International
Education is a fairly new concept in my home state. Don’t get me wrong, for years and years,
we’ve been sending American students abroad and hosting visiting international students--but
the concept of shifting our priorities in the matter is a new one. Like any new idea floating around, there are
instant supporters and those who need a little more evidence before jumping on
the bandwagon. I’ve found in my own personal
conversations about International Education that real-life stories start to
soften a possible tough exterior. As
international educators, we meet students daily whose lives have changed
because of their experiences. We hear
their stories of the people they meet, the new ideas they have, and the way
their lives will never be same. Sharing
their stories is an easy step when meeting someone who’s not quite “there” yet.
My
husband is a math guy. He spends his
days writing technical reports, crunching numbers, and problem-solving. While telling him a story about one of my students
interests him (most likely because it
interests me), the best approach is showing him the numbers. It’s the language he speaks-it’s the way he processes
most things in life. I could spend hours on the internet searching for
statistics on my own. Most of those
statistics would give me different results.
I want the facts and he does too.
Did you know NAFSA supplies its members with these
facts?
How many
times have you heard, “Yeah, but the international students are taking away
money from our state….” or “Our university is not interested in spending state
money on students who are not residents….?”
Trust me; I’ve heard this…..plenty.
I don’t think individuals say this half-heartedly or because they don’t
care about students around the world.
True educators truly educate.
They’ve devoted their lives to it.
I think the issue is: they don’t know.
Before I
became involved with NAFSA’s Connecting Our World program, I didn’t know either. I
knew I went to school with international students. I knew some of these students had families
with them. I studied & spent money
abroad. I did not, however, realize how
much of an impact international education had on the economy. The Economic Impact Statement from NAFSA opened my eyes.
In my
state, $370,994,000-yes that’s millions-
was contributed to the economy from Tuition and Fees alone in 2011-2012. One would think that the amount of
international students it took to support such a number would be huge, but it’s
not. In that year, there were only 16,193 students who paid over $300 million to the state. This is the kind of math my husband sees and
then looks at me with his eyebrows raised.
It’s shocking at first glance.
I
encourage you to use the resources NAFSA provides-especially during International Education Week. The Economic Impact Statements
show tangible results of international education in your state, but more
specifically at your school. If our focus is to advocate for the field we love
and the people we serve, we can use all the help we can get. Have a great IEW-use it to change someone’s
mind about International Education.
