In addition to bringing diversity and culture to campus,international students also help with teaching and research in theUniversity’s departments.
According to the Associated Press, the number of foreigngraduate students enrolling in public American universities is down6 percent.
Despite the national decline, the Office of Budget andPlanning’s Web site states that the number of internationalgraduate students enrolled at the University actually has increasedfrom last semester.
According to the Web site, the number was 1,203 students lastspring and 1,264 students this fall.
Melanie McCandless, graduate programs coordinator for theCollege of Chemical Engineering, said they always try to balancethe number of foreign and American students that assist in thedepartment.
She said the number of foreign graduate students in the chemicalengineering department was the same between fall 2003 and fall2004.
She said if the University had a decline in the number offoreign graduate students, it would not affect the chemicalengineering department because they rely on Americans just as muchas they do on internationals.
Glenn Sinclair, chair of the mechanical engineering department,said the department has many international students who help outwith teaching and research.
“The diversity is great, but we’d like to have a fewmore American students,” Sinclair said.
He said the mechanical engineering department currently istrying to recruit more American students from their undergraduateprogram to their masters program to have more of a balance ofinternational students and American students.
Natalie Rigby, international studies director, said there was adecrease in the number of international applications they receivedfor the spring semester, but that does not necessarily mean therewill be a drop in international enrollment.
Rigby said since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, student visashave become more of a burden on international student enrollmentand probably contribute to the nationwide decline.
“It takes a lot more time than it used to because now,instead of just filling out paperwork, they must schedule aface-to-face interview and have their names run through manydifferent databases,” Rigby said.
Maoshi Guan, a chemical engineering graduate student, said hewas denied a visa twice before he finally received one on his thirdtry.
“I came here in 2002 and I do not want to go back homebecause it will be too hard to come back,” Guan said.
He said when he went for the interview part of his application,the questions were harder and more personal the first twotimes.
“The third time they asked me simple questions, just whatmy major was going to be and what I planned to do when I got overhere,” Guan said.
Rigby said the United States Department of State is aware thatthe number of international students is decreasing and is trying tostreamline the problem.
“We still want to be seen as a welcoming country,”Rigby said. “But we know it will take time.”