UNIVERSITY PROGRAM REACHES AROUND THE WORLD

Dr. Adelaide Heyde Parsons has her work cut out for her.

The Southeast Missouri State University English professor was named in August to head up the school's revamped international program.

Parsons is running the program on a part-time basis from her fourth-floor office in Pacific Hall, a converted apartment building. She also has her share of English classes to teach this semester.

Southeast president Dr. Dale Nitzschke said Parsons could be working full-time as the director of the international program by spring.

Parsons has worked with international students since coming to Southeast 15 years ago.

"She is one of the most knowledgeable professionals that I have come across," Nitzschke said, and she knows about the "nuts and bolts" of international programs and how to secure grants to help fund them.

As director of the international program, Parsons will report to the provost.

The university is moving away from a decentralized international program to a centralized one in an effort to enroll more international students.

The restructuring has yet to be completed, but Nitzschke thinks the university is headed in the right direction.

"This is the first time in six years that the decline of international students has stopped and started to go the other way," Nitzschke said.

Since being hired as Southeast's president in 1996, Nitzschke has stressed the need to boost international student enrollment.

He said it's important to expose Southeast students to different cultures in today's global society. In addition, international students benefit the school financially. They spend a lot of money on tuition, room and board, and other expenses.

This fall, Southeast has 178 international students, up five from a year ago.

The university has another 35 people from other countries enrolled in the Intensive English Program. The program prepares international students to go on to college.

At one time, Southeast had some 400 international students enrolled in college classes.

But that number declined after then-president Dr. Kala Stroup decentralized the program and put recruitment in the hands of the individual colleges and departments.

Southeast had 350 foreign students enrolled in the fall of 1993. By last fall, enrollment had dropped to 173.

Marvin Swanson directed the international program at Southeast from 1986 to December 1993.

He left to start his own international-student consulting business when Stroup decentralized the program.

Swanson said a decentralized system is a bad idea.

"It doesn't work well because there is a tremendous amount of duplication," he said.

The various colleges often send faculty members on trips to the same part of the world without any coordination in terms of student recruitment.

In the various colleges, it is often hard to find faculty members experienced in world cultures, Swanson said.

Under Stroup's administration, international students weren't sure where to turn for advice, information or services.

Swanson said international students need help in handling everything from visas to opening bank accounts.

When Swanson was director, the international services were directed from the international house behind the Dearmont residence hall on College Hill.

The latest reorganization once again will consolidate international services in the house.

Parsons said the house, which is being remodeled, will serve as headquarters for everything from international student services to study abroad programs. The Intensive English Program will remain in the building.

Parsons said the international center also will have space for students to gather.

The remodeling work should be completed by the middle of December, she said.

Southeast hopes to encourage the school's colleges and departments to work together in recruitment of international students, as well as faculty, staff and student exchanges.

Parsons said faculty and staff will be trained so they can help recruit students when they travel abroad on other business for the university.

She said the university needs to reach out to its alumni abroad to help recruit students from overseas.

Parsons said the university should take advantage of grants to help fund the international program.

She said the university might hold workshops to educate businesses about government regulations governing the hiring of people from other countries.

Southeast faculty and staff, including Nitzschke, have made numerous trips overseas in the last year to recruit international students.

Nitzschke said the trips have paid dividends. "We have made sure in all the travels that we have gone out on that people understand we want them to come here."

Southeast also has inked 22 agreements with colleges abroad to provide for faculty, staff and student exchanges. Most of the agreements have been signed since Nitzschke took office.