AACRAO is facilitating a 2-Part Webinar on the Use of Agents in International Recruitment and the work of the U.S. Commercial Service, (the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration) and EducationUSA, a branch of the Office of Global Education Programs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs within the U.S. Department of State.
While each agency has a long history of supporting U.S. higher education, in December 2018, EducationUSA officials participated for the first time in the annual meeting of the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC), an association of universities that vets and certifies overseas recruitment agencies in a process modeled after accreditation.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs Caroline Casagrande made the following statement:
EducationUSA advisors around the world will continue to give top priority to working with prospective international students as well as working directly with accredited U.S. higher education institutions. At the same time, recognizing the important role of other stakeholders in this area, we have significantly expanded the information we make publicly available related to EducationUSA. We welcome agents and other professionals working with U.S. universities to access that information and use it in their work. We will include agents and other legitimate stakeholders working with U.S. universities in EducationUSA events and meetings.
This announcement signaled a significant policy shift in EducationUSA work with commissioned agents and raised questions regarding the Commercial Service’s education portfolio.
In Part 1 of the two-part discussion with Education USA, AIRC and the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), discussed their history of international recruitment and the use of agents.
Join us for Part 2 of this discussion on March 12 (2-3pm) as AACRAO sits down for a conversation with Alfred "Fred" Boll, EducationUSA Branch Chief, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and Gabriela Zelaya Global Education Team Leader, U.S. Commercial Service – San Jose/Silicon Valley. Each will inform how their agency supports U.S. higher education, and their policies on working with agents and how they can support higher education institutions in international recruitment and admissions.