Branding’ Community Colleges Abroad

….. “There are more community colleges and colleges in general that are actively recruiting international students now.”
About 15 percent of all international students in the United States study at community colleges, and, despite a temporary drop-off after September 11, 2001, the total enrollment of international students at community colleges has increased by 17.8 percent from 1999 to a total of 83,160 in 2006, according to data from the Institute of International Education. With students from Asia comprising 52 percent of the international enrollment at community colleges – Japan, Korea, Mexico, China and Taiwan are the top five sending countries for two-year institutions – more community colleges have stepped up their efforts to “brand” themselves across Asia and explain their missions to students unfamiliar with the community college concept.
“Five years ago, [the American Association of Community Colleges] decided that it would help member colleges in their recruitment efforts,” says Judith Irwin, director of international programs and services for the association, which runs community college-specific recruitment fairs that travel to multiple countries (the fall trip, for which 30 colleges have signed up, includes stops in Indonesia, Vietnam, China and South Korea). [View Full Article]