The number of international students attending the University in fall 2003 dropped by almost ten percent from last year.
The University has 1,272 international students this fall, down from 1,400 in fall 2002, according the Office of the Registrar’s Web site. The geographic diversity of the international student body has increased, however, with students hailing from 86 different countries this year. The figure is up from 78 last year.
The drop in international student enrollment at the University is symbolic of a nationwide slump in the number of international students as the United States fights the war on terrorism. Since Sept. 11, international students have been subject to new regulations aimed at keeping better track of them.
Ginny Stark, director of International Student and School Services, said the new regulations have affected potential international students.
“More important is the perception of the difficulty of not only obtaining visas but stricter immigration regulations that govern a student’s stay in the U.S.,” Stark said, adding that competition from universities in other English-speaking countries has increased as well.
In a nationwide survey of college professionals, 59 percent of the respondents attributed enrollment declines to visa application processes.
Nationally, international student enrollment increased by only 0.6 percent last year, a marked decrease over past years.
The declining enrollment of international students has caused concern at the University because international students lend diversity to the campus, Stark said.
“Anytime that we have reduced international student enrollment, it may reduce the diversity of students on campus,” she said.
Fewer students may also mean less revenue for U.S. schools and the economy as a whole.
International students contributed nearly $12 billion to the U.S. economy in the past academic year, according to a report by the Institute of International Education.
Stark said the University is studying the reasons behind an unusually large drop in the number of international students.
“We’re in the process of trying to study that a little bit more,” Stark said, adding that a large number of students from Indonesia graduated last year, which may have contributed to the lower figures.
“Students are trying to complete their programs quickly so they can continue with their professional (goals),” Stark said.
Ying-Che Chen, an art history and journalism major from Taiwan, said having fewer international students on campus has both advantages and disadvantages.
“When international students come here, they want to learn as much about American culture and business practices as possible,” Chen said.
In that sense, Chen said having fewer international students on campus means a more “American” experience for those who do come.
Chen added, however, that the University needs enough international students to provide a social network for them.
“(International students) want a good amount of people they can relate to,” he said.
As Chen noted, business is a primary interest for many international students. Almost 20 percent of international students in the U.S. studied business and management last year, according to the Institute of International Education.