Screen Reader Mode Icon

Request for Comment

Dear International Student Exchange Enthusiast,
 
The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) has embarked on a new secondary school initiative, one that establishes Model Standards and better aligns expectations among potential international secondary education students, their parents, and the agencies that recruit these students. 

The lack of regulation and consistency around the recruitment and enrollment of F-1 international students at U.S. secondary schools raises ethical concerns and opens the door for misaligned expectations among the various parties involved in the administration of the enrollment process.

As hosts of international students, US secondary schools may partner with agencies both within the United States and abroad to recruit and enroll new international students. However, without guidance on best practice for collaborating with third-party recruitment agencies, expectations around this complex process, particularly from a student perspective, can be unclear; risk can be high. At the higher education level, colleges and universities are expected to act with transparency, integrity, and accountability; secondary-level practices should align with these standards.

In response to these issues, the CSIET Advisory Board on International Student Recruitment has developed comprehensive Model Standards for International Student Recruitment at the secondary level (please click the previous link to view a *.PDF version of the Model Standards). To be clear, what follows are not regulations, but rather, a set of agreed upon principles that all stakeholders can use to help balance expectations and ensure the integrity of the recruiting process, all the way from the natural parent, through the recruiting continuum, to the American school/host family.
 
In this survey we are soliciting your review and comment on these new Model Standards. The standards are organized into the following categories: stewardship, transparency, engagement, and partnership. We will close access on May 15, 2019.  Your attention to these Model Standards is extremely important to the work of CSIET's Advisory Board and to stakeholders throughout the enrollment process.  Once we have collected and reviewed your comments, the Advisory Board will make changes as necessary.
 
Sincerely, 

CSIET Advisory Board on International Student Recruitment:

AIRC: American International Recruitment Council; AISAP: Association of Independent School Admission Professionals; CSIET: Council on Standards for International Educational Travel; EMA: Enrollment Management Association; GEBG: Global Education Benchmark Group; NACAC: National Association for College Admission Counseling; NAIS: National Association of Independent Schools (Ex-Officio); NAFSA: Association of International Educators; TABS: The Association of Boarding Schools

Question Title

* 1. Stewardship

Agencies must commit to a training process, as determined by the partner school, for initial and continued education about the school and admission process;

Question Title

* 2. Stewardship

Agencies demonstrate the ability to carry out fiduciary responsibility to all program participants;

Question Title

* 3.
Stewardship

Agencies act honestly, professionally, responsibly and in the interest of students and natural parents at all times;

Question Title

* 4.
Stewardship

Agencies have a clear process for the submission and adjudication of complaints;

Question Title

* 5.
Stewardship

Agencies adhere to local and international law wherever and whenever applicable. 
 

Question Title

* 6.
Transparency

Agencies accurately disclose U.S partner agencies and educational institutions with whom they have a formal business relationship. Specifically, agencies must disclose to students/natural families the names of their partner agencies and schools;

Question Title

* 7.
Transparency

The nature of the partnership between the agency and US partner institution is clearly stated in the form of a contract or written agreement;

Question Title

* 8.
Transparency

Written agreements/contracts between the agency and school are signed by both parties; agreements/contracts display all itemized fee schedules, refund policies and other policies as applicable by law; such contracts/agreements avoid any misrepresentation and do not make promises or guarantees that cannot be met;

Question Title

* 9.
Transparency

Written agreements/contracts between the agency and student/natural parents must make known that agencies do not collect any commissions/fees (from students/natural families) that are conditional upon the enrolling school’s awarding of scholarships or financial aid; also, contracts with students/natural parents stipulate confidentiality and the limits therein, as guaranteed by privacy laws; these contracts/agreements display all itemized fee schedules, refund policies and other policies as applicable by law; such contracts/agreements avoid any misrepresentation and do not make promises or guarantees that cannot be met;

Question Title

* 10.
Transparency

Agencies stand by the veracity of documentation, including: grades, transcripts, teacher recommendations, English language capability and any other documentation/scores used for the purpose of admissions;

Question Title

* 11.
Transparency

Agencies fully disclose all fees:
  • If agencies receive payments from students/natural families, this practice must be disclosed to partner schools;
  • If agencies receive commissions from partner schools, this practice must be disclosed to students/natural parents;
  • If agencies compensate sub-agents, independent contractors, consultants and/or franchisees, this practice must be disclosed to students/natural parents and partner schools.

Question Title

* 12.
Transparency

Agencies shall not knowingly be party to a placement based on athletic abilities, whether initiated by a student, a natural or host family, a school, or any other interested party. Agencies should provide transparency and report to partners/schools any F-1 student for whom participation in interscholastic varsity athletics was a known motivating factor at the time of application;

Question Title

* 13.
Transparency

Agencies shall secure written, student-specific acceptance from the DSO (Designated School Official), PDSO (Principal Designated School Official), school principal or other designated responsible school administrator prior to the international student’s departure from his or her home country.

Question Title

* 14.
Engagement

Agencies train their recruitment personnel (including, but not limited to, employees, sub-agents, independent contractors, consultants and franchisees) annually in relevant standards, practices, procedures and content areas (including but not limited to):
  1. The US secondary school education system;
  2. US Immigration Procedures (SEVP);
  3. International Student Recruitment Standards (*AIRC, NACAC Code of Ethics) *Existing certification with AIRC can be used to fulfill this requirement.

Question Title

* 15.
Engagement

The agency shall respond in a timely and appropriate fashion to complaints received from international students, natural parents, schools or others concerned with the program and its quality.

Question Title

* 16.
Partnership

The agency is accountable for actions taken and representations made by partners (including, but not limited to sub-agents, independent contractors, consultants and franchisees). All partners must adhere to CSIET’s Model Standards on International Student Recruitment;

Question Title

* 17.
Partnership

The agency shall maintain direct, hands-on control of the recruitment of students and continued evaluation, hiring, firing, and remuneration of local agents.  It may not enter into a relationship with another entity that appears to exercise such control;

Question Title

* 18.
Partnership

The agency collaborates with US-based agencies and schools that operate in a manner consistent with CSIET Standards for Long Term International Student Exchange Programs;

Question Title

* 19.
Partnership

The agency partners with US schools on the basis of criteria consistent with CSIET’s Model School Policy (Section 4, School Expectations of International Student Exchange Programs).

Question Title

* 20. How likely is it that you would refer to these Model Standards to guide you in your international student recruitment efforts?

Question Title

* 21.
Glossary of Terms

In association with the Model Standards for International Student Recruitment, the CSIET Advisory Board has developed a Glossary of Terms.  The intent of these mutually agreed upon definitions is to identify common terms, and to establish consistent expectations regarding the terminology used in the Model Standards. 

The terms are divided into two groups, International Student Recruitment Terms and Non-Immigrant Visa Related Terms.  To view *.PDF versions of the terms, please click the previous links.

Should you have any comments regarding any of the terminology, please enter those in the space provided below. 

0 of 21 answered
 

T