At one point during the meeting, Davit Khachatryan, the college’s beleaguered Director of Fiscal Services [Davit and admin have not impressed anyone with their planning abilities or bookkeeping], offered an “overview of the current college fiscal status and projections for the next 3-5 years.”
Evidently, expanding the program is among the college’s “planning assumptions”—a technical concept not to be confused with a decision to go forward with that expansion. (“No, no,” I was assured, “no such decision has yet been made.”)
According to my notes, the number of international students (ISs) for 2012-13 is 664. Projected for 2013-14 is 730.
The senators have discussed the expansion of IS during the last two meetings, and it did seem to me that there is considerable hesitation among them, or some of them, regarding this proposal. How would this affect our completion rates? What would happen to the program over time? Etc.
I sense considerably less hesitation among top administration. [End of update]
* * *
As you may know, Irvine Valley College is contemplating expanding its International Students program. One obvious motive is financial.
But is it really a good idea? For instance, it seems likely that we will come to depend on this revenue stream. Is that a good idea?
A recent CHE article:
Diversity Aside, International Students Bring a Financial Incentive (Chronicle of Higher Education)
As college campuses face financial uncertainty and tough enrollment seasons, it’s no secret that attracting more international students can yield benefits beyond the intangibles, like a more diverse student body.
. . .
But once institutions start enrolling international students—regardless of their initial motivations—they come to depend on those foreign students as a revenue stream. Gannon University, a private institution in Pennsylvania where international students make up roughly 10 percent of the student population, enrolled 213 international students, up from 140 last year. “Had we not had international enrollments,” said William R. Edmondson, vice president for enrollment at the university, “we would not be in the financial position that we are in now.”
14 comments:
How many international students (F-1 visa) attend IVC on a given semester? That information is not available on the IVC website (or at least not easily found). The "Facts at a Glance" section of IVC's website (under "About IVC,") does not provide that information. If IVC really wanted to attract international students in big numbers (something that is not obvious) it would have to offer a wide range of programs and services to that student population. In other words, the revenue accrued from high tuition costs charged to those students would have to be largely spent in providing additional and expanded support services. I do not believe there has been a serious conversation regarding IVC's rationale and commitment to attract large numbers of international students. Using revenue from international student enrollment fees to solve college/university fiscal shortages is not the way to balance budgets.
As I recall, IVC has something like 8 or 9 hundred international students these days. Our FTES is around 10,000, I think
Good point, Anon. Yes, revenue would have to be redirected to provide services needed by that population.
Of course, at IVC, often revenue is not directed in thoughtful ways, the persistent absence of a Learning Disabilities Specialists is a case in point. That is a scandal and a great disservice to a growing population (of primarily resident students) - and perhaps a lawsuit ready to happen. If I read the memo right, we will have a Professor of Real Estate and a Counselor dedicated to International Students hired this year while Learning Disabilities languishes under the supervision of those not qualified to supervise. Clearly that needs of that population are not valued as much as the needs of others (real estate agents and international students). What is the real mission of California's community colleges anymore anyway?
Regarding the impact of increased enrollment of international students and the absence of a "serious conversation" of that; I would like to see how IVC's enrollments of international students measures up to other colleges and see what effect those enrollments have on our native and resident students' ability to access classes.
What is the real mission of California's community colleges anymore anyway?
Pretty please, Academic Senate?
Who IS in charge of LD now that Brooke Choo directs (wonderfully and ably) the Student Success Center?
Re the headcount of the International Students program: see my "update" above. Evidently, at present, there are about 664 international students on campus.
Many international students that I have worked with seem extremely disappointed by how much their language skills hinder their quick advancement and completion. they tell tell that they expected (and were advised) that they would complete coursework within two years - only to discover otherwise. Of course, this means they spend more $$$.
How does the growth of international students affect our native and resident population - and their ability to complete their education? Why don't we have a full-time Learning Disabilities specialist anymore?
The college website still identifies Brooke Choo as the college Learning Disabilities specialist. But it also has a video with Julie Willard identified a the college LD specialist.
http://www.ivc.edu/student/dsps/Pages/Learning-Disabilities-Program.aspx
Julie retired quite a few years ago now. I went to her retirement party.
Obviously, money is tight, and the college has developed a process whereby hiring priorities are established. The process was fully vetted/endorsed by the faculty (i.e., the Academic Senate). One might find fault with those priorities, but one should do so with the understanding that they are the product of a process endorsed by faculty. Naturally, it is always possible to modify the process, to make it more sensitive to certain needs, though that takes time.
The failure to hire an LD specialist this year did inspire the academic senate to ask the relevant administrative group (Tier 3) to reconsider their decision not to include it, owing to the widely-understood importance of the LD specialist. That produced no change, but I've heard nothing about those deliberations that suggests a failure to appreciate the importance of this position.
The IVC website still identifies many people in positions they no longer inhabit. That's nothing new. It just helps inflate the illusion of competence. Don't look too closely at the catalog either.
Darryl Cox is still on the site.
Are there any stats on the retention and completion rates of these students?
Check out the video that Kaplan at IVC has on their website:
http://www.kaplaninternational.com/schools/usa/english-courses-irvine.aspx
Increasing the number of international students will be in the best interest of the college in when the economy improves. As you know when the economy is rocking, IVC receives less local students. Less students, less money. I actually see the international students as being more focused than most of our native students who have to attend college or face being kicked out of the house from mom and dad.
boohooo
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