Very quickly and with little warning the world of international marketing, recruitment and admissions in the US and abroad has been derailed. A new President in the USA with vastly different ideas on student mobility, the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, Saudi Arabia’s changing scholarship program, India’s currency challenges and China’s surge to become a world leader in international student enrollment “imports” are presenting real time challenges for international admission officers to keep ahead or just to keep pace.

Now, perhaps more than ever is the time to pause and take audit of an institutions international enrollment strategies to ensure they remain effective during these turbulent times. For those institutions without an international strategic enrollment plan the time is critical to develop one.

The GSRA International enrollment audit is the ideal tool to ensure institutions and their international officers can quickly react to changes in the global market place and remain competitive.

With speed and a high degree of customization the GSRA International Enrollment Audit is designed to quickly aid institutions with their current structure, strategy, systems, skills, style, staff and shred values to greatly enhance the institutions ability to remain competitive. For institutions without an international student marketing, recruitment and admissions strategy, the GSRA International Audit provides the framework to build a customized program that will add new streams of revenue to institutions bottom line.

The 7 “elements” of the GSRA International Enrollment Audit

Shared Values: At the core is the organizations “shared values”. These are the values that make the university unique/special. What can every member of the unit rally around and agree on?  Why are we recruiting and enrolling international students? Is it for the money? To diversify the campus? To improve learning outcomes? The big idea here is to be mission focused, with the entire international recruitment unit pulling in one common direction.

Strategy: This refers to the written plan devised to build a competitive advantage over the competition. What is the step by step series of events that will propel the unit and their work forward? What do you plan to do and what do you want to achieve? How will you measure your work?

Structure: This is the way the international recruitment operation is structured and who reports to who and what the expectations are for the unit. If the structure is not properly built and maintained, it will be difficult/impossible to ever reach goals.

 Systems: These are the daily activities and procedures that the unit members engage in to get the job done. Through the use of the most modern technology available, what systems have or need to be put in place to achieve the units goals?

Style: This refers to the leadership portrayed by the unit head and modeled by the entire team. What is the style of the unit and is it easily identified as a key element in the overall effort of the unit?

 Staff: This focuses on the employees and their general capabilities and is paramount to the units long-term success. Taking care of those individuals that have dedicated their career to advancing the institution and recruiting new members to the unit that will embrace the shared values and the leadership style of the unit is key to long term success.

Skills: Further developing the skills and competencies of the employees working for the international recruitment unit is central to sustained success. By building a continuous learning environment for all team members you are securing an environment of continuous improvement and commitment necessary for success in this highly competitive sector.

For more information and a consultation regarding the GSRA International Enrollment Audit please contact Mark S. Kopenski at kopenski@gsra.org.uk

E-mail: Info GSRA

Official Web Address: www.gsra.org.uk

Phone UK: + 44 (0) 77 4350 4940 or ++ 1 312-513-5332