International enrollment drops this school year
Undergraduate international enrollment is down 8.8 percent due to the economy and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. University admissions procedures will not be changed, officials said.
By Sarah McNamara
Staff Reporter

University officials are crediting an 8.8 percent decrease in international undergraduate enrollment to the economy and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks but say they will not alter admissions procedures because the drop was less than expected.

John Singleton, director for Student Services, said while 75 countries are represented on campus, the international student enrollment has fallen from last year’s total of 476 to 434.

Singleton said international enrollment was affected in part because the terrorist attacks took place during the primary time period that international students apply to study in the United States, September through November. The university also saw an estimated 20 international students graduate in May, the university’s largest class of such students ever, said Ray Brown, dean of admissions.

As a result of heightened immigration procedures, Singleton said some students deferred enrollment.
“By tightening the application of regulation they’re (U.S. Embassies) making it more difficult for students to come in,” Singleton said.

Brown said the struggling economy also contributed to the decrease in international enrollment.

“The financial aspect is huge,” Brown said. “This is an expensive country to go to school in.”

But while the Office of Admissions is not pleased with the drop in international student enrollment, Brown said the office is not planning to implement new programs into their traditional means of recruiting, outside of international travel, because he doesn’t expect another terrorist threat like the magnitude of Sept. 11 to disrupt their recruiting efforts.

“We’d like to see that number go up, we’d like to see it double,” Brown said. “And barring any tragedies, I would venture to guess the numbers will go up, at least to where they were.”