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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels November 23, 2004 International enrollment hits security snags By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings It took more than a few hours in a car for Elena Efunia to arrive at Southern Oregon University. Efunia was born and raised in Bishkek, the capital city of former Soviet republic Kyrgyzstan, when she was 11. The country is bordered by China, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Efunia said it takes about two-days' worth of plane rides to get from Kyrgyzstan to Oregon. For Efunia, who graduated from SOU in 2002 with a degree in business and is now pursuing her master's in management at the university, traveling a great distance to go to school has been worth it to get a degree from an American university. She is not alone in that goal at SOU. This fall, 125 international students study at SOU, up from 120 during spring quarter. This number does not include international students studying at the ELS Language Center. In 2001, Efunia had graduated from the state university in her hometown, and decided she wanted to further her education in America. "The United States plays a great part in the world and in business," she said. "They are a major force and I knew by getting an American education, I could work anywhere around the world." Going on the Internet, she came upon SOU, and decided to apply, along with schools in California and Pennsylvania and finally decided on SOU, arriving in fall 2001. "I don't know exactly why I picked it," she said. "I just decided to give it a try." Her first quarter here, Efunia said it took time to understand the culture and to get used to her surroundings. She recalled her roommate kept using the phase "Okie Dokie" and for the longest time not understanding what it meant. Coming from a city of about a million people, getting used to a smaller community took some time. "I'm a city girl," she said. "I've never lived in a town as small as Ashland. Most people think of America as being all these big cities like New York or L.A." Efunia said it helped that she became friends with a student from Russia. Speaking the same language helped her to have someone she could turn to and made the cultural and social transition easier. Efunia, who now lives in Medford, said she has grown to love her new community. While she would like to stay, she said with tougher visa standards, it might be difficult for her after she graduates. If it does not work out, she hopes to find work somewhere in Europe or in Russia. "I hope I can stay here," she said. "For me, it would be a culture shock to go back because I'm so used to being a part of the Ashland and Medford community. I love it here." International student decline While international students still come to SOU in steady numbers, school officials said it's becoming harder and harder for them to come to America. Since 9/11, schools throughout the country have struggled to attract international students. Stricter visa requirements, concerns of terrorism, and other English language countries such as Australia and England attracting more of these students have contributed to the decline. Recently, the University of Oregon said it has seen a drop in international students since 9/11. It has seen such enrollment go from almost 1,700 in 1997 to an estimated 1,170 this year. Jennifer Yockey, international student program advisor in the SOU international programs department, said that while the school has seen a decline since 9/11, things have steadied out the past two years and have not dropped as substantially as other schools. This includes 150 students in fall 2003, which includes ELS Language Center students, and 153 in fall 1999. Yockey said it has been more of a challenge to attract foreign students since 9/11. A key reason is stricter security standards for students to obtain visas, she said. Government officials want to make sure students plan to return to their countries after school, and if there is any indication that they may not, such as funds to pay for school coming from someone in the United States, it may cause the visa to be denied, she said. Starting in September, students need to pay an extra $100 visa fee for a new international database of international students. "I would certainly say the mood or attitude has gotten more strict in allowing students to come to the United States," Yockey said "It does make a difference to bring students to study here." This fall, two students, one from Lithuania and the other from China, were denied visas to attend SOU, Yockey said. In the spring, a student from Nigeria was denied a visa to study at SOU. While she does not have an exact reasons for steady international student numbers, they are a few factors that may be helping SOU, Yockey said. This includes having long-standing exchange programs with schools in countries such as Japan, Mexico and Germany, reputation, word-of mouth and receiving students from the ELS Language Center on campus. Yockey said while the numbers haven't dropped substantially, they could go down at any time. "It's hard to speculate," she said. "I would like to think the numbers will grow, but you never know." Nationwide struggle Amy Lepon, director of the ELS Language Center at SOU, said language institutes throughout the country have suffered since 9/11. She estimated 10 percent of the language institutes in the country have folded in the past three years. Last fall, the school's partner company, the American Language Academy, went out of business, and it took SOU some time to find another company to serve students. The ELS Language Centers are affiliated with the well-known Berliz language program. Lepon said the program is trying to build up its student base, but that numbers are still down, averaging in the high teens to low 20s this fall, down from 20 to more than 40 students the past few years. Before fall 2001, some years averaged 60 students. Students normally arrive or leave monthly, which changes the numbers on a continual basis. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams