Ethics of International Student Recruitment: Higher Education

Higher Education: Ethics of International Student Recruitment

In recent years, the number of students crossing national borders in pursuit of education has increased significantly. This phenomenon is also referred to as 'global student mobility' and it can be attributed to the students' desire for migration, the inability to find study opportunities in their home countries, and the desire to improve their employability in their home countries. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, NACAC (2014), enrolments of international students at institutions of higher learning have more than quadrupled over the last three decades, from a total of 1.1 million in 1985 to 4.5 million in 2012. In fact, global mobile population is expected to exceed 7 million in 2025. Wilkins and Huisman (2011) state that the United States, United Kingdom and Australia are the three most popular destinations for international students and they account for almost 44% of students who study overseas. Since institutions of higher learning and the governments of these countries largely depend on the admission of these international students to balance budgets, to promote diversity, and to add to their income stream; some engage the services of recruitment agencies and professional admission consultants in a bid to grow their international student enrollment.

Although paid agents facilitate the recruitment process by eliminating constraints related to financial resources, capacity and market intelligence, ethical concerns have emerged regarding their use. Enberg (2013) argues that they compromise the credibility of the student recruitment process, as well as the integrity of higher learning institutions. This text takes a detailed look at the ethics of international student recruitment and recommends ethical practices that are essential in maintaining the integrity of the recruitment process.

Ethical issues in international student recruitment

Economic frustrations in many countries often affect public sector spending by governments, which leads to constraints in the budgets of majority of the institutions of higher learning and a resultant need to bring in more international students for more income. Huang, Raimo, and Humfrey (2014) explain that given the competitive nature of the market, the optimal use of agents makes it easy for an institution to meet its student intake target. The agents work for different universities and they receive a commission every time a student joins a university.

In most cases, however, the agents put their financial interests ahead of the academic interests of the students (Enberg, 2013). For instance, NACAC (2014) reports that recruitment agencies receive payments from parents and their children, in addition to being compensated by the institutions of higher learning. Some agencies are paid as much as $10,000 by students and double the amount if the said students want access to highly ranked institutions. Zaretsky (2013) further explains that these agencies request for larger sums of money to fabricate documents or to arrange for rogue test takers, even when they are aware that there is a high chance the student will be rejected. Others doctor the academic records of the students, alter their application essays, and write fake letters of recommendations.

When the pressure to increase the student population exceeds the resources and services that are available, some institutions engage in unethical practices by employing recruitment agencies that do not have an affiliation with the institution (Kallur and Reeves, 2006). These agencies provide incomplete and inaccurate information in a bid to coerce students to join the institutions, while others make false promises and even resort to tarnishing the name the institutions they do not work for.

Ethical student recruitment practices

It is imperative for recruitment agencies, institutions of higher learning, and any other personnel with an impact on international students to adhere to codes of ethical practice (Kallur and Reeves, 2006). First, institutions should communicate their policies regarding recruitment agencies in their websites and publications. This will protect potential students from rogue agencies by helping them verify claims of representation that are made. NACAC (2014) also advises institutions to enter into contractual relationships with the agencies and to ensure that periodic checking is done.

Registered agencies are required to provide factual information about transfer programs, fees and other important details related to institutions of higher learning. The agencies should also visit the institutions of higher lining regularly to enable them communicate the right information to prospective students. According to NACAC (2014), the risk of misrepresentation may be eliminated if the institutions are proactive and responsive via multiple communication devices because they will be less likely to give false responses if they can easily verify information. Zaretsky (2013) also asserts that in hiring the agents, institutions should make use of agreements that specify limitations and terms of their relationship.