University Times

Pitt appears not to be suffering the exodus of foreign and out-of-state students that some experts feared would follow the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — and the xenophobic violence that ensued in Pittsburgh and other cities.

As of Nov. 2, the Pittsburgh campus had processed spring term registrations of 11,356 students, 726 more than last year at this time, according to University Registrar Sam Conte.

"It's hard to draw conclusions from such preliminary numbers," Conte said. "But the fact that we're 7 percent ahead of where we were at this time last year, in terms of student registration, shows that students aren't staying away or dropping out."

Nor is the freshman application rate declining. In fact, it's up over this time last year.

Some 5,277 students have applied to be Pittsburgh campus freshmen next fall, up by 17 percent from 4,375 at this time last year. Applications from out-of-state students are up by 22 percent, from 781 last November to 951.

"It's still very early, but there is no evidence at this point that students are eliminating Pitt as an option because of distance," said Betsy Porter, director of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Only five foreign students (including four Kuwaitis) have withdrawn from Pitt since Sept. 11, said Ron Slater of Pitt's Student Appeals Office.

Another seven students attending Pitt's English Language Institute also have left, he said. Students who take classes through the institute are not necessarily regular Pitt students, although Student Appeals treats them as such for record-keeping purposes, Slater said.

It's too early to judge whether the University's foreign student population will grow or shrink by next fall, said David Clubb, the new director of Pitt's Office of International Student Services.

"But all of the colleagues I have spoken with from other universities and national organizations agree that there is no empirical data yet showing a decline in foreign student enrollments," Clubb said.

"Frankly, I'm optimistic, as long as we can help to make sure that any legislation [aimed at monitoring foreigners entering the United States on student visas] is not restrictive to the point of shutting doors on international students. I don't think foreign students themselves are going to be afraid to come here."

In arguing against laws that would discourage foreigners from studying in the United States, Clubb cites a study by the independent, nonprofit Institute of International Education, estimating that international students and their families contribute $12 billion annually to the U.S. economy in the form of tuition and housing payments, purchases of goods and other transactions.

Foreign students and their families pumped an estimated $581 million into Pennsylvania's economy during the 1999-2000 academic year, according to the institute.

"International education is our country's fifth-largest service sector import. It's a huge industry," Clubb said.

About 2,700 Pittsburgh campus faculty, staff and students are non-U.S. citizens. Of that total, 1,500 are graduate students and 400 are undergraduates.

China, India and South Korea export the largest numbers of foreign students to Pitt. Middle Eastern nations with students attending Pitt include Saudi Arabia (54 students), Egypt (20), Jordan (eight), Iran (six), Israel (four) and Iraq (one). No students from Afghanistan currently attend Pitt.

— Bruce Steele