Problematic proposal
Officials find international-student proposal lacking in certain areas
It seems that complications with the ConnectND system have concerned more than just students.
A proposal was approved at the November meeting of the State Board of Higher Education that would spend $1.5 million to organize international recruiting among the 11 public colleges.
With the recent influx in concerns over the problematic statewide computer system, some members have begun to question the necessity to spend money on such a recruiting program when there are more pressing matters at hand.
The board will discuss the matter at the upcoming February meeting. Board member Bev Clayburgh requested the meeting.
“ We probably need to rethink giving a huge amount of money to the program when we have obligations already that are staring us right in the face,” Clayburgh said in an Associated Press story.
Clayburgh’s vote was one of 10 that approved the legislation in November. Craig Schnell, NDSU provost, was the lone opposing vote.
Schnell said he didn’t approve the proposal for a number of reasons. One of the qualms NDSU had about the initiative was its use of contracted agents who would be paid on a “per-head” basis — a practice considered unethical in the United States.
The proposal states that agents would continue to be paid for recruiting international students, but Schnell questioned the ability to distinguish between students who were recruited by the university and those who were recruited by agents.
The recruited international students would have to be kept track of by the students in the ConnectND system — software that has proven to be difficult to navigate.
Schnell said the complications of the system have had “a negative influence on all the institutions.”
Chancellor Robert Potts developed the new program as a way to curb the anticipated decline in the number of North Dakota high school graduates, which is projected to decrease by 30 percent in the next 15 years.
“ The chancellor’s goal is a good one,” Schnell said. “It’s just not realistic.”
Schnell said that having international students on a campus is an important aspect of education and will better prepare students for a satisfactory life and career direction. However, the proposal is inefficient in too many areas to be of real benefit at the time.