Here’s how Canada will decide which colleges and universities can be trusted with international students

Leaked draft plan. Would likely be simpler just to make the main criteria being a public institution without satellite strip mall campuses…:

…Although the department refused to say if the plan has been updated since it was first presented in August, it offered a first glimpse at what precisely immigration officials were going to look at when assessing the schools’ legitimacy and capacity to bring in international students.

“The rapid growth in intake has disrupted processing times and service standards,” said the 11-page proposal, obtained by the Star. “There are concerns that many (designated learning institutions) have become increasingly dependent on international students for tuition revenue, in some cases, not providing international students a positive education experience in Canada.

“There is a belief that processing times are impacting Canada’s ability to attract top international students, and that, compounded with the reported cases of international student exploitation, this may harm Canada’s reputation as a destination of choice.”

It said the department had developed a matrix that could be used to determine which institutions would be eligible. The index would be based on seven indicators, including an institution’s:

• Percentage of students who remain in the original program after their first year in Canada;
• Percentage of students who complete their program within the expected length of study;
• Percentage of total revenue that’s derived from international enrolment; 
• Dollar value and percentage of total scholarships and grants to students from less developed countries;
• Dollar value in mental health support as well as career and immigration counselling per international student versus the average tuition they pay;
• Total number and percentage of international students living in housing they administered; and
• Average teacher-student ratio for the 10 courses with the highest international enrolment.

All in all, said the plan, the information will help ensure the student intake is sustainable, only “genuine” learners are recruited, high-quality education is supported, and graduates demonstrate strong outcomes….

Critic Earl Blaney said the trusted regime is a step in the right direction, but he is doubtful whether it could be implemented in time for the fall semester. He says few institutions would have all the data handily available and the compilation process must be standardized to make the information comparable and meaningful from coast to coast.

Currently there are more than 1,500 designated learning institutions authorized to accept international students, though not all are in post-secondary education. 

“They’re trying to vet the quality of the institution and the student experience, which I definitely support,” said Blaney, an education agent and international education policy analyst based in London, Ont. 

“There’s a lot to figure out here. I just don’t think they had time to implement something that would not be criticized or ridiculed, essentially when they weren’t getting the data that they needed to start the evaluation process.”

According to the plan, in assessing trusted institutions, officials would also rely on the Immigration Department’s own data such as study permit approval rate, “adverse outcomes” of students and diversity of their country of origin at a school. They would also examine how many graduates from the institution become permanent residents, as well as their language proficiency and earnings when they apply for immigration. 

Given that international students are used increasingly to serve Canada’s labour market needs, Blaney said the trusted scheme should also look at what programs they enrol in at a school to ensure those churning out talents that the country needs are prioritized.

source: Here’s how Canada will decide which colleges and universities can be trusted with international students