Happy IEW!

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.