The Importance of International Students in Post-Secondary Education System
International Students, especially the large number of students from China, are both a cultural and financial boon for our state’s post-secondary institutions. The numbers of international students have expanded significantly in the recent past, increasing in importance to their respective schools. In this webinar we’ll explore the impact that international students have on the quality and scope at three distinct higher education institutions. In addition to the financial impact of the foreign students, we’ll examine the influences that students have on curriculums and on social life at their respective institutions. We’ll also explore whether the visa policies of the Trump Administration led to a decrease of enrollments of international students. We’ll discuss the outlook under the new Biden Administration for international students.
We are excited to have a representative from the UW, the four-year institution with the most Chinese students in the state, Green River College—which has the highest number of Chinese students in a community college program—and a speaker from Pacific Lutheran University, which hosts the state’s only Confucius Institute for the study of Chinese language.
Panelists:
Dr. Jeffery Riedinger is Vice Provost for Global Affairs and Professor of Law at the University of Washington. Dr. Riedinger has leadership and administrative responsibility for the university’s diverse global programming including support for international research, study abroad, student and faculty exchanges, and overseas centers. For 2021-2022, Dr. Riedinger is also President and Chair of the Board of Directors for NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
Ross Jennings is the Senior Director of International Education at Green River College in Auburn, WA. He served as Vice President of International Programs between 2008 and 2016. Under his leadership, and that of his successor, Green River’s international enrollment has ranked in the top 10 of the 1,100 US community and technical colleges since 2012. Jennings has spoken and written extensively on international student recruitment, retention, and overseas partnership building. He has recruited and developed educational partnerships in China since 1994.
Dr. Mikel Edwards serves as the fiscal liaison between the Confucius Institute of Washington State located at Pacific Lutheran University and other partner institutions in the state. His works revolves around coordination with partner institutions to manage annual funding, budgets, and communication links. Mikel also serves as an instructor for the “Introduction to American Business,” “Global Business” and “Project Management” programs at Pacific Lutheran. Mikel has a a wide variety of experience in the field of education including five years of experience in in China.
Speakers
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Dr. Jeffery RiedingerVice Provost for Global Affairs; Professor of Law, University of Washington. -
Ross JenningsSenior Director of International Education, Green River College -
Dr. Mikel EdwardsFiscal Expert of the Confucius Institute of Washington State, Pacific Lutheran University
