International enrollment at SIUC is in trouble. International enrollment has fallen drastically during the past few years, and the SIU Board of Trustees’ decision to drop international tuition by one-third shows there is genuine concern. But that is not good enough.

The change will take effect in fall 1999, except for students transferring from the Nakajo, Japan, campus who will be able to receive the new rates as early as this fall. While the initial change will help some students, many others will be left waiting. Two years may look good on paper, but many international students need help now. Their countries and families are suffering a near economic collapse today, not in fall 1999.

At the board meeting Thursday, protesters asked for help and were patronized by members of the board instead of given real alternatives to the problems.

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In order to fix the international enrollment problem, it is necessary to address all international students, not just those coming from Nakajo.

Board Chairman A.D. VanMeter said the board considers international students one of the most important resources at this University. If international students are as valuable as it seems, then more should be done to help them.

The board argues that decreasing all international tuition will cost the University too much money. If it is not possible to lower all tuitions at once, there must be alternative methods to help international students with financial problems.

VanMeter also suggested that all concerned international students meet with SIUC Chancellor Don Beggs on an individual basis to discuss financial problems. Essentially, VanMeter passed the buck to Beggs instead of offering real solutions to the problem.

During the meeting VanMeter said, Chancellor, I believe your office is always open. Does Beggs or any other administrator deserve to be put on the spot like that and be expected to fix a problem that likely does not have an easy solution?

Even though Beggs has found time to listen to concerned students, such an idea is impossible to achieve. Beggs should not be burdened by the board chairman’s quick-fix. He does not possibly have the time to meet individually with every international student who has financial questions or worries. Beggs has many responsibilities to attend to while he acquaints new chancellor Jo Ann Argersinger to SIUC and prepares to leave this institution in July.

Anthony Huang, a graduate student from Taiwan, said most international students keep quiet about problems and simply leave. This too is a hindrance to improving the situation. Yet international students felt so strongly about this issue they protest the board meeting. Such action should send a signal to the board that something needs to be done.

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The Daily Egyptian believes VanMeter and the board should take the international enrollment more seriously than pushing the problem aside. Maybe actions such as this exemplify why SIUC’s international enrollment has dropped out of its once nationally recognized status.