Win-Win: Office of International Affairs Partnerships Benefit Students, Campus, and More

Published: April 13, 2021

A recent St. Louis Post-Dispatch article about the decline in international student enrollment at U.S. universities cited Greenville University as an exception, calling it a small school defying the trend.

Geet Vanaik, dean of international affairs at GU, attributes the small schools success to its big heart for service and a large network of partners.

Vanaik and her staff collaborate with partners, build relationships, and grow their network with a winning methodology: they spend less time selling GUs degree programs and more time meeting the needs of international students.

This approach has resulted in increased international enrollment and fruitful partnerships both in the U.S. and overseas.

A partnership with the Office of International Affairs often begins when Vanaik sees an industry need that Greenville University might fill.

Gateway Legacy Christian Academy, a St. Louis area K-12 college preparatory school, welcomes international students from more than 35 countries. Gateway shares GUs commitment to Christ-centered learning and individual care for students. Far from home, many of Gateways students face the challenging task of applying to college in an unfamiliar country. In 2018, Vanaik saw an opportunity to offer these students a taste of university life and the chance to network with university faculty. She found enriching opportunities for them on GUs campus.

Whatever [Gateway Academy] students interests are, we try to connect, Vanaik says. Its very activity based.

• Gateway students interested in music visit GUs music recording studios.
• Those interested in the sciences and criminal justice attended GUs forensics conference.
• Gateway soccer players visit with GU coaches on campus.

In the future, Vanaik hopes to involve Gateway students in Greenville SMART initiatives, which create collaborations between Greenville University and the surrounding community.

Not surprisingly, several Gateway graduates chose GU for undergraduate study and enrolled last fall.

"We are excited about our strong partnership with Greenville University and look forward to an incredible year as we strategically grow with our new campus in St. Louis," said Gateway Academy owner Melissa Morrison.

The Student International Sport (SIS) scholarship network offers a competitive program to international student athletes who aim to play collegiate sports in the U.S. Some SIS students prepare for undergraduate study with intensive English language studies. Vanaiks team now connects SIS students with GUs University Pathways (UP) program, a one-year non-credit intensive English language curriculum that prepares international students for university-level education in the U.S.

GU and SIS formed a partnershipthe SIS Soccer Academywhich allows student athletes to enroll in UP and participate in an SIS-coached soccer program. Students receive the athletic training they want through SIS and the ESL study they need through University Pathways. They emerge prepared to study and play at any U.S. university. As with any group of UP students, some will choose GU due to the community ties they form during their year on campus.

Greenvilles UP program delivers the type of day-to-day life many international students seek.

They are looking to experience the lifestyle of the U.S. for themselves, explains SIS International Relations Manager Alexander Ferreira.

Unlike international and ESL programs at some other schools, Greenville Universitys UP program doesnt silo international students into separate residence halls and activities. UP works to integrate students into the broader campus life from day one, housing them with domestic students and encouraging them to attend campus events and seek academic tutoring through the Universitys usual channels. Its a fast-track to both English proficiency and the U.S. university experience they crave.

Even in partnerships overseas, the Office of International Affairs focuses more on meeting student needs than selling programs. In China, for example, the office partners with recruiting agents who help Chinese students choose U.S. universities. Vanaiks team educates these partner agents about GUs campus culture, small-town setting, and academic programs; then asks the agents to find students who desire what GU has to offer.

Vanaik calls this a selection strategy rather than a selling strategy.

These agents know students who want to study abroad but lack knowledge of the visa and enrollment processes and would benefit from GUs personalized assistance in these areas. Agents also know students who enrolled at U.S. universities before but had disappointing experiences, including a lack of on-campus support or a mismatch between student personality and campus culture. With its above-and-beyond support for international students, GU can offer them a better chance at success.

Vanaik and her team expend such energy helping international students because they understand the true value of a thriving international programfor international students, domestic students, and the health of the University at large.

We live in this global world where youre working and interacting with people from all over the world, Vanaik stresses. Its important for our domestic students to be culturally competent. All the textbook reading and internet searching in the world, she says, cant replace the robust cultural learning that takes place face-to-face between people from different countries.

This benefit travels both ways. Just as domestic students expand their global knowledge, international students expand their view of the U.S. That helps shape the perception of the U.S. overseas.

Plus, Vanaik says, when it comes to academic learning and the sharing of ideas, the more the merrier. With international study, you bring the brightest minds from overseas who are excited about being here in the U.S. They value the educational system, and then they integrate with our domestic students and theyre sharing this [university] experience with them.

Like the scriptural metaphor of iron sharpening iron, multiple global perspectives sharpen thinking. This is especially true when international students connect U.S. faculty with professors at international universities for communication and collaboration.

Vanaik foresees a bright future for GUs Office of International Affairs and its domestic and overseas partners. At the end of the day, she says, its all about making sure students get the opportunities they desire to immerse themselves in another culture, cultivate their intellect, and develop as whole persons.

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