2013Cambridge Business & Economics ConferenceISBN : 9780974211428
International Student Recruitment – Are practices of universities sustainable and ethical?
Peter Gibson
University of Wollongong, Australia
Wollongong, Australia, 2522
- ABSTRACT
This paper examines current policies in most western universities that are attracting increasing numbers of international students to their campuses. This is a lucrative business for universities because fees charged are far in excess of the marginal costs. Universities are using funds created to support infrastructure, research and the cost of teaching both domestic and international students. A study is reported of a group of post graduate international coursework students who were asked about their experiences and expectations during recruitment and afterwards as an international student in Australia. In general, their expectations were not met and some felt they had been misled by marketing, mostly through agents in their home countries. Evidence is presented that suggests that universities may be lowering their entry and academic standards to enable them to continue growth in this lucrative market. Many of these students do not appear to be performing to the academic levels of their domestic counterparts and they appear to be disadvantaged, particularly by their English skills. The paper concludes by questioning the ethics of recruitment policies that attract increasing numbers of marginal international students and proposes an alternative of capping numbers to assure quality and sustainable standards and revenue in the future.
Keywords: International students, recruitment, ethics, sustainable quality, exploitation
- INTRODUCTION
Established universities in the developed world have been attempting to attract international students to their campuses across the world for several decades. In the last decade, growth has increased dramatically at all levels from undergraduate to PhD. This has provided a welcomeand increasing source of revenue to many universities. It has been estimated that in the USA international student numbers increased by 40.5% between 2000 and 2011. This is actually a comparatively low rate of growth compared to some countries and international students only represent 3.5% of students on American campuses. (Guhr, 2012) However, these figures hide an over reliance on a very small number of countries. For example, Guhr, states that since 2007 Chinese enrolments have increased by 186% and Saudi Arabia by 332%. The picture is similar in other countries. Between 2000-2011 international enrolments in Australia grew by 125.2%, in Canada surged by 189.5% and in the UK, by 90.6%
Several concerning trends are emerging from this growth. Firstly, over reliance on enrolments from a few specific countries and saturation of those marketsis resulting in a major source of university income becoming vulnerable. That has led to a need for universities to increase their quotas of international students. As such, there has been aggressive marketing led by commission hungry agents in some markets. This inevitably places pressure on entry standards there is aprobability that ‘marginal students’ (Guhr 2012) who are deficient in both English and academic skills are becoming accepted. Secondly, it is questionable whether some recruiters are being entirely ethical in building the expectations of some students that they may, for example, easily obtain employment in the country they come to study in when in fact unemployment and underemployment rates amongst international graduates are very high. (Birrell and Healy, 2012, Maslen, 2012).
On one side of the coin, this paper discusses the goal for university education to be internationally inclusive and to embrace diversity as one of its key values. On the other, the challenge of teaching marginal students who may not have prerequisite academic skills and who are compromised by language and a lack of cultural awareness is considered. The human cost to some international students and their families is also examined. Many students borrow enormous amounts of money or their parents dispose of major assets to pay for international fees that sometimes amount to decades of their potential salary. They are then at risk of currency fluctuations and other economic machinations. For example, the Iranian currency has recently devalued by 2/3 and left some students in financial ruin. In this light, the ethics of attracting the ‘marginal student’ is discussed. The paper illustrates some of this through some poignant case studies and questions the ethics and sustainability of international student recruitment. This paper concludes by suggesting more ethical and sustainable international recruitment strategies for universities in the future.
- WHY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS?
Many western universities are attempting to become much more inclusive of international students. It can be argued that universities have a moral duty to expand their services beyond international boundaries for the good of humanity as a whole. Western universities are attractive to international students for two main reasons. Firstly, growth in many developing countries is simply enormous and demand for higher education far outstrips supply. As such, the premier universities in some of those countries, which rank with the very best in the world, are very difficult to obtain entry into and hence many potential students look wider afield, especially at post-graduate level. Secondly, many of those seeking higher education in developing countries have a desire to travel, see other parts of the world and work and interactin different cultures. In some ways, foreign universities may seem superior to those students and they perceive a better education that should improve their career potential. There are also often possibilities to obtain permanent residenceand /or citizenship in the country in which they choose to study.
The benefits to universities in attracting large numbers of international students are very significant and essential to their growth and survival. In Australia, international education sector is important not only to Australian universities, but also the country’s economy. International education activity contributed $16.3 billion in export income to the Australian economy in 2010–11.(Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). In a GDP of $1.37 trillion, with growth of about 3%, representing about 1.2% of GDP. Furthermore, many educational institutions rely on the income from full-fee paying international students to assist in building their research profile and the provision of education infrastructure to all students, both international and domestic.This does seem to imply some cross-subsidy of universities from international income and it is likely that international students are bearing a disproportionately high cost in the provision of their courses. In 2008-9, there were almost 400,000 international students studying in Australia, a country with a population of around 20,000,000. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). Growth in international student’s numbers has been considerable over the last decade. Concerns were expressed and ethical questions askedsome time ago, for example, Gibson 2003, 2005. This paper considers developments since then.
- RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- Are current rates of international student recruitment representative of true demand such that quality can be maintained and standards of western universities are not compromised?
- Is there any degree of exploitation of international students?
- Are universities behaving ethically in the recruitment of international students?
- METHODOLOGY
This work is based on case study taken from an Australian university that ranks in the top 2% of universities internationally. (Academic Ranking of World Universities, 2012). The work reported here is aimed at providing a pilot study that may or may not point to the need for a more in-depth study. The results are somewhat anecdotal but considered in three main areas:
- International student expectations prior to enrolment and post enrolment
- International student performance in relation to domestic students
- Ethics and sustainability of current practices
Focus Group
A group of 12 international students was formed to discuss a number of issues. The group consisted of students studying in graduate programs leading to post graduate degrees aimed at enhancing their employability in professional practice both in Australia and internationally. The group was of mixed nationalities including students from India, China, Iran, Pakistan, and Thailand.
The following issues were considered:
Reasons studying internationally
Reasons for accepting an offer from this university
Means of financing education program and living expenses
Perceptions of information from marketing activities in their home countries in relation to perceived reality after enrolment
Comparisonof International Student Academic Performance
The work of University assessment committees is largely confidential and it could be argued that there does tend to be a lack of transparency in information. Therefore, at this stage, it is not possible to present definitive information based on an in-depth study of international student academic performance. However, the anecdotal information presented may perhaps provide questions that point to a need to investigate academic performance across a number of universities and disciplines. Finally, there is brief discussion of possible resulting ethical questions resulting from the above investigation and consequential sustainability of current practices in universities.
- RESULTS
Reasons for studying overseas:
All students reported a desire to travel and experience cultures different to their own. About 25% principally for education purposes, some perceiving an institution more prestigious than their own. Several more mature and experienced respondents from a country subject to international economic sanctions reported very poor employment prospects at home and felt they could potentially secure employment in Australia if they obtained a post graduate qualification. By far the majority reported that they desired to complete 2 years of full-time education so that they would become eligible to apply for permanent residence and full-time employment in Australia.
Reasons for accepting offer at this institution:
About half cited competitive pricing of the programs offered. Around 25% were attracted by the specific attributes of the programs and ranking of the university. All except one reported ‘agent recommendation’ which was clearly the most important factor.
Finance:
Around half of the students had taken student loans in their countries. In most cases, the fees including tuition and language schools amounted to around $60,000. Typical salaries they could expect to earn in their home countries were in the order of $12,000 to $25,000 per annum. Most were planning to repay loans by obtaining a high paying job after graduation in the country where they studied. Most who had worked since their undergraduate degrees were using their savings and/or disposal of assets. About half reported being supported by their parents to some extent, who may have disposed of assets to support their child’s education. Mostly, it was clear that the students came from well-off families who were in the upper socio economic demographics of their countries. However, most also reported major sacrifice, mostly disposal of property, by their families to support them.
Employment pre and post graduation:
The vast majority reported that it was essential to work during their studies to pay their living expenses. However, they also reported that they found it difficult to find legitimate employment paid at what they considered to be reasonable rates. Mostly, they obtained employment in cleaning, restaurants and as petrol station attendants (often night work). Students generally report that they were grateful to get any work they could. One student claimed it was common practice for employers to exceed the maximum working hours allowed by a student visa by paying for fewer hours than actually worked, whilst only reporting the maximum. Hence the hourly rate actually paid is effectively far less than legally awarded minimum rates and hence both students and employers are contravening the conditions of the students’ visas. However, no definitive evidence of this practice was offered from this study, although in a study of 40 international students working as cleaners reported by Donovon 2012, a similar claim is made.. "We've found that they do those extra shifts because they're frightened of losing their work."[Then] their employer doesn't pay them for that work and on top of that threatens them that if they seek to recover those lost wages that they may report them to the authorities." United Voice says owners of shopping centres like Westfield, who use cleaning contractors, need to stop the exploitation. A spokesman for the Shopping Centre Council of Australia told ABC's AM the issues are a matter for the contractors who employ the cleaners, not the centres themselves.”
Rather disturbingly, two students reported being the victims of violent physical attacks. One was hospitalised after being stabbed in a screwdriver attack whilst working as a petrol station attendant at night, the other suffered a late night home invasion, where he lost almost all of his possessions of value.
After graduation, they felt the situation was bleaker and that the chances of obtaining professional employment, even after obtaining permanent residence status, were limited. It seems many remain in blue collar part-time casual employment although they could recall a few ex-students who had obtained high paying, prestigious positions in professional practice and they felt optimistic they could potentially emulate that.
What agents told some students about employment prospects:
A common theme promoted was that students would not find difficulty in obtaining a job after graduation and they would earn $55,000-$70,000 per year. As such they were told they would be able to pay back loans within a couple of years. One student claimed students were told ‘all lies’ and the probability of an international student finding a professional job was minimal. Other students said that their agents made no such claims. In general, most were pessimistic but hopeful about employment prospects and inspired by some students who have obtained jobs with high salaries. However, many seemed to think the reality was that they would continue in their part-time jobs until suitable opportunities arose.
Specific disadvantage for international students:
Several issues were brought up. These included a culturally different education system, needing to work long hours to support living expenses, language skills, vulnerability to currency exchange rates, racism, employment culture, inferior assessment performance.
Comparison of International Student Academic Performance:
It is rather difficult to report on actual performance of international students in comparison to domestic students because the assessment mechanisms of most universities are confidential and hence neither open or transparent. However, the author can report on over twenty years of teaching in graduate classes of predominantly international students. In many Business Schools and other vocational units have designed graduate programs that specifically attract international students, where the international proportion of students is in excess of 95%. Hence in making comparisons the sample tends to be very biased towards international students. However, it is not uncommon for international students to score an average of around (say) 55% in many of their units. Raw data in these classes might indicate very high fail rates. However, after processing by university assessment committees it seems there are far fewer fails than raw data would suggest. Assessment committees undergo a number of processes to normalise various assessment data submitted to them. Two of the tools they may use are scaling of results and waiving of examination requirements that seem to have been resulted in excessively skewed exam scores. After these processes were applied in a unit offered by the author recently, the average score for domestic students was scaled to over and 90% whereas the average score of international students after identical procedures was 55%. However, in that class there around 150 international students and only 6 domesticstudents and so the result may well tend to be necessarily skewed.
- DISCUSSION
This work brings up a number of ethical questions:
Are entry standards being compromised for international students in order for universities to fill quotas and hence add to their revenue?
This work finds it plausible that entry standards are being compromised to sustain or maximise number. For example, students themselves report that English skills have disadvantaged them. They read more slowly and find writing in English difficult. It seems that many universities accept students with quite modest levels of English. A commonly accepted level is IELTS 6.0. Some institutions allow lower scores in some bands. 6.0 is described as ‘generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. 5.0 is defined as ‘has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, although is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field’. (IELTS Website, 2013). The author questions whether something between‘some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings and ‘partial command of the language’ is sufficient. There isevidence (E.g. Lebcir et al 2008) that shows that students with lower levels of English perform at a lower level and possibly one that is inferior to domestic student bench marks.