Loyalist's international flavour
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A decline in the availability of students ready to enter post-secondary education in Canada has many learning institutions looking abroad to meet enrolment needs.
Six years ago Loyalist College was home to a little more than two dozen international students. Today the school boasts 150 international students from 24 different countries studying and that number is growing every year.
“That’s quite a significant increase over a five, six-year period for a small college like ourselves,” said John McMahon, senior vice-president Academic and Student Success at Loyalist College.
The college hopes to reach 200 international students by 2020.
“So, in the next four years, to move that 150 to 200 students,” said McMahon. “And we’re confident we will be able to get to that objective if not more.”
The increase in numbers is the result of heavy recruitment work in India among other overseas countries.
This can be done through large fairs where many post-secondary institutions can meet and greet potential students and while Loyalist representatives do attend those, it’s not their preferred method of recruitment.
“We find they’re not as effective for us as we kind of get lost in the crowd,” said McMahon. “We’re competing with a lot of large colleges and universities.”
Instead they prefer to focus on working with a network of professional agents in other countries who work with institutions directly, he added.
A big boon to recruitment efforts is word of mouth from students when they return to their home country.
“The positive experience students would have here on the ground is as important in terms of retaining those students as well as recruiting their friends, their family members,” said McMahon. “We see that often, we’ll get one student from a country who takes the chance, they come here, they don’t know anybody. They have a very positive experience and the next thing we know they’re returning home and we have three, four more applications because of their word of mouth.”
There are many benefits to students from other countries coming to Belleville to learn, including having work opportunities after their studies are complete.
One of those students is 27-year-old Madhulika Potukuchi from India, who has been studying Biosciences at the college.
“It’s been great here,” said Potukuchi about her experience so far.
Potukuchi was researching schools last summer when she came across Loyalist and it immediately became her first choice.
“We were looking for Canada because it’s a big hub for biotech,” said Potukuchi.
“The reason that I chose Canada and Loyalist was the practical experience,” she added. “I got the chance to work in the supercritical Co2 lab now so that really is an advantage to my career when I’m done here.”
Potukuchi said her transition has been “smooth”, in large part due to the efforts of Loyalist’s international office.
“They told me everything I needed to do. From my transportation, to what I need, what I require, everything.”
It’s not just international students who benefit from having them enrolled at the college said McMahon.
“When students from Belleville are studying in the same environment as students from India, China, Africa it really gives them a richness when you’re sitting in a classroom and you’re getting perspective from around the world.”
tjmiller@postmedia.com