2020-21 Annual Report – International Student Services

Mission

The mission of the Office of International Student Services (OISS) is to actively promote international and intercultural understanding and to cultivate a mutual commitment and support for international education throughout the campus community.

OISS serves all incoming and currently enrolled international students and scholars at UA Little Rock, the Bowen School of Law, and the Clinton School of Public Service. Our office provides assistance to prospective international applicants, supports current international students and scholars in immigration advising, social, cultural, and academic issues during their stay. In addition, OISS seeks to increase international ambience on campus by identifying and implementing new opportunities between domestic and international students through workshops, collaboration with the International Club for social programs, trips and cultural excursions.

Summary Narrative

1) Enhance recruitment and retention efforts to increase enrollment

International recruitment markets are fluid, vast, and very competitive, and offer significant challenges to those institutions without global and national rankings. Institutional rankings are very important to international students as well as to their parents and play a critical role in the student and parent decision making process.

Beyond rankings, there are many other uncontrollable variables of the international student recruitment life cycle that determine student flow. These include, but are not limited to:

  • the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic,
  • economic and political conditions in a country,
  • US relations with those countries,
  • visa regulations and limitations against a country,
  • currency exchange rates,
  • country location,
  • scholarship opportunities,
  • safety,
  • affordability,
  • and employment and internship opportunities.

Thus, international student recruitment and retention requires strategic thinking, financial support, and some level of centralization. This involves multiple support aspects, including but not limited to:

  • Providing necessary resources, financial and otherwise, to fund and support an on-campus international student infrastructure.
  • Creating additional scholarship and fellowship opportunities for highly gifted and talented international students in areas of academics, athletics, art, and music.
  • Engaging in bilateral agreements between UA Little Rock and institutions of higher education outside of the US.
  • Developing and expanding the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) specially to recruit foreign government funded students as well as self-funded international students.
  • Updating and otherwise improving marketing materials.
  • Enhancing web sites devoted to prospective international students.
  • Collaborating with various academic and non-academic units (e.g., the Graduate School, Colleges, Office of Admissions, Intensive English Language Program, Financial Aid, Student Affairs Division) to engage in recruitment and retention of international students.

OISS has no recruitment budget at this time, so in order for it to create one in a short period of time, the university should consider instituting a tuition capture model that would allow OISS to receive a percentage of the tuition paid by international students each semester.  The revenue created by this model could then be used to fund international student recruitment and retention-related initiatives.

Most of OISS functions are designed to support the retention efforts of the university, and we almost have no retention issues with our international students and scholars. In addition to supporting international students on personal, social and cultural issues, one of the key retention services that we provide to our students is to support and maintain current and incoming international students and scholars immigration records.

The immigration-advising piece is heavily regulated and monitored by the federal government. Due to US federal immigration laws, OISS is responsible for ensuring full compliance with all aspects of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). SEVP is a program within the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which acts as a bridge for federal government agencies that have an interest in information on non-immigrants whose primary reason for coming to the United States is to obtain a degree. On behalf of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), SEVP oversees schools, non-immigrant students in the F and J visa classifications, and their dependents.

Additionally, OISS is a US Department of State-designated sponsor of its Exchange Visitor Program and thus is authorized to issue the Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitors who are interested in coming to obtain a degree or academic and cultural exchange. Therefore, it is expected that OISS will fully comply with the US Department of State’s governing regulations (i.e., 22 CFR Part 62) that oversee these programs, non-immigrant exchange visitors in the J visa classification, and their dependents.

Finally, OISS is also involved in community outreach by introducing international students to local families through the International Friendship Outreach (IFO). IFO offers opportunities for social and cultural interaction between Americans and international students while they study at UA Little Rock and it also sponsors a number of social events and day trips during the academic year to make students’ time fun and enjoyable.

2) Strengthen student-friendly operations and customer service

Within the last 2 years, OISS has had a number of staff changes and lost a full-time position due to budgetary constraints.  Compared to other state institutions, OISS has one of the lowest number of staff members in an international office where the personnel is required to monitor, maintain, and report close to 650 active immigration records under various immigration types at three instructional sites (i.e., Main Campus, Clinton School of Public Service, and Law School).

Due to the workload, lack of resources, and to optimize the division’s and students’ time, a web-based student request system was created, which operates almost like a full-time staff member. This system has also made most procedures paperless and was internally created by the OISS personnel without any cost to the institution.

3) Improve diversity and inclusion efforts to provide a safe and inclusive environment for students

All functions of OISS are designed to support the UA Little Rock vision statement, which addresses “improving students’ lives and enhancing our communities”. OISS actively promotes international and intercultural understanding and cultivates a mutual commitment and support for international education throughout the campus community and is committed to following all applicable federal and state laws as well as institutional policies.

The office carefully and reflectively advises international students and scholars regarding federal immigration rules and regulations and helps to improve diversity, inclusion, equality, and global understanding in the campus community.

4) Align financial and human resources to operate more effectively and efficiently

As mentioned earlier, OISS has had a number of staff changes and lost two full-time positions due to budgetary constraints within the last 4 years. Compared to other state institutions, OISS has one of the lowest number of staff members in an international office where the personnel is required to monitor, maintain, and report close to 650 active immigration records under various immigration types at three instructional sites. Due to the workload, lack of resources, and to optimize students’ time, a web-based student request system was created, which operates almost like a full-time staff member. This system has also made most procedures paperless and was internally created by the OISS personnel without any cost to the institution.

For recruitment purposes, OISS has developed a fully electronic communication strategy that capitalizes on each student inquiry received to ensure that contact is maintained and prospective international students are prompted weekly to continue moving through the enrollment process. This communication strategy utilizes coordinated email campaigns, customer relationship management, and cohesion with all communication outlets including our website, social media, and print materials. This electronic communication campaign was also internally created by the OISS personnel without any cost to the institution.

5) Promote student development, engagement, and leadership

In many tangible and intangible ways, international students and visiting scholars positively impact the learning environment as well as the bottom line of the University. In the 21st century, producing graduates with global competence is the responsibility of every university. This new era requires the university to prepare its domestic students for the rigors of a globally interconnected and highly competitive marketplace so that American students can be successful upon graduation and thereafter. For decades, US universities across the country have enrolled students and invited scholars from around the world. These students and scholars bring in unique perspectives from their own cultures, and they share them with faculty, staff, and students, which serves as a vital resource for domestic students in increasing their global competency.

UA Little Rock receives a number of non-traditional and first-generation American college students with little to no international experience. This situation has created an international knowledge and experience gap within the community and state. UA Little Rock and its OISS plays a key role in closing the gap by recruiting and retaining international students that eventually enable the university to produce graduates with global competence  who are ready to meet the current demand for labor in the local, national, and global economy.

6) Other

UA Little Rock is a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school. This certification entails a great deal of responsibility for monitoring, tracking, reporting, and recordkeeping of non-immigrant international students. As a certified school, on behalf of the university, OISS is responsible for ensuring that international students are maintaining lawful non-immigrant status and reporting information on those students to the US Department of Homeland Security, through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

Schools are required to go under review (i.e., recertification) every 2 years to stay in compliance. Our F-program recertification petition was submitted at the beginning of this year to the US Department of Homeland Security. Our petition is still under review. When we went through the same process last time, our petition was approved without any Request for Evidence (RFE) and Request for Information (RFI). That was a huge accomplishment since the approval decision shows that OISS clearly understands the applicable laws, resources, roles, and responsibilities required for being a certified school.

In addition, the university is approved by the US State Department to host degree seeking international students, exchange visitors, visiting professors and researchers, and non-degree student interns under J visa classification. The US Department of State adjudicates petitions of schools who wish to issue form DS-2019 for J-1 exchange visitors, which is a different designation from SEVP certification mentioned above.

Schools are required to go under review (i.e., re-designation) every 2 years to maintain a good standing with the US Department of State. The OISS J-program re-designation petition was submitted last year and it was approved early this year without any Request for Evidence (RFE) and Request for Information (RFI). This is also a huge accomplishment as well for the OISS.

At a Glance

No information provided.


Assessment 1

Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)

Operational

Goal

To assess the customer service of each department under the Division of Student Affairs.

Activity or experience being assessed

The customer service experience of the campus community.

Assessment artifacts

Survey via QR Code and web address found on easily accessible posters posted within Student Affairs

The survey asked the following questions, with an option to leave additional feedback:

I’m satisfied with how the employee handled my inquiry.
This employee resolved my issue.
This person was timely in resolving my issue.
This person communicated in a clear manner.
This person was professional and courteous.
This person made me feel valued.

Time period assessment was done

FY 2021

Results

Despite having posters everywhere and adding the link to the survey in all Student Affairs email signature lines, there were no responses to the survey.

Continuous improvement process

The Division of Student Affairs will continue to develop ways to elicit the campus community’s feedback to better assess staff responsiveness, professionalism, and competency.


Assessment 2

Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)

Operational

Goal

Create helpful, warm and welcoming orientation sessions to inform international students about the US federal immigration laws, institutional and academic policies, and certain state laws (e.g., driver’s license).

Activity or experience being assessed

Assess the experience of those participating in the New International Student Orientation Sessions in August, January, and May and late student orientation sessions.

Assessment artifacts

Surveys

Time period assessment was done

August 2020 & Spring 2021

Results

N/A

Continuous improvement process

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our office functions have moved online so that our office could stay in compliance with federal, state, and institutional mandates and recommendations. In the fall and spring semesters, we could not survey the students due to the challenges created by the pandemic.

Since we couldn’t survey the new international students last academic year due to the pandemic, we are working on a plan to create an online survey and share with incoming international students.

When changes will be made in FY22

August 2021 & Spring 2022

Stakeholder involvement / Communication plan

OISS administration and staff members, as well as the faculty regarding this presentation.


Assessment 3

Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)

Operational

Goal

Develop, support, and participate in targeted efforts that enhance international student recruitment and provide assistance to prospective international students in immigration advising, support services, social, and cultural issues.

Activity or experience being assessed

The Graduate School, Office of Admissions, IELP, and the OISS are working together to recruit and admit international students by focusing on our online presence, communication, and marketing. A recent collaboration between the Office of Admissions, the OISS, the Graduate School, and the Office of Communications and Marketing enabled UA Little Rock to purchase a pilot of Keystone International, which is a third party marketing tool designed to market UA Little Rock programs and degrees within specific countries in their languages. This pilot program will run November 2019 through November 2020. Countries represented in this pilot include China, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. As of today, this new recruitment initiative created ~ 200 within the first month.

Assessment artifacts

Data provided by Keystone.

Time period assessment was done

January 2020 – November 2020

Results

Prior to the COVID-19, we received ~  200 leads through Keystone from November 2019 to December 2019. However, COVID-19 has negatively impacted the rest of FY 2020. From January 2020 to November 2020, we saw ~100 student leads per month.

Continuous improvement process

Based on feedback provided by Keystone, we have made a number of changes to existing prospective international student communication templates.

Continuous improvement process

When appropriate, the Office of Admissions, OISS, IELP,  the Graduate School, and the Office of Communications and Marketing will review the data provided by Keystone to decide whether to renew the contract with Keystone or not.

Stakeholder involvement / Communication plan

Office of Admissions, OISS, IELP,  the Graduate School, and the Office of Communications and Marketing, and the Enrollment Management Office.


Priorities for Next Year

No information provided.