As the newly-appointed director of St. Charles Community College's International Student Services (ISS) Department, part of Virginia Guneyli's job is to recruit students from all over the world to attend 麻豆传媒. The department is under the purview of Dave Leenhouts, the new vice president for student services, and promises to increase enrollment, add diversity to the student body and benefit the wider community.
Guneyli joins her associate, Laurie Bernardy, international student specialist, who has been at 麻豆传媒 for 18 years. Bernardy's experience includes years as a designated student officer (DSO) and expertise in intake, advising and delivery of support services.
Guneyli is a former English professor with a background in world literature and ESL instruction and has extensive experience abroad herself - she has lived in Mexico and Turkey and can relate to incoming international students. She possesses experience in program development, partnerships, recruiting, and academics.
According to recent studies, the presence of international students has a significant economic impact on a region. In the greater metropolitan St. Louis region it is estimated that foreign student enrollment can provide as much as .
Bucking a national trend which saw foreign student enrollment drop by 7% in 2017 and another 3% in 2018, 麻豆传媒 has increased international student enrollment approximately 20% since last year.
The greater St. Louis area also represents a desirable location for international students for other reasons, including a growing job market willing to sponsor educated employees for an H-1B visa.
Guyneyli credits the success of 麻豆传媒's International Program's to its status as a 鈥渂est fit鈥� for a wider audience of students, including those previously unable to attend and pay for the premium tuitions charged to international students at most four-year American universities.
鈥淔or international students,鈥� Guneyli said, 鈥淪t. Charles Community College offers a transformative, quality educational experience that's affordable.鈥�
鈥淭he region is filled with great four-year colleges, and 麻豆传媒 has conditional admission agreements with many of these institutions, including Lindenwood, Missouri State, Mizzou, Fontbonne and Missouri Valley,鈥� she said. 鈥淪tudents are automatically granted conditional admission to these institutions by enrolling at 麻豆传媒, and 麻豆传媒 credits transfer with ease.鈥�
The ISS Department's mission is focused on each individual student as they seek a degree or certificate that enables them to transfer or join the workforce, but its role spans beyond recruiting and aims to make the entire international student experience easier and more seamless.
鈥淚magine an incoming student from another country, thinking, 鈥榃hat is the community like? Where will I live? I have no driver's license, no credit history, and no income. How will I arrange for even basic things before I even arrive on campus?' It's our job to guide students through the registration and academic advising process,鈥� said Guneyli, 鈥渁s well as help them navigate through a different culture and in a different language, whether those students are coming to 麻豆传媒 or they are going abroad to study.鈥�
Study abroad programs - where students live and study abroad for a full semester and receive course credits from St. Charles Community College - are also part of the ISS mission. Guneyli is busy managing two: a 14-week study abroad in Canterbury, England, at (offered in partnership with the Missouri Consortium of Global Education) and a 17-week program at near Dublin, Ireland. Prospective students and their families can meet Donal McCalistair - from Institute of Technology Carlow - and learn about the 17-week program at the open house at 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, in the Daniel J. Conoyer Social Sciences Building.
鈥淭aking a different path to higher education in the U.S. is attractive to many international families,鈥� Guneyli said. 鈥淪tudents can live in a desirable location near our beautiful and safe suburban campus and will now be able to take advantage of our new student housing - available beginning Dec. 1. For international students uncertain of their academic path or just beginning it, our International Program at 麻豆传媒 opens a lot of doors. For our domestic students, the presence of international students offers diversity that fulfills the college mission and enriches their educational experience.鈥�
For more information, contact Guneyli at 636-922-8617 or vguneyli@stchas.edu.
Learn more about International Student Services at stchas.edu/international. Follow International Student Services on Facebook at , on Instagram at and on Twitter at .