Indiana and Africa

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Indiana and Africa

• Nancy Keteku
• Luc Fanou
• Kim LeBlanc
• May 2006

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Session Objectives

• To provide background information on trends in
  the flow of African students to the United States
• To provide information on African students in
  Indiana

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All international Students

• 2004/2005
• This year's smaller decrease indicate a leveling
  off of enrollments, after last year's decline.
  (IIE)

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Why is/was there a decrease? IIE suggests

• including real and perceived difficulties in
  obtaining student visas (especially in scientific
  and technical fields) (Note Changes in VISA
  procedure)
• rising U.S. tuition costs (Note devaluation of
  currencies)
• vigorous recruitment activities by other
  English-speaking nations
• Perceptions abroad that it is more difficult for
  international students to come to the United
  States.
• In addition, universities in students' home
  countries and other regional host countries have
  been increasing their capacity to provide a high
  quality education to a greater number of
  students, at both the undergraduate and graduate
  levels.
• Source IIE

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New IIE Study sees a modest increase

• A 2005 study of new students for the 2005/2006
  saw a modest increase.
• Reasons
• Increased Recruitment

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Indiana

• Indiana is amazing, in step with much larger
  states
• 13,149 international students attended Indiana
  schools in 2004/2005 (decrease of 3.2 from
  2003/2004)
• Of these, over 8,000 went to
• Purdue campus at West Lafayette (4,921)
• Indiana State University, Bloomington (3,525)

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African Students in the US

• 2000/01 29,400
• 2001/02 32,500
• 2002/03 35,400
• 2003/04 33,942
• 2004/05 32,492

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African Students

• Africans are 6 of the world total students in US
  (consistently)
• 8.9 increase last year
• 80 from English-medium education
• 69 undergrads (2002-2003)
• 28 graduates
• 3 others

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The Malawi Scenario -

• Primary Education for all in early 1990s
• Increased pool for secondary schools
• Increased pool for universities
• University cannot meet the demand
• Entrance exam in addition to MSCE
• Increased interest by qualified students in
  studying in the U.S.

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Educational Advising in Africa Guidance
Counselors to a Nation

• Active in 36 out of 49 Sub-Saharan African
  countries, reaching 90 of the population
• Located in or closely linked to U.S. Embassy
  Public Affairs Section
• Serve over 180,000 students annually

• Offer unbiased guidance on all accredited
  institutions
• Provide group and individual advising, workshops,
  outreach, fairs
• Eager to work directly with admissions officers

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Educational Advisors Your Lifeline!

• Advisors are the worlds premier experts on the
  admission of students from their country to the
  United States.
• They know their local educational systems.
• They should be your liaison to all things
  educational in their country.
• They are resourceful, reliable, and
  service-oriented.

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Role of Educational Advisors

• Help students to generate options and make their
  own decisions
• Keep them from falling by the wayside
• Facilitate communication with U.S. institutions
• Build skills research, writing,
  test-taking
• Operate well-equipped libraries

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Advantages of Educational Advising

• Students who use advising services are more
  likely to
• select suitable schools, complete their
  applications, plan their finances, represent
  themselves honestly, qualify for admission,
  qualify for visas, attend our pre-departure
  orientation, succeed in university, graduate, and
  return home
• Advising raises the caliber of U.S.-bound
  students!

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Web Resources

• www.bc.edu/inhea International Network for
  Higher Education in Africa comprehensive list of
  country profiles and publications, people and
  conferences
• www.unesco.org/iau/whed.html profiles from Guide
  to Higher Education in Africa
• www.wes.org Grade conversion recs
• www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
  Comprehensive country profiles from the CIA
• http//hdr.undp.org/ United Nations Human
  Development Report, vast database
• !

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Referencesfor this presentation

• http//opendoors.iienetwork.org/.

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Questions

• ?

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Contacts

• Nancy Keteku keteku_at_africaonline.com.gh
• Luc Fanou FanouL_at_state.gov
• Kimberlee LeBlanc leblanckd_at_state.gov
• Thank You ! !