The University of Minnesota has had a massive influx of international students throughout the past several years, yet it doesnâÄôt have adequate resources for these students. University administrators are in complete control of who is admitted and who is denied, so it shouldnâÄôt come as a shock to them when the amount of international students significantly rises.
Currently, there is a backlog of about 500 international students trying to take the non-native English speaking composition course, the Minnesota Daily reported Jan. 19. There are about seven sections offered in the fall and five in the spring that allow 21 students in each section, which simply isnâÄôt enough. There are only five staff members available in the International Student and Scholar Services office for the three hours of walk-ins. During this time, about 93 students show up for help. The number of international students at the University has quintupled since 2007, according to the Daily. In the fall semester of 2011, there were 2,350 international students enrolled, making up about 8 percent of the student body.
The University should be better prepared for the students it is welcoming in. The administration should work on providing necessary and simple resources for international students, like being able to take an essential writing course or talk to an adviser. The University already cut the masterâÄôs program in English as a Second Language in October, which was a step in the wrong direction.
If the University is consciously making the decision to admit more international students, who are a positive addition to the University in many ways, it should provide sufficient resources that are essential to oneâÄôs college career, especially when learning in a new country.