

The fourth largest classification group enrolled while on the B-1/B-2 visa. The B visa category is used for

visitors seeking entry for business or tourism purposes. Foreign visitors on a B visa are permitted to take a

“short, recreational course of study during a visit to the U.S.” Typically, IELP enrolls very few B-visa students;

however, the increase in B-visa enrollment in SY08/09, as indicated in Table 11 can be attributed to the overall

high enrollment that year, and to the fact that IELP offered three part-time courses during Summer 2008, all of

which B-visa students were eligible to attend.

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Chart 13.2: Total IELP Enrollment by Immigration Status/Visa Type

F-1/F-250%

J-1/J-223%

B-1/B-27%

U.S. Citizen/PR16%

Other4%

The last Visa/Immigration category, “Other,” includes a variety of visas under which visitors are eligible to

study in the United States, including H1-B (temporary foreign worker), H-4 (immediately family member of a

temporary foreign worker), K-1 (fiancée of an American resident), and L-2 (spouse or dependent of an L-1

employee of an international company with offices in the US and abroad.) Only 4% of IELP participants have

been in one of these “Other” categories.

IELP PARTICIPANTS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Although sending CCSU students to study abroad has long been a major goal of the university, it is equally

important to create and sustain a vibrant international student community here on our own campus.

Between 2003 and 2014, IELP has enrolled students from 94 countries of origin: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria,

Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil,

Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus,

Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,

Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran,

Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Luxembourg, Libya, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico,

Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,

Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Somalia, South

Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine, United

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Arab Emirates, United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Vietnam. IELP is

immensely proud of the role it has played in bringing cultural and linguistic diversity to the CCSU campus and

local community.

As Table 12 indicates IELP registration by country of origin and term. The IELP offers two 8-week sessions

during the Fall semester, two 8-week sessions during the Spring semester and, in some years, an 8-week

Summer session. The numbers represent headcount by session. A student present for a single 8-week session

is counted as one (1); a student present for both 8-week sessions in a semester is counted as two (2). Between

SY03/04 and SY13/14, IELP participants’ top ten countries of origin have been South Korea (176—13.6%),

Poland (110—8.5%), Brazil (94—7.3%), Turkey (80—6.2%), Japan (74—5.7%), Colombia (72—5.6%), Saudi

Arabia (64—5%), Germany (52—4%), China (49—3.8%), Taiwan (43—3.3%).

Table 12: IELP Participants by Country of Origin

School Year (SY)

SY03/04

SY04/05 SY05/06 SY06/0

7SY07/0

8 SY08/09 SY09/10

SY10/11 SY11/12 SY12/1

3SY13/1

4 TotalAfghanistan 0

Albania 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 10Algeria 1 1 2Angola 2 3 3 2 5 2 2 19

Argentina 2 1 2 5Armenia 0Austria 1 1 1 1 4

Azerbaijan 1 1 2Bangladesh 1 1

Belarus 1 1 1 3Bolivia 1 1 1 1 4

Bosnia & Herzegovina 1 1 2

Brazil 4 9 4 9 17 24 11 6 1 4 5 94Bulgaria 1 1 1 3

Cameroon 1 1 2Cape Verde 0

Central African Rep 1 1 2

Chile 1 1 2 1 1 1 7China 2 2 1 1 14 7 8 5 7 2 49

Colombia 4 3 4 8 4 9 9 12 10 5 4 72Costa Rica 2 2 1 5

Cuba 1 1Cyprus 0

Czech Rep 1 2 2 1 6D Rep of

Congo 1 1Denmark 1 1 1 3

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Dominican Rep 1 1 1 1 1 5

Ecuador 1 2 3 1 1 8Egypt 1 2 2 5

El Salvador 1 1Estonia 1 1 2Finland 1 1France 2 1 1 3 2 1 1 11Gabon 1 1 1 3

Georgia 2 2Germany 4 7 7 8 5 3 6 3 3 6 52

Guatemala 1 2 1 4Haiti 1 1 1 3

Honduras 1 1 1 2 1 6Hungary 1 2 1 3 1 8Iceland 1 1India 2 1 2 1 6Iran 1 1 2

Israel 1 1 1 1 4Italy 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 2 16

Japan 4 1 2 2 10 11 10 11 13 10 74Kazakhstan 2 2

Korea (South) 14 10 8 23 21 24 17 19 22 11 7 176Kuwait 1 1 1 3

Laos 1 1 1 3Luxembourg 1 1 2

Libya 1 1Macedonia 1 1 1 3

Malaysia 1 1Mauritania 1 1

Mexico 1 1 3 2 1 1 4 2 3 1 19Morocco 1 1 1 2 1 6

Mozambique 1 3 3 7Nepal 1 1 2

Netherlands 1 1Nicaragua 1 1 2

Niger 1 1 2Pakistan 1 1 2 1 1 6Panama 1 2 3 2 3 11

Paraguay 1 1Peru 5 6 5 4 3 1 2 2 3 2 33

Philippines 2 2Poland 16 14 22 13 14 12 9 3 4 3 110

Portugal 1 10 11Puerto Rico 3 1 1 1 6

Romania 1 2 2 1 6Russia 1 1 4 2 3 1 1 1 3 17

Rwanda 1 1Page | 43

Saudi Arabia 3 3 10 22 26 64Senegal 0Serbia 1 2 3

Slovakia 1 1 2Somalia 1 1

South Africa 1 1 2Spain 1 1 5 1 2 10Sudan 1 1

Sweden 1 1 2Switzerland 1 1 1 3

Syria 1 3 3 4 11Taiwan 7 3 3 6 5 6 3 6 4 43

Thailand 4 2 5 6 3 3 4 3 1 31Togo 1 1 2

Turkey 5 9 10 12 8 13 6 9 2 3 3 80Uganda 0Ukraine 1 5 3 3 2 1 1 1 17

United Arab Emirates 1 1United States 5 5 4 2 2 5 23

Venezuela 2 1 1 1 2 2 3 2 1 15Vietnam 1 2 5 8 8 6 3 2 1 36

Total 96 91 99 137 122 175 127 125 114 125 82 1,293

South Korea

Since the founding of IELP in 1991, South Korea has been an essential market for the program. Unlike the

majority of IELP’s participants, who learn about the program through word of mouth from family and friends,

South Korean students are significantly more likely to apply to the program through an international student

recruitment agency. Through the years, the IELP Coordinator has made several visits to programs agents in

South Korea to bolster IELP’s reputation and build strong working relationships with recruitment partners.

This practice has consistently yielded success.

Poland

Given the City of New Britain’s strong ethnic ties to Poland, it is not surprising that IELP has been an attractive

destination for the relatives and friends of many members of the local Polish-American community. Between

SY03/04 and SY09/10, IELP’s Polish participant population was strong. A combination of Poland joining the

European Union in 2004 and the economic slowdown in 2008 has led to a drop-off in these numbers and many

Polish language learners now opt to study English in the UK and Ireland, more affordable options due to

opportunities to work while studying.

Brazil

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IELP’s Brazilian enrollment is also related to the strong ethnic ties between Brazil and Connecticut, particularly

the Hartford area. Through the years, the stream of Brazilians attending the daytime program has been

steady, but the Brazilian Au Pairs studying in the University Prep program comprised the lion’s share of the

enrollment.

Turkey

Enrollment by Turkish students, though consistent for many years, has also been in decline since SY11/12, also

most likely due to competition from European destinations.

Japan

Since SY08/09, IELP has seen a reliably strong annual enrollment of participants from Japan. This is due almost

entirely to an agreement IELP developed with CCSU’s partner university in Japan, Kansai Gaidai. Each fall

semester since 2008, Kansai Gaidai has sent a group of 10 to 12 students to IELP, to engage in the equivalent

of their “semester abroad” program as English language learners. The success of this relationship has been

bolstered by special cultural engagement opportunities for these Japanese students through IELP’s community

outreach partnership with Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School in Waterbury, where the children are taught

Japanese from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Colombia

Through the years, participants from Colombia have enrolled in relatively small but steady numbers in both

the full-time day program and the part-time evening class. IELP is grateful to several Colombian-American

members of the CCSU community who have been its great supporters, recommending the program to

numerous relatives and friends back home in Colombia.

Saudi Arabia

Since 2011, when IELP was officially approved as a destination ESL program by the Saudi Arabian Cultural

Mission, Saudi Arabian participants have been IELP’s fastest growing population. The King Abdullah

Scholarship Program (KASP) provides all participating students with a monthly stipend, full academic tuition,

medical and dental coverage, airfare, and academic supervision. Currently, there are more than 71,000 KASP

students studying in the U.S., and some have chosen CCSU as their destination.

Germany

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The majority of the 52 German participants in IELP between SY03/04 and SY13/14 have been enrolled as Au

Pairs in the University Prep program; however, a number of German students have studied full-time in the

program. They usually arrive with advanced-level English skills.

China

China is a market which IELP has barely tapped, given the huge number of Chinese students currently studying

in the United States. A collaborative recruitment plan developed by IELP and CCSU’s Office of Admissions

would be the best way to reach this population, given the fact that very few Chinese students are interested in

studying only ESL in the United States. The promise of entry to a full-time degree program will be essential in

attracting these students to CCSU.

Taiwan

Although it was once a critical market for IELP recruitment, participation by students from Taiwan has fallen

off a bit in the past few years. Increased competition from Australia and New Zealand has been a major factor

in the drop-off in these numbers.

Other Significant Enrollment Trends

Africa is an emerging market in international education, and for years, the strong Portuguese language

community in the Hartford region has made IELP an attractive program to students from Angola and

Mozambique.

In addition to top ten levels of enrollment from Japan, China, and Taiwan, IELP has seen a significant number

of Asian students from both Vietnam and Thailand. Both these emerging markets will continue to be

important in the future, as study abroad increases. Furthermore, the recent and growing popularity of CCSU’s

Information Technology graduate programs among Indian students, many of whom are fluent speakers of

English, but who require some level academic writing support, means that the number of IELP participants

from India is destined to increase steadily for the next few years.

Many of IELP’s European participants have been J-1 visitors working as Au Pairs, but a sizable number of

Albanian, Italian and Ukrainian students with local ties to the community have enrolled over the years.

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From Latin America, IELP has attracted a significant number of Peruvian students, also largely due to family

ties in the Hartford area. Students from Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and

Venezuela also continue to be drawn to the program in small but steady numbers.

Although the Saudi Arabian participants are by far the largest population from the Middle East, IELP has also

seen students from Egypt, Iran, Israel, and Kuwait. Furthermore, after 2011, in the wake of the uprising in

Syria, IELP welcomed 10 Syrian students who have since gone on to seek asylum. IELP’s newest successful

creative venture—a collaboration with the American School for the Deaf designed to help develop the ESL

literacy skills of deaf and hard of hearing international students from the United Arab Emirates—should also

lead to a steady increase in that population in years to come.

RECOMMENDATIONS

At its inception, IELP was envisioned as a resource to attract international students to Central Connecticut

State University, by providing students with essential linguistic, academic, and cultural support prior to

matriculation. For many years, IELP’s international recruitment efforts have been a stand-alone venture, paid

for entirely with IELP funds, and conducted without support from or alignment with an international student

recruitment master plan, as envisioned by the university.

The challenge of recruiting students primarily for an ESL program is that many do not wish to study just ESL;

consequently, they look for institutions in which the goals of the IEP and the university are more clearly

aligned.

In the past decade, programs in the School of Graduate Studies have begun to attract a significant number of

international students, and a strong and efficient working relationship between Graduate Admissions and IELP

has emerged. Students with the academic credentials necessary to enroll in a graduate program, but who

have not yet achieved the English language proficiency necessary to begin full-time academic coursework,

have benefitted greatly from the ESL support provided by IELP. Looking ahead, one of the goals of both IELP

and Graduate Studies should be to brainstorm with departments currently attracting large numbers of

international graduate students, in order to develop some guidelines that will make the transition as smooth

as possible for incoming international students, and the faculty who will be teaching them.

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In his most recent opening address, CCSU President stated that enrolling more international students at CCSU

was a goal for the university. In order to meet this goal at the undergraduate level, IELP recommends a

targeted strategic recruitment plan that would match under-enrolled CCSU degree programs, or degree

programs seeking greater student diversity, to international student communities that have demonstrated a

high demand for degrees in those particular majors. Once those programs and populations have been

identified, the Office of Admissions could partner with IELP in order to develop shared, comprehensive

marketing and recruitment materials specifically designed for international student recruitment. Furthermore,

IELP and CCSU Admissions could combine their resources in order to more affordably and effectively

participate in select international student recruitment fairs. This sharing of resources and responsibilities will

be absolutely critical to both the continued sustainability of IELP, and the viability of CCSU’s international

student recruitment aspirations.

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