Trends in International Student Enrollments in Canadian Community Colleges

Authors

Abstract

Chapter 13|12 pages Trends in International Student Enrollments in Canadian Community Colleges By Elizabeth Buckner, Sarah Morales, Taiya Brown, Scott Clerk

This chapter examines trends in international student enrollments in the Canadian community college sector over the past decade. We first provide an overview of the Canadian community college sector and its longstanding mandate of training students for local labor markets. We then discuss how federal, provincial, and institutional authorities have all supported increasing international student enrollments for primarily economic rationales. Next, we draw on data from Statistics Canada to examine recent trends in international student enrollments in the community college sector. We point to three major trends: (1) the unprecedented growth of international student enrollments in the college sector; (2) an increasing proportion of international college students from India; and (3) a high concentration of international college students in only two provinces, namely Ontario and British Columbia. We argue that these trends raise important policy questions for the sector's traditional mandate of local labor market preparation, while also having important implications for how college leaders and student affairs professionals meet the needs of their students. 

Author Biographies

  • Elizabeth Buckner, University of Toronto

    ELIZABETH BUCKNER, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Her research examines how globalization affects higher education. Her recent publications have appeared in Comparative Education Review, Higher Education, and the Sociology of Education. Email: elizabeth.buckner@utoronto.ca

  • Sarah Morales, University of Toronto

    SARAH MORALES, is an M.Ed student in Higher Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Professionally she works as a Student Advisor at Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Her major research interests lie in the area of comparative higher education, internationalization, community colleges, and student support services.  Email: sarah.morales@mail.utoronto.ca

  • Taiya Brown, Humber College

    TAIYA BROWN, M.Ed., is a recent graduate from the Higher Education program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto and professionally works at Humber College as a Field Placement Advisor. Her major research interests lie in the areas of internationalization, student support services, and comparative higher education. Email: taiya.brown@humber.ca

  • Scott Clerk, University of Toronto

    SCOTT CLERK, is a PhD student in Higher Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, as well as the Director of International Education at Northern Lights College, in British Columbia, Canada. His primary research interests are in the field of international and comparative higher education. Email: scott.clerk@mail.utoronto.ca

Published

2021-08-23

Issue

2021: International Students at US Community Colleges: Opportunities, Challenges, and Successes

Section

International Students in Community Colleges (Published)

How to Cite

Trends in International Student Enrollments in Canadian Community Colleges. (2021). Comparative & International Education Series. https://ojed.org/cies/article/view/3000