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Bottom Eleven U.S. States Receiving International Students in 2010-11

I've been reading much of the international, national, local and new media coverage pertaining to the release of the 2011 Open Doors data on Monday and it is all very exciting.  The majority of the coverage has highlighted the increased numbers (for both international students and U.S. students abroad) or the "Top" schools sending U.S. students abroad, the "Top" schools receiving international students, the "Top" academic disciplines of U.S. students study abroad, the "Top" sending countries of international students to the U.S. and so on...

Some IHEC Blog readers and many of my friends and colleagues in the field know that I sometimes like to take a different look at the Open Doors data (and sometimes a much more in depth look at the data) and post what I find.  Sometimes I hope my posts lead to further dialogue and debate in our field and sometimes my intent is simply to provide data that, most likely, is not presented in other places.  This post today probably falls under the later but I could be wrong.

Following are the bottom eleven U.S. states* receiving international students during the 2010-11 academic year:

#40  Nevada
#41 New Mexico
#42 New Hanpshire
#43 Mississippi
#44 West Virginia
#45 Idaho
#46 Montana
#47 South Dakota
#48 Maine
#49 Wyoming
#50 Vermont (article "Vermont's modest global draw" in the Burlington Free Press)
#51 Alaska

This list really doesn't say much but it would be interesting to go through the Open Doors data from the past several years and compare the lists to see ifwe can gain any insight into why these states comprise the bottom fifth of U.S. states receiving international students in 2010-11 and if they have historically fallen in the bottom fifth.  While a historical and comparative review might provide some insight I think more analysis of additional variables is necessary to fully understand why this is the case.  Know the total number of higer education institutions in each state would certainly be helpful but I think looking back to see if these states have issued state proclamations in support of international education, which may lead to resource allocation in an effort to market the state as a study abroad destination for international students.  Four states from this group of eleven issued a proclamation in support of International Education Week 2010. Another indication of state level support for international education and valuing international students is to see if these states have established (and hopefully active) consortium working to highlight the state as a study destination for international students.  To my knowledge, of these eleven states only West Virginia has established such a consortium called Study West Virginia at http://studywv.org/.  Update Nov. 17th:  The State of Mississippi also has an established consortium focused on bringing international students to the State.  Study Mississippi has a website http://studymississippi.us AND they are on Twitter at @studyMS.  Another colleague on Twitter reports that she is working to establish Study New Hampshire and that Study Vermont USA has recently been established.

I posted this list of bottom receiving states last night to IHEC Blog's Facebook page and a colleague, Lori Sjokolade, left a very interesting comment/observation about one reason these states may be the bottom receiving schools.  Lori makes the point that:

 "one thing these states have in common is that they are all EPSCoR states.  No surprise that these states rank the lowest since science and engineering are amongst the top fields that international students choose to study in the United States and these states are amongst those that have been identified as needing help in boosting their science and engineering competitiveness."

I hadn't even though about this aspect but I think this is a very valid point. 

What are your thoughts about any of this?

*51 total includes all 50 U.S. States and Washington D.C.
Source for state spedific data and ranking available on the 2011 Open Doors site

Secretary Clinton Delivers Message for International Education Week 2011

What is the first data set you turn to when you look at Open Doors data?

The 2011 Open Doors data will be released by IIE this coming Monday, November 14th.  I attended the release last year at the National Press Club and it was a great experience.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this year but I will be checking out the data and posting some thoughts to IHEC Blog.

When I first visit the Open Doors website I first turn to the student profile data within the study abroad section. I'm interested in seeing what progress, if any, has been made in changing the face of the U.S. study abroad population.  To be sure, I spend a lot of time sifting through the data and crunch some of the numbers to provide additional insight not covered by IIE Research and Program Evaluation Services staff.

Where do you first turn when you check out Open Doors data?

Previous IHEC Blog posts related to the Open Doors data:

- How do you use Open Doors data? (2010)
- Video and Test of Judith A. McHale on Release of the Open Doors 2009 Report
- Data Collection and Students with Disabilities Who Study Abroad (2009)
- U.S. Department of State press releases on Open Doors Data (2009)
- Additional Open Doors 2009 Data Tables Recently Released 
- Can a U.S. Student Study Abroad in the United States? (2008)
- StudyAbroad.com Site Traffic Data Also Provides Valuable Information (2008)
- Over 1,000 Students with Disabilities Studied Abroad in 2006/07 (2008)
- Some States See Decline in Total U.S. Study Abroad Numbers (2008)
- Open Doors 2008
- Open Doors Data on Study Abroad (2007)

Open Doors Data on U.S. Students with Disabilities who Studied Abroad in 2008/09

For the third straight year, the Institute of International Education has collected and presented data on U.S. students with disabilities studying abroad.  During the 2008-2009 academic year, IIE collected data on 1,874 (3.6%) study abroad students with disabilities.  Unfortunately, we only have data on the specific disabilities for 10% of these students which is:

48.1% - Learning Disability/ADD 

24.6% - Mental Disability

15.0% - Other Disability

7.2% - Physical Disability

5.1% - Sensory Disability

Following is a screen shot from the Open Doors website comparing these data against data from the previous two years.

We all owe Mobility International USA a special thanks for advocating for the collection, analysis and presentation of this data and to the research staff at the Institute of International Education for a third straight year of data on these students!

Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, at the 2010 IIE Open Doors Press Release

How do you use Open Doors data?

Today, the Institute of International Education has released its Open Doors 2010 report.  This morning I attended the Annual IIE Open Doors Briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. so I haven't had time to fully review and synthesize all of the new data.  I love looking at and manipulating the Open Doors data to see what additional information can be gleande from this data collection effort.


How do you and/or your institution/program utilize Open Doors data?


You can access the 2010 Open Doors report online at http://www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors (new website this year!)

Additional Open Doors 2009 Data Tables Recently Released

The Institute of International Education (IIE) has recently released new Open Doors data on international student enrollments and study abroad participation at U.S. community colleges, international scholars in the U.S. and intensive English language program enrollments in the U.S. Click on the links below to access these new data tables:


Community College Data Resource

International Scholars in the United States

Intensive English Language Program Enrollments in the United States

If you are interested in adding the print edition of Open Doors 2009 to your office or personal library you can order it by clicking on this link Open Doors 2009: Report on International Educational Exchange (Open Doors//Institute of International Education) (affiliate link)

Photo credit:  srqpix

Video and Text of Judith A. McHale on Release of the Open Doors 2009 Report

At the end of my IHEC Blog post yesterday I asked where to find a transcript of Judith A. McHale’s, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, remarks at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Monday opening the tenth annual International Education Week and announcing the significant findings from Open Doors 2009. Well I found the transcript of her comments which you can read here but you may want to watch this video (6:54) of her remarks:

U.S. Department of State press releases on Open Doors Data

I receive many, many Google Alerts for a variety of search terms related to international educational exchange and it is really great to read all of the news articles (in the international, national & local press) and press releases related to International Education Week, the Open Doors 2009 report and NAFSA’s Economic Impact Statements. I enjoy reading college and university student papers and institutional press releases that highlight the number of international students on their respective campuses and the number of their students that study abroad as well as how they rank in the Open Doors report. Additionally, I liked seeing that the U.S. Department of State issued press releases on the release of Open Doors 2009 (although I was hoping for more of a statement from them). Here are is the link to the two U.S. Department of State press releases on Open Doors data:

-11/16/09 International Students Come to United States in Record Numbers, 16% Increase in New Foreign Student Enrollments is Largest Since 1980; Office of the Spokesman; Washington, DC

-11/16/09 Numbers of Americans Studying Abroad Up 8.5%, China, India, Japan, South Africa, and Argentina See Strong Gains as Destinations; Office of the Spokesman; Washington, DC

Also, does anyone know if (and where) there is a transcript of Judith A. McHale’s, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, briefing on the launch and observance of International Week yesterday at the National Press Club in Washington, DC?

International Education Week, Economic Impact Statements & Open Doors 2009

If you are following international education offices, organizations or people in the field on Twitter or reading/receiving/google alerts feeds from any higher education publication it is hard to miss the fact today marks the start of International Education Week in the U.S. (thanks President Clinton!), that the Institute of International Education (IIE) released their annual 2009 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange and that NAFSA: Association of International Educators released their 2008-2009 Economic Impact Statements.

There is a lot of information to read, analyze and synthesize and I admit I haven’t had much time to do this yet. I do plan to post to IHEC Blog, to the IHEC Blog Facebook page, and to Twitter about these topics all this week.

Following are a few links to whet your appetite[i]. These are the main sites I will be visiting/using in my analysis of this data and to see what, if any, trouble I can stir up in an attempt to start discussions on how we perceive and/or report on the state of the field of international education.[ii]

International Education Week by U.S. Departments of State & Education

See which governors have issued International Education Week Proclamations

2008-2009 Economic Impact Statements by NAFSA (for the first time also broken down by Congressional District)

Open Doors 2009 by IIE

Fall 2009 International Student Enrollment Survey by AACC, AASCU, ACE, AAU, APLU, CGS, IIE & NAFSA

[i] Many thanks to Andy Amsler over at NAFSA his message this morning.
[ii] Please see this IHEC Blog post from March 20, 2007 to see an example of the type of discussion I like to see us international educators, as well as outsiders, participate in.

Data Collection and Students with Disabilities Who Study Abroad

For a second year, the Institute of International Education is collecing data on students with disabilities for their annual Open Doors survey. While all data collection efforts in the field are important I think this is perhaps one of the most important questions to be answered on the survey and I encourage all colleagues in the field to contribute to this effort.

The following basic disability statistics for study abroad were obtained from the Open Doors 2008 website here.

OPEN DOORS 2008 BASIC DISABILITY STATISTICS FOR STUDY ABROAD

Note: This is the first year that IIE has collected data on students with disabilities studying abroad. Due to the low response rate, this data should not be interpreted as a national-level finding.

116 institutions provided disability data for their study abroad students in 2006/07. Out of the approximately 39,400 total study abroad students at these institutions, 42.7% had no disability, 2.6% had disability and 54.7% had unknown disability status.

Types of disability reported were:

Learning Disability - 50.5%

Mental Disability - 25.4%

Physical Disability - 8.0%

Sensory Disability - 5.8%

Other Disability - 10.2%

Purdue University, San Diego State University and Linfield College reported the highest total numbers of students with disabilities studying abroad.

An additional summary of the Open Doors data collection efforts on students with disabilities who studied abroad in 2006-2007 is available on the Mobility International USA (MIUSA) website here.

IHEC Blog readers may also be interested in a recent article entitled “Tracking Student with Disabilities Who Study Abroad” by Michele Scheib March/April 2009 issue of NAFSA’s International Educator which you can access here.

See previous IHEC Blog posts on students with disabilities studying abroad here.

IIE’s Get a Passport: Study Abroad Campaign

The Institute of International Education (IIE) just launched their Get a Passport: Study Abroad campaign.

IIE introduces the Get a Passport: Study Abroad campaign with the following:

"With 70% of Americans lacking a passport and less than 1% of American college students studying abroad each year,[1] some of your students may never have thought about getting a passport and studying abroad.

Too many students are failing to acquire the understanding of foreign cultures and languages, cross-cultural communication skills and leadership qualities that result from studying abroad. By encouraging students to see that a passport is a document as necessary as a college ID, campuses can help students to become globally competent professionals, with the skills they will need to succeed in the international marketplace."

The first campuses to sign on as partner campuses are:

Boston University

Champlain College

Grand Valley State University

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Ohio State University

Scottsdale Community College

University of Missouri

You can learn more about the Get a Passport: Study Abroad campaign here.

[1] Please see my previous IHEC Blog post entitled “Open Doors Data on Study Abroad” where I discuss the importance of reporting accurate national participation rates on U.S. students studying abroad as I argue reporting a 1% or 2% national study abroad participation rate is misleading. You can access this post here.

Some States See Decline in Total U.S. Study Abroad Numbers

I’m pleased to introduce our second guest blogger today. Chip Peterson from the Learning Abroad Center at the University of Minnesota has identified an interesting trend in the Open Doors 2008 data. Chip’s post follows:

While glancing through the most recent Open Doors data I noticed a curious phenomenon. One of the tables in the report is entitled, STUDY ABROAD BY U.S. STATE, 2005/06 & 2006/07. According to that table, overall study abroad numbers increased for forty states (plus DC) and declined for ten states. Four of the latter ten are located in the Upper Midwest: Iowa (-0.2%), Minnesota (-1.5%), North Dakota (-16.7%), and Wisconsin (-0.9%)! Within the Upper Midwest only South Dakota experienced an increase (+40.8%).


The remaining six states with declines were much more scattered geographically: Delaware, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Vermont.


The overall national increase, for comparison, was +8.2%.


What do you think is going on here?

Can a U.S. Student Study Abroad in the United States?

As International Education Week 2008 comes to a close I wanted to pose a question that I’ve been grappling with for some time now. Can a U.S. student study abroad in the United States and, if so, can or should we count them in the Open Doors Report on U.S. Students Studying Abroad?

My answer to both these questions is “Yes” but only in certain cases. I’m thinking about the TCKs (Third Culture Kids) who hold U.S. citizenship or the dual citizens (U.S. and any other nationality) who have lived most or their entire lives outside of the United States[1] but come to the United States to pursue a higher education. I argue that many U.S. students attending our colleges and universities who meet such a profile are actually studying abroad. We don’t collect data on these types of students (and in many cases offer little or no support for these students) because we base our data collection efforts solely on U.S. citizenship and act of earning academic credit anywhere outside of the United States. The problem, of course, with collecting data on the types of students that I’m suggesting is determining a criterion or measure for qualification into this unique group of students. This measure would be based primarily on the amount of time spent living outside of the United States. If this was the only or the primary measure used in determining the eligibility of a student to be counted as a U.S. student studying abroad in the United States, what amount of time would make one eligible?

[1] Children of ex-patriots and military children could also be included in this cohort.

Over 1,000 Students with Disabilities Studied Abroad in 2006/07

Today, my colleague Michele Scheib from Mobility International USA (MIUSA) will be a featured guest blogger. Michele is discussing the new Open Doors data on U.S. students with disabilities who studied abroad in 2006-2007. Michele’s post follows:

Over 1,000 students with disabilities from 116 U.S. post-secondary institutions studied abroad for credit in 2006/07, according to baseline figures from the Institute of International Education (IIE)’s annual Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange (http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/). This represents 2.6% of the total number of study abroad students. Half of the students with disclosed disabilities reported a learning disability, while one quarter reported mental disabilities. Students with physical, sensory or other disabilities comprised the remaining 25 percent. Students with disabilitiestypically represent 9% of the student population on U.S. campuses, according to U.S.Department of Education, National Postsecondary Student Aid Studies.

IIE collected the disability data for the first time this year, and hopes the low response rate will improve next year. Purdue University, San Diego State University and Linfield College reported the largest numbers of disabled students. Information on how to collect disability data can be found on the Open Doors website (http://tinyurl.com/3ak5fa).

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and administered by Mobility International USA. The NCDE provides free information and referral services to increase the participation of people with disabilities in international exchange programs. www.miusa.org/ncde

StudyAbroad.com Site Traffic Data Also Provides Valuable Information

Yesterday’s release of IIE’s annual Open Doors report provides international educators, campus leaders, educational researchers and others with valuable data on the state of international education in the United States. Another resource in the field (and often overlooked) is StudyAbroad.com and the data it collects on traffic to and on its website.

In a press release today on the Wall Street Journal Market Watch website, StudyAbroad.com released their site traffic report. In some ways, the StudyAbroad.com site traffic data may be more revealing of the trends in U.S. study abroad than Open Doors due to lack of institutional reporting and other issues associated with data collection efforts in the field.

You can read the StudyAbroad.com press release here: http://tinyurl.com/6yacnn

Open Doors 2008

Today, the Institute of International Education (IIE) released Open Doors 2008 to the general public. This week all blog entries will focus on this new report and data.

The total number of U.S. students studying abroad rose 8 % to 241,791 in 2006-07 and the total number of international students studying in the United States increased by 7% to a record number of 623,805.

I encourage readers to look beyond the basic data presented for the nation, their institutions and alma mater(s).

You can access Open Doors 2008 here: http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/

What We Know About Diversity in Education Abroad: State of the Research

The following text is excepted from:

Comp, D. (2007, May). What We Know About Diversity in Education Abroad: State of the Research. The Proceedings for the Colloquium on Diversity in Education Abroad: How to Change the Picture, 48-53. Colloquium organized and hosted by the Academy for Educational Development on May 2, 2006 in Washington, DC.

The best understanding on the state of diversity in education abroad can obtained by comparing the Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors summary that reports demographic data on U.S. students studying abroad to the data that the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) prepares on U.S. higher education enrollment. As evidenced by the longitudinal demographic data on the Open Doors website, the racial and ethnic makeup of U.S. students studying abroad has remained virtually unchanged percentage wise from 1993/94 to 2003/04. For example, the percentage rate of African-American students, as part of all racial and ethnic groups, during this time period increased only 0.6%. However, the actual total number of Asian-American, Hispanic-American, African-American, and multiracial students studying abroad during this same time period increased substantially. For example, the total number of African-American students studying abroad during the 1993/94 academic year was 2,136 and by the 2003/04 academic year African-American participation increased to 6,505 students. This represents a 67% increase in the total number of African-American students studying abroad during this eleven year period. Increase amongst themselves as a group is significant but, compared to other groups, more progress needs to be made.

There are three rather large disparities to point out in the demographic data between U.S. higher education enrollment and U.S. study abroad participation rates. In particular, the 16.6% positive difference between U.S. higher education enrollment and studying abroad for Caucasian students is the most striking. For all other racial and ethnic groups there is a negative difference between U.S. higher education enrollment and study abroad participation. The largest gaps are found in the Black/African-American and Hispanic/Latino-American student populations with 8.5% and 5.0% decreases respectively. The demographic data on the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship provides some interesting insight. This table shows that without Gilman funding, even fewer numbers of minority students would study abroad.