Shelbie Harris
Staff Writer
According to educational exchange data provided by Open Doors 2014, Idaho State University has the highest number of international or foreign students than any other institution in the state of Idaho, with a total of 1,169 international students.
University officials say international students are choosing Idaho State University as the place to obtain their education based on safety and cultural benefits, rather than lower English requirements.
“Something that we really need to be clear about on campus is that particular faculty members believed the [International English Language Testing Systems] IELTS score of a 5.0 somehow affected the academic integrity of the admissions process,” said ISU International Programs Director Maria Fletcher, “that we were letting all these students in who had a low IELTS score. Keep in mind the IELTS score of 5.0 was always the [required] score long before we had this huge surge of the international population.”
The IELTS test is the worlds proven English language test and was accepted as one of the pioneers of language testing over 25 years ago.
The required score for international students to attend ISU was a 5.0, a score comparable with Boise State University and the University of Idaho.
Fletcher said three years ago it became apparent that one sector of the international population, those students coming from the Middle East, even though they had a score of 5.0, were still not doing well academically in the classroom.
Students from other countries with the same scores as those from Middle Eastern countries were somehow doing better academically.
After discussion it was decided the 5.0 score was producing inadequate results.
“Students were struggling in the classroom and thereby the faculties were becoming more and more frustrated, hence we had a pushback,” Fletcher said. “And not just a pushback at ISU, there was a pushback nationally from other institutions dealing with the students from the Middle East.”
As a result of this pushback many universities and institutions reportedly raised the IELTS score requirement.
Some universities raised their required scores from 5.0 up to either a 6.0 or 7.0.
The Saudi Cultural Mission that governs the payments for Middle Eastern students on campus were also aware of the problems occurring with particular students in the classroom.
The Saudi Cultural Mission does not control which universities students decide to attend, and asked institutions to raise the required score because students were receiving scholarships that shouldn’t have been.
In the spring of 2013 ISU decided to raise the required IELTS score from a 5.0 to a 5.5 to be effective spring 2014.
This change has reportedly not affected the number of international students from Middle Eastern countries.
According to officials, international students are choosing to attend ISU for reasons other than test score requirements.
“[International] students are coming to ISU because they are a cultural group of individuals,” said Fletcher.
“Students are very, very tied together. Friends of friends tell each other ISU is comfortable, they are tied together culturally. It is the word of mouth by cousins, brothers and other relatives that are bringing students in,” Fletcher continued.
The ISU campus is going through an adjustment process, one that is necessary to understand different cultures around the world.
Fletcher said students of Middle Eastern countries have a slightly different way of looking at education.
Middle Eastern students are attending ISU not only for an academic education but also for a cultural education as well.
“When I first came to Idaho State University in 2011 it was because there weren’t very many Arab students here, and I wanted to speak to the Americans to learn English better,” said senior international student, Anas Alghamdi. “When I first got here I didn’t know anything about Native Americans. I traveled to Fort Hall and went to the Fort Hall Museum and was able to understand a different culture.”
When it comes to education, important factors must be considered regarding the success of students.
“I think what’s driving the number of international students here is the quality of our academic programs coupled with very low cost of living and a very safe community, said Dean for the College of Business Thomas Ottaway.
“We are an extremely safe campus and community and I think overall having a good healthy international population on campus benefits both our students and the community.”
