History Takeover: The evolution of Grinnell’s international student programming

Grinnell College’s long history of enrolling international students stems back to the 1800s. Dan Kaiser, professor emeritus, Jin Feng, professor of Chinese and Mariko Schimmel, professor of Japanese, among others, are currently conducting research projects with the College archives to learn more about those international students. 

Intentional recruitment and a more formal infrastructure began with the name Nancy Maly `61. Maly began working as a Grinnell admissions officer for the East Coast region in the early 70s while living in New Jersey. Around that time, higher education in the United States was becoming increasingly attractive to international students — as a result, more and more American universities and colleges began increasing their international student enrollment and looking for ways to market their education efficiently.

Grinnell’s admissions office entrusted Maly to draw up a plan for international student enrollment. She proposed a five-year plan to recruit and enroll international students from around the world and establish a department to oversee this process, which was approved by Grinnell College President George Drake. Maly became the first international recruiter for the College. She began to travel the world with admissions officers from other liberal arts colleges, such as Oberlin and Kenyon, during admissions seasons. In initial years, they toured mainly American and International schools in Europe and South America, but efforts soon expanded to Asia and Africa.

In these early years, Grinnell offered up to 50 percent financial aid to international students, including some full scholarships. By the time Nancy left her position in the mid-90s, Grinnell’s international student body was roughly 10 percent of all students. Eric Staab, now vice president of admissions and financial aid at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, continued to build Grinnell’s reputation in the field, and in 2006, Jon Edwards became Grinnell’s Coordinator, now director of international admission, along with Grace Robertson Lloyd, associate director of admission, and Ashley Grundler, administrative assistant. 

International student enrollment today comprises 20 percent of the student body. Grinnell’s current international student body and worldwide international alumni network is widely regarded as the legacy of Maly’s visionary thought.

“I’ve never been more proud to see what turned out of what I started,” Maly said in reference to her proposal to President Drake. In 2023, the College announced a new Nancy Schmulbach Maly `61 International Student Leadership Award, which is awarded by the Office of International Student Affairs.

Maly never truly left Grinnell’s international student community, as she became a long-standing host parent in the Friends of International Students (FIS) program. In 2006, that program received an award from NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (formerly known as the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators), marking it as a “best practice” in support of international students in the U.S. The program is made possible by the efforts of families and individuals living within or in the proximity of Grinnell who volunteer to become “host parents” of international students, providing them vital assistance during their four-year stay, but in many cases extending far beyond that.

The international student monument on March 21, 2023. (Owen Barbato)

Karen Edwards, dean of International Student Affairs, who helps coordinate the FIS program, explained that FIS dates back before her arrival in 2007. The Host Family Program began as a way to provide housing for international students, when they arrived for International Student Orientation (now called IPOP). The incredible success of the program, however, according to Edwards, is also challenging to maintain. “Many hosts will match with more than one student,” Edwards said in an interview with The S&B. “So we’ve worked hard to maintain the positive connections and we are so incredibly grateful for these kind community members who participate and support our students.”

In 2014, according to Dean of Admissions Joe Bagnoli, former Grinnell College President Raynard S. Kington established a task force consisting of staff and faculty with a goal to further internationalize the College. The task force supported an increase in enrollment of international students. The same year, financial aid provided to international students was increased to cover 100 percent of demonstrated need. In addition, the Institute of Global Engagement (IGE) was founded. IGE has built the College’s Global Learning Program (GLP), the Global Kitchen and many other initiatives aimed at enhancing global teaching and learning.

Guaranteeing the well-being and academic success of such a robust population of international students is the main work of the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA). The department navigates through complex diplomatic and legal frameworks to safeguard the activities of international students and exchange visitors every day of the year. Most recently, in response to the Trump Administration’s stance towards international students, OISA has held open information sessions and issued revised guidance, including “Know Your Rights” cards designed to help students in situations where their legal status might come under scrutiny.

One of the most visible projects of OISA is the International Student Pre-Orientation Program (IPOP), which takes place before New Student Orientation (NSO). IPOP is designed to help international students complete essential paperwork, become informed about their rights and most importantly, welcome them to Grinnell’s community, no matter where they come from.

Edwards said that the program easily fills all five days with valuable content. “We have had to shift a lot of the schedule to focus more and more on regulatory issues,” she said. “But we also really value important content focused on cultural adjustment, academic adjustment and just plain community building.”

In response to the importance of Grinnell’s historic commitment towards a vast and diverse international student community, Grinnell College President Anne Harris wrote in an email to The S&B:

“International students are integral and vital members of the Grinnell community. The friendships built among nationalities, the humor shared between cultures, the assumptions questioned of societies, the experiences compared across communities, the knowledge fostered through global frameworks — all of these connections and discoveries and more attest to Grinnell College only ever being the College it is — simultaneously rural and global — through its students and their shared endeavors and friendships.”