| Colleges without walls are also colleges without | | | | competitive education environment as "cash |
| national borders. Professors are beamed in | | | | cows" and, instead, suggested giving them |
| through teleconferencing. Students pursuing | | | | something for their money, according to reports. |
| degrees online and otherwise are able to establish | | | | American colleges and universities currently boast |
| worldwide networks. As rising numbers of | | | | the largest worldwide share of top researchers |
| international students enroll in colleges and | | | | and Nobel winners, Wildavsky told Inside Higher |
| universities throughout the United States and | | | | Education. The nation also holds the most global |
| elsewhere, the buzzword in higher education is | | | | college top spots and attracts most of the top |
| "global". Those obtaining a distance learning degree | | | | international students, he said. And in terms of |
| really do come from everywhere. | | | | colleges online, America leads the world in |
| American colleges and universities during the | | | | reputation, acceptance, and accessibility, University |
| 2008-2009 academic year saw a record high of | | | | Business has reported. Students begin participating |
| nearly 672,000 international student enrollments, | | | | in international programs as early as high school, |
| according to an annual Open Doors report from | | | | University Business writers Howard and Matthew |
| the Institute of International Education. Most | | | | Greene in 2007 noted. Some have lived as |
| students hail from India, China and South Korea, | | | | expatriates abroad; others are expats in the |
| and most major in business and management and | | | | United States from Asia, Australia, Europe or |
| STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) | | | | Africa; and many hail from multinational, |
| studies, the report noted. | | | | multicultural and multilingual families, the men |
| While a preliminary survey for the 2009-2010 | | | | reported. |
| academic year reportedly produced mixed | | | | In pursuing American college degrees online or |
| Institute results, the Chronicle of Higher Education | | | | simply taking classes through colleges online, |
| has reported that some 3 million study abroad | | | | international students don't have to travel far or |
| students overall in 2009 is projected to climb to 8 | | | | worry about passports, visas, I-20 forms or I-94 |
| million by 2025. And Ben Wildavsky, who penned | | | | cards. In many instances, online college tuition in |
| the book, "The Great Brain Race: How Global | | | | America reportedly costs the same for foreign |
| Universities are Reshaping the World", has likened | | | | students as it does domestic students. And where |
| the worldwide happening to a "free trade in | | | | traditional American campuses in the past have |
| minds" and "a chance for greater intellectual | | | | attributed international enrollment declines to |
| exchange, collaboration, and innovation", according | | | | post-9/11 precautions and student concerns about |
| to an Inside Higher Education report. | | | | the H1N1 virus, these issues don't exist for those |
| Global education can also be big business. | | | | considering colleges online. International students |
| International students and their families contribute | | | | seeking to enroll in classes offered by American |
| more than $13 billion a year to the American | | | | colleges online or to pursue American college |
| economy, much of it in the form of tuition, the | | | | degrees online should, however, look for |
| Institute for International Education noted. | | | | accredited institutions, interactive programs and |
| Students tend to begin their searches for schools | | | | courses with flexible formats that allow for |
| based on guidance from family and friends, | | | | tending to family and work responsibilities, |
| according to a Chronicle of Higher Education | | | | Hobsons education consultants have advised. |
| report on a spring Going Global conference held in | | | | At least one American university since 2001 has |
| London. Latin American students also look toward | | | | actually required that undergraduates take college |
| publications for assistance, undergraduates in | | | | classes online, in part, so that students can obtain |
| Africa and the Middle East rely on the advice of | | | | global perspectives from worldwide scholar and |
| their professors and graduate students look for | | | | practitioner partners, according to the Sloan |
| quality, reputable programs that best meet their | | | | Consortium. The school's Global Virtual Faculty |
| career goals, the Chronicle report noted. | | | | Program as of spring 2004 included 46 scholars |
| In this high-tech age, students worldwide want | | | | and practitioners from 23 countries who worked |
| responses to inquiries and applications in as little as | | | | with some 900 students, the Sloan Consortium |
| a day. And Going Global speakers cautioned | | | | reported. |
| against viewing international students in this | | | | |