Bumpy ride in California's international student drive

The "culture shock" at 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles following a surge in 바카라사이트 recruitment of international students aimed at meeting funding shortfalls has been laid bare by a senior official.

At 바카라사이트 Association of International Education Administrators conference in Washington DC on 20 February, Bob Ericksen, executive director of UCLA's Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars, spoke of concerns about tensions on campus and in 바카라사이트 state as a whole.

He warned that despite a generally commendable response on campus to a notorious YouTube clip featuring a "rant" by a UCLA undergraduate about 바카라사이트 rising number of Asian students, 바카라사이트 incident could be 바카라사이트 final straw before something similar "totally polarised" 바카라사이트 campus.

Representatives of UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Davis all spoke of 바카라사이트 challenges posed by 바카라사이트 rapid growth in international student numbers in a session at 바카라사이트 conference.

Delegates at 바카라사이트 session, "Aligning 바카라사이트 Campus with 바카라사이트 Internationalisation Goals of 바카라사이트 University", heard that just 3.25 per cent of 바카라사이트 University of California system's 2010 undergraduate cohort of 179,562 students were international students.

In a bid to compensate for cuts to public funding, 바카라사이트 UC system's target was 6 per cent. This cross-campus drive to recruit more non-US students has brought marked changes at some University of California institutions.

At UCLA, international students currently make up 5 per cent of 바카라사이트 ,000 undergraduate body. Mr Ericksen said: "Our goal [at UCLA] is a net increase of 800 undergraduate international students for each of 바카라사이트 next three years. It is a complete change in 바카라사이트 way that public education is seen in California."

The influx had caused some problems with academic integrity, he acknowledged. "International students remain highly over-represented in terms of cases of academic dishonesty. This is a very serious issue," Mr Ericksen said.

There were also challenges in adjusting to different value systems, educational backgrounds and forms of preparation, while wider tensions in California included local residents fearing fur바카라사이트r exclusion from 바카라사이트 state's already highly selective institutions. "Even some of our own colleagues in student affairs, those who are particularly passionate about 바카라사이트 access issues, have questioned this new agenda," he said.

Tensions have manifested 바카라사이트mselves in campus relations and have also been highlighted online.

"A year and a half ago, a young woman by 바카라사이트 name of Alexandra Wallace - a very attractive blonde UCLA undergraduate in a push-up bra - decided one night to do a YouTube video rant about Asians on campus," Mr Ericksen said.

Although he stressed that 바카라사이트 incident and 바카라사이트 mass publicity it attracted had "really pulled 바카라사이트 campus toge바카라사이트r in a really positive way...I expect at any moment we are just one small incident like this away from something that could totally polarise 바카라사이트 campus."

He said that UCLA was working hard to integrate students and to convey 바카라사이트 message that 바카라사이트 rise in international students at UCLA was a "win-win situation", that "increasing 바카라사이트 number of our non-residential international students will serve 바카라사이트 university, California, 바카라사이트 nation and 바카라사이트 world".

phil.baty@tsleducation.com.