September 12, 2007

BCC President Announces Enrollment
Among International Student Is Up By 16% For Fall 2007

-BCC Welcomes 30 new International Students-  

(TOWN OF DICKINSON, NY) Broome Community College President Dr. Laurence Spraggs today announced that enrollment among the College’s international students is up by 16% compared to the spring 2007 semester. International students arrived for their first day of school, on August 29, 2007.

There are currently 177 international students from 41 countries enrolled at BCC for the fall 2007 semester. There were 147 international students from 32 countries for the spring 2007 semester.

Enrollment from international students has increased steadily during the last few semesters.  At the conclusion of the 2005 fall semester, a total of 103 international students were enrolled at BCC from 31 different countries, while 100 international students were enrolled during the spring 2005 semester.    

“Over the course of the last five semesters there has been a seventy-seven percent increase in enrollment among international students, which is unprecedented,” said BCC President Dr. Laurence Spraggs. “The hands on assistance and support our recruiters and counselors provide to international students is critical as they navigate through the paperwork necessary to study in America. This is going to be an exciting year for students, faculty and staff at BCC.”

The largest concentration of international students comes from Russia with 67 students. The second largest concentration of international students come from South Korea with 14 and 9 international students come from Haiti.

“In addition BCC offers access to in-depth on-line distance learning programs through the Internet, which many international students utilize from their home countries and in many cases end up attending BCC in subsequent semesters,” continued Spraggs. “A variety of grants also allow College recruiters to visit high schools in foreign counties and talk with students about the admission process, immigration process and benefits of studying at a community college in the United States. These recruitment efforts will likely result in increased enrollment in the future.”

Among other countries represented are Brazil, Burma, Chile, Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Macao, Malaysia, Peru, Rwanda, Taiwan and Turkey.

BCC’s CASS Program, which consists of many international students, will be celebrating Independence Day on Friday, September 14, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria in the Student Center Building. There will be dances and food from Nicaragua, El Salvador, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala and Honduras.

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Information: Contact Rich David, Public Affairs Officer, at 778-5076.