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All's not hunky-dory for international students at USU • Policy on transfer credits hurts straight-A students By
Leon D'souza Xin Zhong is shocked and incensed. This straight-A international student has just had his scholarship request turned down by the College of Business. The college's explanation: the student has more than 18 transfer hours and therefore cannot be considered. Zhong is appalled at the college's reasoning and alleges the use of double standards in scholarship decisions pertaining to international students. Consider Zhong's story. When he transferred to Utah State University from the Beijing Foreign Studies University in the People's Republic of China, the Office of Admissions granted him 35 hours of transfer credit based on an evaluation of his academic credentials. However, the College of Business accepted only five transfer hours, leaving him with a burdensome course load and a huge dent in his finances, as he had to pay top dollar to take the additional classes required of him. That was two years ago. Zhong is a go-getter. He decided then that he would immerse himself in the rigors of academia while focusing on the grand prize- - the tuition waiver for meritorious students in their second year in the business program. Zhong thought he had it made when after a few grueling semesters he qualified to apply for the award. The scholarship refusal comes as a double whammy. Zhong feels let down by the system. "What is the point of studying so much? These people don't care," he said, fire in his eyes. Ruth Harrison, director of the College of Business Student Service Center, was reluctant to discuss the specifics of Zhong's case. Harrison explained that the college considers all transfer hours accepted by the admissions office as credit toward graduation; however, each department makes its own decisions on exactly how many transfer hours may count toward a major. "The scholarship decision is a college decision, and as far as the college is concerned, a student in that situation would have more than the permissible number of transfer credits. This applies to all students regardless of national origins," she said. Zhong is not the only dissatisfied international student on campus. International students interviewed this week suggest there is a gap between the official words touting the university's commitment to diversity, and the efforts to ensure that international students take back fond memories of their student days at Utah State. "The Office of International Students and Scholars does not do enough to maintain a concern for international students enrolled at the university," said one international student who did not wish to be identified. "I came to school here expecting it to be wonderful, but it is not. There is less acceptance of people that are different. I don't feel at home," said another student who also wished to remain anonymous. This lack of acceptance keeps most international students from participating actively in university and community activities. The International Student Council, the representative body of international students on campus, has been largely ineffective in fostering a sense of community. A council member who spoke to the Hard News Café on condition of anonymity blamed the council's failure on the university administration's apathy toward international students. "The council is like a finger nail. The rest of campus is like a vein. A nail is already dead. Funding is like nail polish. It is useless unless accompanied by structural changes which facilitate integration with the mainstream campus community," she said. Andrew Hong, program director at the Office of International Students and Scholars agrees. "The council has a great deal of limitation. Even our office cannot function effectively sometimes. We do not have enough authority to formulate programs," he said. Hong concurs with the nail-vein analogy. "Last year, tuition was raised. International student tuition increased significantly. Yet in the decision-making process, international students were kept out of the loop," he said. Hong believes that there is a definite need for structural changes, and activities that bring international students together on a continual basis. He has many plans for the council to consider. "International Week is too heavy. It could be broken down so that several activities are spread out over the semester. Activities could be targeted to cater to specific groups of internationals," he suggests. According to Hong, there is a need for cooperation between various countries represented on campus. At present, such cooperation is virtually nonexistent. "Korean students do not have Indian friends. Indian students do not have Chinese friends. This is unfortunate. In a global age, there is a need for greater international understanding, and international education is supposed to facilitate this," he said. Hong is encouraging country-specific associations to organize activities that are broadly targeted so as to involve other communities. "If regions come together, then the spill-over effect will pull other regions in, thus promoting inter-regional understanding," he said. Hong's other priority is international recruitment. "This campus is not as diverse as it is made out to be," he said. "There are no systematic efforts being made at departmental and university levels to recruit internationally. The university seems to be relying on international students finding Utah State through random shots in the dark." Hong has been working to formulate a comprehensive international recruitment strategy. Alumni networks are at the heart of his recruiting mantra. Hong is of the opinion that the university has not been able to fully utilize this resource. "We must mobilize our alumni globally. Their inputs must be solicited in developing a recruitment plan. Each country could have a recruiting representative who could function as a liaison between prospective students and the university. Country representatives could also be included in the triangular structure," he said. Financial incentives are vitally important in any recruiting strategy. Hong has a few ideas. "We could develop a general scholarship fund, as well as numerous country-specific scholarships funded by alumni contributions," he suggested. Hong's policies have found many takers, among them Michelle Meninnger, executive secretary of the International Student Council. "Andrew is an asset to the council and to the university," she said. Others are adopting a wait and watch approach.
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