Abstract

As the importance of internationalization and of international student bodies grows on university campuses across the United States, more and more universities are seeking not only to add “warm bodies” to their international programs but also to diversify their student populations to be representative of more regions in the world and thus, expose domestic students to a broader range of cultural perspectives and languages. This paper discusses how Saint Martin’s University, a small, Catholic university in Lacey, Washington plans to expand and diversify its international student population by doing intentional student recruitment in Latin America, specifically in the countries of Mexico and Chile. It explores some of the student mobility trends that currently exist at Saint Martin’s and some of the student recruitment models used in the past to attract students to Saint Martin’s University. It gives an overview of literature related to student recruitment, especially in Latin America and explains some of the primary reasons Saint Martin’s has chosen to focus on Latin America, specifically Chile and Mexico, as countries of interest. Based on a detailed assessment of institutional need and student needs, the following work lays out the details of an incoming exchange program for students from Latin America, with a marketing and recruiting plan rooted in recent recruiting trends and recent field literature, as well as advice and guidance from colleagues in the field of international education.

Disciplines

International and Comparative Education

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