Institutional Commitment to Recruiting

Adapted from material developed by Deb Pierce

Institutional Commitment: Assess Your Readiness to Recruit

Have you clarified the institution’s motivation?

Be honest here. Different motivation/missions will call for very different recruitment strategies.
Is it diversity?
Is it financial? Dorms vacancy?
Is it to enhance the intellectual, cultural life?
Do you need grads in certain departments?

Are you clear about the impact of international students?

English proficiency deficits affect classroom teaching
Racial/ethnic tensions may develop

Big numbers of Asians now,
Iranians, sponsored, rich Arabs in 70’s

Willingness to develop/expand programs to suit new interests?
Prepared to bear the costs of publications, mailings, travel, staff?
It is necessary to define the mission

Establishes clarity of purpose
Link int’l mission to institutional mission statement
Provides a point of reference for recruitment decisions

Goals Should be Both Multi-Year and Short Term

Long term goals identify the direction you want to go

Historical ties
Enhance reputation
Diversify
Greater numbers

Short term goals should be flexible

(e.g. to adjust for Asian crises, 9/11)

Measurable: check of performance of plan at key points (yearly)

e.g. to achieve 10% I.S. pop., or yield equal to U.S. yield

Provide summary of your plan to all who contributed to it

Keep people informed, prepare (yearly) executive summary
Build support early and broadly

Budgets, Resources, Needs

They are often overlooked in early stages of planning process
Conduct an audit of current resources and needed ones
Your budget should include:

Staffing—support and time are crucial to success
Postage and mailing
Telephone, fax, email
Web site development and maintenance
Advertising
Publications
Travel
Memberships, newsletter
Reference library (credential evaluation and cultural)

Part 2 prepared by Mary Reeves, with special thanks to Deb Pierce and Louis Gecenok

Strategic Plan Outline

Executive Summary

In not more than one page, succinctly summarize the entire plan, including current status, potential outcomes, and how to attain those outcomes. Note the projected cost and your recommendations.

Introduction

In this section, discuss your proposal for international recruitment.

Current situation

Discuss your institution/program’s current international student enrollment. List international enrollment trends for the past few years, including level (undergraduate, graduate, ESL, etc.), majors, countries of origin, financial support (family, institution, home government, etc.), percentage as part of total enrollment.

Potential outcomes

Begin to detail why you propose a change/increase in international recruitment. Build upon the stats you outlined regarding the current situation at your institution/program. Describe the kinds of new students you will seek: are they from a different region? Are they academically stronger than your current students? In a different field? Undergrad or grad? Short-term vs. long-term? ESL vs. ESP?

Specific proposals

List options – fairs, tours, direct mail, armchair, advertising.

Where

Based on your analysis of your institution/program’s current international enrollment, list the countries/areas where you propose to travel or target for armchair recruitment.

Discuss the possibilities of who will actually travel, if you propose international travel.

When

Propose a time frame for travel or direct mail/advertising. Fall vs. spring.

Budget

Include everything, from passport/visa fees to registration fees, hotel, airfare, food, taxis, faxes, phone, etc. Remember to include increased postage and materials costs from sequential mailings to the students you would meet on the tour. Also include any advertising costs for the recruiting program.

Measuring outcomes

Propose how you will determine your success in international recruitment. Increase in applications? Increase in enrollment? Increase in diversity? Increase in undergraduates? Increase in a particular program or department? When will you be measuring?

Recommendations

Succinctly restate your recommendations on international recruitment.

Action plans

For each project, list the detailed steps as well as which office or staff member is responsible for accomplishing the particular project and the deadline for completing the action plan.