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International Student Recruiting in Higher Education—23 Touchpoints, Visa Barriers, and Retention Risks for Boards

Changing Higher Ed

Release Date: 09/02/2025

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Families are writing universities directly to ask if it’s safe to send their children to the United States. Institutions are also facing longer visa backlogs and growing competition from abroad.

In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Roger Douglas, Dean for International Programs and Development at St. Martin’s University, about how leaders can strengthen international enrollment pipelines, improve retention, and protect graduate research capacity.

Topics Covered:

  • The 23-touchpoint recruitment model that keeps students and families engaged until they commit
  • How graduate applicants often choose the first institution to deliver admissions and aid
  • Families’ growing concerns about campus safety and how institutions can respond
  • Why outcome-driven marketing and peer-to-peer outreach build more trust than traditional tactics
  • The effect of shrinking U.S. research funding on graduate student pipelines
  • Retention strategies such as host family placements, faculty check-ins, and cultural immersion

Three Key Takeaways for Leadership:

  1. Presidents and trustees should engage directly with international students to understand barriers and improve the climate.
  2. Retention investments—host families, advising, and cultural programming—are as critical as recruitment for revenue stability.
  3. Boards must integrate international enrollment into institutional strategy, requiring documented plans, outcome-based marketing, and active policy advocacy.

Recommended For: 

Presidents, trustees, enrollment leaders, and academic administrators responsible for sustaining institutional revenue, research, and reputation through international education.

Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/international-student-recruiting-in-higher-education/

#HigherEducation #InternationalStudentRecruiting  #HigherEducationPodcast