With the international student population on campus declining, St. Thomas University hired a new international recruitment officer hoping to boost international enrolment.
Jacob Sweezey, the new international recruitment officer, said the reason why the population is declining is partly because St. Thomas hasn’t had someone whose job is to recruit international students specifically.
“It is a fact that international students’ population has declined in the past,” said Sweezey. “Part of the problem with any university is finding the right balance between paying attention to domestic students and international students. So with this position, I’m really hoping to help students make the right decision to come to St. Thomas and also to find the balance.”
Before coming to St. Thomas, Sweezey had done some travelling around the world, and has also worked for Immigration Canada.
With these experiences, he said he will be able to help international students with the challenges they face, such as paperwork for visas and adjusting to life in a different country.
“I’m sensitive to how difficult it can be not really knowing the culture or speaking the language. You have to adjust a new way of life, learn new expressions, new words in a language that you don’t learn in your textbooks,” he said. “It can be a challenge so that’s why I’m very excited to have a chance to work with international students, to help them make the right decision to come here.”
His job will include visiting different countries, meeting students and telling them about St. Thomas.
As time is limited this year, Sweezey said his destinations as an international recruitment officer will be to places where students have been coming from in the past.
“It’s been a few years since St. Thomas had a full-time international recruitment person, so part of my job is to do research and to decide which country to go to,” he said. “So we are hoping to have a chance to visit Korea and Japan, as well as other countries such as Peru and Columbia.”
He added that his job is not only to get new international students, but also to keep in touch with them to make sure they are having a good experience.
“I want students to know that I’m not just here to get new students come in, I would like to be in touch with students because I help them to make the decision to come here so I want to make sure they are getting the best experience out of your decision.”
“My doors are always open.”
