International Students: Bringing the World to OU

By CIS Dean Scott Fritzen

Objective: To support the university in growing the number and diversity of international students studying across OU’s three campuses.

International students have been a vibrant part of the OU community for over 100 years. However, the currents percentage of international students on campus — around 5% of total enrollment — places us as only average among our Big 12 peers and well below our aspirational peers. And significant headwinds prevail, not least due to the lingering effects of the pandemic.

To support the university in increasing the number of international students, we will pursue innovative initiatives. These efforts involve working closely with International Admissions and Recruitment and Graduate Admissions to develop strategies, including:

- Partnering with an external vendor to increase OU’s outreach internationally.

- Drafting and implementing a strategic sponsored student recruitment plan in coordination with International Admissions and Recruitment.

- Utilizing Center for English as a Second Language bridge programs to attract students to the university who will matriculate to degree programs.

- Collaborating with units around campus to build a robust international student alumni community and to enhance the branding of the university internationally.

Objective: To enhance the international student experience and climate on campus as a prominent part of the university-wide diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.

This critical and complex priority requires a multi-dimensional approach to designing context-sensitive supports for the different dimensions of the international student experience, including financial health (scholarship funding, assistantships), security in living conditions, supportive social networks and relationships, mental health and resilience, and self-efficacy — a feeling of empowerment and representation on campus.

The following broad strategies are meant to operationalize our approach:

- Enhancing our analysis of student experience and gaps in service, for example by reviewing and building on available mechanisms to listen to and engage with international students.

- Improving and enhancing specific services and interventions, including the International Student Emergency Fund and support to address food and housing needs.

- Identifying and meeting the needs of special student populations. The international student community is diverse, and we will work with our partners to identify and address challenges.

- Continuing to develop cross-campus and tri-campus coordination efforts, through the institutionalization of our international student task force and working group, and our harmonization of services provided across all three campuses.