Look around your campus and think of those who have the toughest jobs on campus. Somewhere toward the top of that list will be our colleagues from the Admissions Offices. On few others within the campus environment does the entire fate of the institution hang. Yes, without certain staff members, the campus could descend into chaos, and without faculty there would be no teaching; however, without the work of the Admissions Office staff, there would be no students. No students, no university. It’s a daunting responsibility to create a class.
Since before 2000, college and universities have enjoyed steady increases in the number of high school graduates from which they could build a class. However, according to the 2016 report Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates, we are now in a decade-long plateau. Except for the top-tier institutions which consistently have highly competitive applicant pools, many admissions offices now face a growing challenge of attracting sufficient applicant pools from which they can admit – and then retain – large enough classes to meet projected enrollment goals.
International student enrollments, therefore, serve an important role in bolstering those enrollment figures. While we all believe that international students add to the diversity and culture of our campuses, we would be naïve to neglect the important financial role they play. With most undergraduate international students paying full tuition, they provide additional tuition revenue to help balance that paid by domestic students. And graduate students help by filling slots in programs sometimes shunned by domestic baccalaureate students enticed by attractive salaries in the private sector. For a time, it was working.
And then it began to change.
If you are a client, you will want to attend the 2019 Terra Dotta user conference - TDU Global 2019. TDU Global 2018 surpassed previous registrations, owing in part to the widespread deployment of Terra Dotta solutions by users eager to learn more and to pass their wisdom on to their campus-based colleagues. Special presentations brought the annual user conference to new heights. We expect TDU Global 2019 to build on that success!
Mark your calendar now, and hold April 15-17, 2019, for TDU Global 2019. Our annual user conference will be held at the outstanding Emory Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The Center’s serene natural setting, combined with a Frank Lloyd Wright design will provide the perfect location for a productive, inspiring conference bringing together Terra Dotta personnel with users of all experience levels.
Watch for more details in the coming months. And consider proposing a session! The Call for Proposals is now open with an October 15, 2018, submission deadline.
You won’t want to miss TDU Global 2019 in Atlanta!
In March 2017, Don White joined Terra Dotta as a Client Support Specialist. His responsibilities include working on escalated and advanced client cases, which often involve communicating with Terra Dotta's development and server teams.
Before joining Terra Dotta, Don held positions as an English Language Teacher in Shizukuishi, Japan; an Administrative Assistant at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Study Abroad Center; an Education Abroad Advisor at Appalachian State University; and a Study Abroad Coordinator at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Don obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Ohio University where he also studied abroad in Japan at Chubu University in 2003.
Outside of work, Don enjoys backpacking, tabletop role-playing games, board games, and roller derby. One vacation spot Don has always wanted to visit is Dublin, Ireland!
Don says his favorite part of working at Terra Dotta is “being able to work with the growth of the software and the company but still be able to have that connection to actual study abroad and international offices."
Between printed and online materials, it can be daunting to keep up with the professional literature. Let us help you. Each month we will list several online articles that we hope you will find interesting.
Find an article that you believe others will want to read? Send the link to kerry.geffert@terradotta.com! Here are some to get you started:
Short course abroad popularity up 500%
From The PIE News
How to get students to commit to high-impact learning
From University Affairs
Should America’s Universities Stop Taking So Many International Students?
From The Atlantic
The State Department wants to limit Chinese student visas. Its plan goes too far.
From The Washington Post
Universities look south to recruit international students
From University World News
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