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Enticing students from abroad to Sac State, or to America for that matter, isn’t as uncomplicated as it’s been in the past. “The field has been particularly dynamic, and fluid since Sept. 11 and in light of the growing global economy,” says Jack Godwin, director of global education.

“There is incredible competition from other English-speaking countries, like the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. In addition, countries such as China, France, Germany and Japan are making concerted efforts to increase the number of international students they enroll.”

To compete on that international higher-ed playing field, University officials continue to take steps to attract students from overseas.

For Godwin it’s about stressing the importance of having international students as an integral part of Sac State’s population. “They serve an important role in internationalizing the campus,” he says.

“Part of graduating into a global economy is attending a school with a global education emphasis. Look at the world. Our students—whether they travel abroad or not—they are going to be competing and interacting with students and workers all over the world.”

Efforts to stay in the game include a recent joint effort with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the State Department to showcase education opportunities to students in India via video conferencing.

Twice last year, Sac State students provided interviews for television spots that aired in Indian media markets and on the Internet, touting American higher education opportunities.

The University was one of only 12 campuses nationwide chosen to participate in the U.S. Electronic Education Fair for India campaign. The initiative was a result of the January 2006 University Presidents’ Summit on International Education, organized by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to strengthen international education and to emphasize its importance to the national interest.

At Sac State, Godwin says, 65 percent of the University’s 600 international students are from Asia including India, Hong Kong, and Japan. Ninety percent of the campus’ foreign students are full-time bachelor’s or master’s students with the other 10 percent consisting of exchange students, short-term non-degree students and those seeking English proficiency. But before international students can come here, they face a set of hurdles.

“There has been a mountain of new federal regulations related to security since Sept. 11,” Godwin says. “All students must undergo much stricter visa scrutiny including, in some cases, background checks.”

Joseph Sheley, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, is confident the international enrollment will remain strong and increase at Sac State.

“The number of new foreign students coming to the United States grew this school year, after several years of weakness that followed the terrorist attacks in 2001,” he says. “Nearly every university suffered in the aftermath of Sept.

11. Most are beginning to rebuild their international student populations. Our numbers are turning upwards thanks to the efforts of our Office of Global Education and the College of Continuing Education.” Sheley says that to compete, officials are marketing the University’s proximity to California’s capital more aggressively to international interests.

“We take it for granted but the rest of the world sees California as an attractive place to be,” Sheley says.

“Being where decisions are made—Sacramento— that affect one of the world’s largest economies—California— is an attractive idea to much of the world.”

The University also enrolls about 2,000 more international permanent residents, including many from Mexico, Southeast Asia and the Ukraine.

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