The 141 new international students entering this fall set a record. Well, two records to be precise. They are part of the 575 group of international students or campus, a record number. And they represent 54 countries, a record number.
“One thing we are really pleased with is not only the size of the incoming international class, but the diversity of it, with students from all around the world,” said Keith Lamb, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.
Lamb said there is a real benefit in exposing students to the world.
“It’s incredibly important that while students are developing skills, they are also developing an appreciation and an understanding of the rest of the world. And what better place to do that than on college campuses? That is very central to our mission,” Lamb said.
With its international population, Lamb said the university has been gaining a global reputation.
“American higher education in general is the world standard and still more students from around the world seek an American higher education than anywhere else,” Lamb said. “So we very much benefit by being part of that desirable system, and within that system we are gaining a very good reputation as a destination for students from around the world, and we expect that to continue.”
Part of that momentum is from a special tuition category the university offers its international students, one of the very few schools that do, Lamb said.
“It’s higher than in-state tuition and higher than out-of-state tuition, but it’s much less than typical international tuition rates,” Lamb said. “So we are incredibly competitive from a price point, without question. Also, the experience we provide our international students once they come here – I think we have a very welcoming and nurturing campus environment.”
In addition, Lamb said the importance of word-of-mouth cannot be discounted.
“When international students are here, they visit with their friends back home, and with social media now it’s so much easier to stay in contact, so the reputation and real experiences spread very quickly,” Lamb said. “I think that’s been important for us too, we are getting a lot of referrals from students that have positive experiences here.”
Along with that comes an outreach program headed by Randy Glean, director of international services, who travels to countries around the world to inform students and their parents about getting an education at MSU.
“I speak to the parents about the Wichita Falls community, tell them what MSU is like, and let them know of the opportunities available for their child here,” Glean said.
Last year Glean said he went to 20 different countries on behalf of the university. In his experience he has had some parents say they want their student to go to Harvard, and Glean tells them that the quality of education they will receive here will allow their student to transfer for graduate school.
“Students will get here intending to transfer, but a lot end up staying because they like it so much,” Glean said.
