Input vs output: what our international admissions processes say about us - and why it matters

Gavin Douglas

Director of Student Recruitment

The Robert Gordon University

A couple of starting points

• The quality of a university is best measured by the kind of student it turns out rather than the kind it takes in.

(Nayanjot Lahiri- University of Delhi)

• The asset of high moral status, the young thrusters in the marketing department may realise, is not something that can be bought

(Melanie Reid, The Times, 14/10/2008)

“When junk was gold”

• Moody’s Information Services – a top global credit-rating agency

• Founded early 20th century, a service paid for by investors

• Joined by Standard and Poor’s – “a happy duopoly”

• Then Fitch: “Now banks could ‘ratings shop’”• 1980’s: banks introduce new bonds – and go to

Moody’s et al to get them rated. Now the bank is the customer.

“When junk was gold”

• 2000: Moody’s goes public– “High pressure, fast turnaround ratings (are) the

norm”

• 2004: Moody’s allows mortgage backed bonds to get AAA ratings

• 2007: software glitches discovered at Moody’s• 2007: mortgage defaults start to rise • August 2007: Moody’s downgrades mortgage

bonds• The rest is history...

“When junk was gold”

“Our ratings and research are our only products, and our reputation is our only capital” (Moody’s, May 2008)

The effect of competitive pressure....

vs

It’s been a time of rapid growth...

International students in UK universities, 1995-2005

050000

100000150000200000250000300000350000

1995

-96

1996

-97

1997

-98

1998

-99

1999

-200

0

2000

-01

2001

-02

2002

-03

2003

-04

2004

-05

Other international

EU

Source: HESA

Back to international students...

...even in Aberdeen

I nternational students at Robert Gordon University (2002-2005)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

2002 2003 2004 2005

Academic year

Overs

eas s

tud

en

ts e

nro

lled

Total

16%

12%15%

Source: HESA

Few of the government's targets were hit q

uite

so squarely and rapidly as the prime minister's

1999 initiative to bring an extra 50,000

international students to UK universities (plus an

extra 25,000 to further education colleges).

Typical(?) organisational behaviour during this time

• Use of agents– PRO: local presence, local market knowledge, student support– CON: motivations / pressures

• Pre-masters and foundation degrees– What undergrad’s have to do: 12-15000 word dissertation + viva– What pre-masters students have to do: have an awareness of

how to compile a dissertation

• Spot offers– Conflicts of interest?

• Short top-ups– 14 weeks to a UK Honours degree?

Typical(?) organisational behaviour during this time

• Moving international admissions in with international recruitment– PRO: increased communication– CON: issues of power and control

• Speed of response– Is it really a sustainable competitive advantage?

• Alternatives to IELTS– Vs Australia: IELTS compulsory to get visa

• Simple metrics: fee income / FTE’s– What gets measured gets done– No first destinations stats– External barometers replace internal controls

Where are you?

Low Concern for marketing HighLow

Con

cern

for

stu

dent

wel

fare

Hig

h

Sales orientation

Welfare orientation

Bureaucratic orientation

Marketing orientation

The Douglas NARIC 3 step model*

Immature or ignorant phase

Emergent phase

Full-on marketing phase

* not be taken too seriously

Is it just me? I don’t think so...• Bringing foreign students to the UK has become a major economic

consideration for universities, amid fears that Britain is losing market share. (People's Daily Online http://english.people.com)

• As one university administrator from Manchester put it, ‘They’re recruiting them like mad here, because of the money.’ (Philo, 2007)

• As a proportion of the size of each student group, 2.5 times as many overseas students as home students are referred to academic tribunals. http://www.nouse.co.uk/

• The vice-chancellor of Cambridge University has warned there is a danger of a "downward spiral" in the standard of students at UK universities ... if there was a massive growth in the number of overseas students enrolled at UK universities because of financial pressures on budgets. (Times Higher)

Let’s just pause for a moment...

• Economic factors underpinning internationalistaion

• Factors affecting student choice

• External environment factors affecting UK international recruitment

• Factors affecting marketers (whether thrusting or not)

Economic factors underpinning internationalistaion

Factors affecting student choice

• “Anyone with a British education is considered well educated and rises rapidly to positions of influence in the country.”

• “No country in this world looks down upon a British higher education qualification. It is recognised everywhere under the sun because it is believed to be rigorous.”

(Quoted in Maringe and Carter, 2007)

The external environment

• Tight security following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America had caused the visa application process to slow down, but... the US was committed to opening its doors even wider for international students (www rediff.com)

• The number of English-language study programmes offered by Dutch institutions of higher education is set to rise this year to 1300. (www.studyin.nl)

Factors affecting marketers

• Loss of channel control– “My course is very vast. I did not find my 1st

semester very interesting, but my 2nd semester is very good. The subjects & course work is very closely related to practical work in the investment market. The university has materialised all promised academic modules.” (www.uniguru.com)

In summary...

• It’s all about quality in this business:– Students choose the UK because of a

reputation for quality– Competition for students is increasing – from

high quality countries too– ICT makes it easy for students to publish their

views on actual quality

An even better summary

The good reputation of British higher education

(and indeed of Britain as a country of gentle

people) took literally hundreds of years

to establish. It is a major reason why students are

attracted to the country in the first place. Such faith

in our society and its institutions is a precious

national asset.(Philo, 2007)

So what next?

• International student experience

• Partnership

• Increased in-country activity

What else needs to change?

• Government funding of HE (hmmm...)• Metrics

– Balanced– Public– To include retention / achievement of international

students– To include employment outcomes

• Transaction or relationship - reward systems• Perseverance

The role of NARIC

• Continue the good work; stay independent

• Talk to uni’s and understand their needs and pressures (but don’t just accept them)

• Understand the gold standard issues

• Broaden the information available to Universities

To sum up...

• The quality of a university is best measured by the kind of student it turns out rather than the kind it takes in.

(Nayanjot Lahiri- University of Delhi)

• The asset of high moral status, the young thrusters in the marketing department may realise, is not something that can be bought

(Melanie Reid, The Times, 14/10/2008)