International Students by Slayter Box 8022

“Two changes will take effect beginning with the 2010-11 academic year:
1. Denison need-based funding for off-campus study will no longer be made available for full year programs. It will be provided for just one semester.
2. Providing an international study opportunity to students of need is primary to our financial aid commitment to off campus study programs. Because this opportunity is effectively already being fulfilled for international students through their four year program on the Denison campus, international students no longer will be eligible to receive Denison funding for an off-campus study program in addition to their Denison experience…
These steps are necessary to enable us to continue to provide need-based aid to a growing number of eligible students wanting to enroll in off-campus study programs. Though this letter is undoubtedly disappointing, I hope you understand the necessity for these changes…”
Now. Let’s consider the problems in this little missive here, shall we? For some strange reason, NEED-BASED financial aid is being cut off…for INTERNATIONAL students, the yearly income of some of whose families’ is less than $10,000…And Denison believes this to be completely and utterly sane/reasonable. Let’s attempt to integrate ourselves into this utterly rational and comprehensive mindset, shall we?
Denison University is a university which strives for diversity and equality for the sake of all of its students! Therefore, differences in class, nationality, religion, race, sexuality, and ethnicity shall be treated in the spirit of the liberal arts education, which Denison trumpets about at every opportunity! The liberal arts philosophy and way of thinking is what attracts our staff and faculty to the proud title of Denisonian!...Pause, stop, rewind. The letter targets specifically international students, even if the intention was not such; every one can see this if they bother to actually read the thing. None of the Professors were aware of the decision until it actually came out and distressed students/advisees began their attempts at imitating Dobby’s hairstyle (started tearing at their hair in frustration).
Denison University is already meeting the needs of international students’…international experience by allowing them the privilege of being part of the Granville, Ohio experience! The ultimate in international experiences! Therefore, their financial needs are met in that regard, and we can not sponsor yet another off-campus gallivant!...Pause, stop, rewind. Nothing against Granville (goodness knows it’s not the worst place for an academic experience), but how is a semester in Philadelphia, or Washington DC, or in any other American city/state any more or less international than Denison? Honestly, there is something fundamentally wrong with that thought. And, once again, nothing against American students, but don’t they get financial aid/scholarships from Denison as well? And, from what humble little ‘ole me understands, theirs will transfer to a semester of an “international” experience…even if that experience is in Philadelphia/Washington DC/Any Other American City/State You Can Think Of…
We are looking to admit as many students as our already filled-up buildings can take, including luring in even more internationals…since in the last two years we’ve had more of the latter than ever before! And, of course, we are sure that this blatant targeting of their needs and interests will not result in the direct opposite of this little venture and turn people away! Because people understand, right? They understand that we are in a financial crisis and therefore can’t be expected to meet the needs of EVERY single person, right?...Pause, stop, rewind. “These steps are necessary to enable us to continue to provide need-based aid to a growing number of eligible students wanting to enroll…” And I stop there, because honestly, with glaring separations like this, not only will international students be unwilling to sign up for an off-campus experience, but they will be unwilling to sign up for Denison at all. Goodness knows I would have been had I known about this earlier.
Where is everything that you promised us, Denison? Where is the equality and celebration of diversity you were ranting and raving about? We did not sign up for this. We did not go through the long and stressful process of applications and essays and recommendation letters to have this sprung on us. And, as much as we try to, we can not follow your…logic, if I may be so bold as to call it such. How can you explain this to us, Denison?
8022