A new international student recruitment initiative done in collaboration with a company called Shorelight could lead to an additional 300 international students enrolled at UW per year.
“Shorelight is a company that partners with universities to do two things: 1) develop a global recruiting presence to increase international student enrollment numbers at UW and, 2) provide on campus support to ensure academic success and social integration of newly recruited students on campus,” Dr. Isadora Helfgott, Vice Provost for Global Engagement and leader of the initiative, said.
They do this by utilizing their extensive network of staff and offices to spread information about what universities offer to prospective students.
“Shorelight has hundreds of staff around the world and 26 established global offices so their recruitment network far surpasses anything UW, or any other individual university, could stand up independently,” Helfgott said.
The Board of Trustees approved the initiative at its September 2022 meeting.
The program will start small and ramp up over time. This will allow time to assess staffing levels and student needs prior to a large increase in international student enrollment.
“The projections in our proposal have us growing from about 40 additional students in the first year to approximately 300 per year by year 10. This includes undergraduate and graduate students,” Helfgott said.
In addition to increased enrollment numbers, which is especially attractive for UW considering the consistent drop in overall student enrollment over the past three years, Helfgott also expects there to be significant intangible benefits.
“More international students at UW increases the diversity of our student body, provides everyone in the community with more opportunities for developing intercultural experience and communication skills, and brings a diversity of perspectives to our research and teaching communities,” Helfgott said.
Helfgott explained that the program will bring in students and set them on one of two paths. The first will be for students who are proficient in English, who will be recruited as regular degree-seeking students. The second will be for students who need to bolster their English-language skills.
“In this model, undergraduate students would have a first-year experience that combines English language instruction with introductory, for-credit coursework that meets USP [University Studies Program] requirements,” Helfgott said.
“Graduate students departments choose to admit who require additional language skills will receive pre-arrival support and instruction in advanced composition and research methods, as well as access to career guidance and job placement services on graduation.”
The impact on currently enrolled international students is likely to be positive.
“My expectation is that this initiative will further enhance the experience of current international students by creating a larger and more diverse international student population, helping UW to develop even more supports and opportunities for international students based on that larger cohort of students, and increasing the visibility of and support for the international student population on campus,” Helfgott said.
