Last year, Ball State University increased it's number of international students by more than 100.
This recruitment initiative brought more students to the Intensive English Institute, a program on campus that helps international students learn English in a short period of time.
The Rinker Center for International Programs is a component of IEI. Associate Director Deborah McMillan said its purpose is to admit international students and administer placement tests.
Dean of the Rinker Institute Kenneth Holland said the number of international students on campus has risen from 414 last year to 525 this year, and the number of students studying at IEI has risen from 90 to 150.
To accommodate this increase, McMillan said the number of faculty members at IEI has increased nearly fivefold.
Associate Professor of English Mary Theresa Seig said the purpose of IEI is to help international students make the transition to American culture.
"It's designed to acculturate students to what's expected in the university classroom," Seig said. "If you come from a place where the teacher's the only one who talks, you won't really understand the expectations of class participation and the immersive learning that we offer at the university."
Lihong Zhu, a student at Ball State who has already completed her classes in the IEI program, said she noticed a big difference in how courses are taught in America.
"In China, teachers stand at the blackboard and speak. We just listen," Zhu said. "I wasn't used to teachers asking if we had any questions, and the discussion that takes place in the classroom."
Constantin Schreiber, an English instructor at IEI, said the classes are set up differently than regular classes at the university, but students are evaluated in nearly the same ways.
"There are very different proficiency levels," Schreiber said. "At the higher two levels, most students are fluent in English, but not culturally adept. We evaluate students by their skill level with tests, short responses, essays, group discussions and assignments."
Xiyun Duan, a second year master's student, said she did not have to take IEI classes because she passed the exam in her home country of China.
"I've been learning English since primary school, so it wasn't such a difficult transition to learn in America," Duan said.
Students who take part in IEI have to pass six courses at six skill levels. These courses include reading, writing, speaking, listening and grammar. A new component this year requires that students also take an elective course. Some options for elective courses include studying computer technology or American culture.
Holland said the initiative focuses on recruiting students from China, India, Korea, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
From his experience with international students, Holland said he found that students from Arab countries can usually speak and understand English fairly well, but have trouble with reading and writing. In contrast, students from China can usually read and write, but have a hard time speaking and comprehending English.
"The professors only speak English in the IEI classes," Holland said. "Students are dropped into the ocean, so to say, and they have to learn how to swim or else they'll drown."
Students may study in IEI for anywhere from one to three semesters before being immersed into the normal university curriculum, Holland said.
Some students may take only some classes at IEI. Seig classifies them as "partial students."
Yun Zhu, a public relations major, is taking one writing course at the IEI, which makes her a partial student of the institute.
"We discuss some topics, and the teacher shows us how to write a paper to pursuade or give our opinions," she said.
Ball State's IEI program is one of three across the state; others programs are located at Indiana University and Indiana State University. Holland said Indiana State recently approached Ball State to ask if they could send graduate level students to study at Ball State's IEI program.
Schreiber said students meet in the classroom for 25 hours each week for two seven-week sessions during each semester.
Clarice Lu is a full-time student in IEI, and is looking forward to starting academic classes next semester.
"I've been learning English for 10 years," Lu said. "I'm excited to be studying in America, but I want to start my academic courses."
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