AIRC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Declaration

AIRC welcomes our diverse members’ unique contributions through their life experiences and social identities which include, but are not limited to; age, ancestry, belief, color, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, languages spoken, marital status, nation of origin, race, religion/spirituality, and sex.

AIRC values transparency and integrity in a diverse membership that share common views to build a global organization that promotes inclusivity and equity in the shared interest of student success. 

AIRC inspires courageous yet mutually respectful dialogue that embraces differences of thought to promote a deeper appreciation for cultural backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to create an inclusive global membership organization. 

AIRC aspires to advancing and achieving an inclusive society through advocacy and fulfillment of AIRC’s mission.  

AIRC commits to:

• Ensuring a fair and inclusive representation of stakeholders on its Board of Directors and Certification Commission.

• Demonstrating a dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion through employment practices of its administration.

• Fostering an environment that values and respects its diverse and expanding memberships. 

• Creating professional development opportunities for members on cultural sensitivity to strengthen effective domestic and international recruitment.

AIRC-TABS New Affiliation

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) and the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC) are pleased to announce a five-year collaboration to expand high-quality, secondary educational opportunities for students worldwide. The partnership will include a sharing of expertise between the organizations, the development of new resources specific to boarding schools and the international climate, and numerous opportunities for TABS member schools and AIRC members to connect and collaborate. In addition, the alliance will greatly enhance the ability for students and families to discover and pursue the extraordinary advantages of a boarding school education.

AIRC - NACAC Survey Provides Insights Into Institution – Agency Partnerships

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Click here to contact Brian Whalen
Executive Director
240-547-640)

Falls Church, VA (February 16, 2021) --   The American International Recruitment Council (AIRC) and the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) collaborated on a brief survey to learn more about how colleges and universities are partnering with international student recruitment agents during the COVID-19 pandemic. All AIRC and NACAC college and university members were invited to participate in the survey and a total of 294 valid responses were received.

Results showed that almost half (49 percent) of the responding institutions currently partner with agents to recruit undergraduate international students. This appears to represent overall growth in the number of institutions partnering with agencies.  Private institutions were more likely than public institutions to have agent partnerships (60 percent vs. 42 percent, respectively). Five percent of institutions reported they are actively exploring agent partnerships as a result of the pandemic.

 Institutions that do not partner with agents were asked why they do not. The top three reasons given by the 154 respondents to this question were: 1) institution has staff dedicated to international recruitment travel (55%); 2) concern with unethical practice (54%); and, 3) institution has staff dedicated to “armchair” recruitment of international students (45%). 9% of institutions reported that they do not recruit international students.

 According to AIRC’s Executive Director, Brian Whalen, “When comparing the survey results to the results of a similar survey done a few years ago, it appears that institutional partnerships with agencies are growing. This is likely due to a wider acceptance on the part of institutions of the effectiveness and benefits of partnering with agents.”

 At the same time, Whalen explained that AIRC’s work to certify agencies for meeting industry standards remains critically important. “Institutions that have concerns about ethical practices should be assured that AIRC-certified agencies have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to high quality standards and to serving the best interests of students and institutional partners,” he said.

 Full survey results are accessible by following this link.

AIRC's Recommendations to the Biden Administration

AIRC has sent recommendations to the Biden administration advocating for the international student recruitment industry and outlining how AIRC can work with the new administration to develop a national strategy to rebuild international student enrollments and promote the U.S. as a welcoming destination. The recommendations call on the administration to address several policies to make it easier for international students to study in the U.S.

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AIRC's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Declaration

Submit your comments and feedback about the AIRC DEI Declaration

Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force has completed its work and shared a DEI Declaration and Recommendations with the AIRC Board. This is an historic moment in AIRC's development as we move forward with what we hope will serve as a foundation piece for AIRC's new strategic plan. As such, I want to take this opportunity to give a heart-filled 'thank you' to our DEI Task Force members who worked diligently the past few months to produce this momentous document: DEI Task Force Co-Chair and Board Treasurer Bryan Gross, Board President Jing Luan, Board Member Val Daily, agency Member Gary Bergman, Board Member Vanessa Andrade, past Certification Commission Chair, Ismael Betancourt Velez, agency Member Sonya Singh, and AIRC Manager of Member Services Cat Marte. Without the generous contribution and knowledge of our Task Force volunteers, our Declaration could not have become the meaningful document that it is. The final step will be a vote to adopt the Declaration at the February Board meeting. Prior to that last step and in the spirit of inclusivity, we feel it's very important for all members to have an official opportunity to reflect on the declaration and provide feedback. We thank the contribution of members who have already provided valuable feedback during the session at our annual conference, which helped improve the current document. The context and timeliness of this work is of the essence.

To submit your comments and feedback about the Declaration, please email us.

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For Your Students: AIRC's Talking Points Regarding Events in Washington DC

You may be receiving numerous calls of concern from students and families about the events in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. AIRC has produced the following Talking Points found here, which may be useful in helping your students, families and constituents understand the scope of the event and what we can hope for in the next U.S. administration.
Please feel free to reach out to AIRC Staff with comments or concerns.

Announcing— AIRC's Strategic Planning Task Force

With 2020 nearly behind us, AIRC is entering a time of transition and innovation. In this exciting new time, AIRC will be launching a new strategic planning process!

Broad member involvement in the formation of the strategic plan is critically important. Please be on the lookout for announcements on the ways that you can engage in the development of AIRC’s next strategic plan, including responding to a membership survey, participating in member listening sessions, and providing feedback on drafts of the strategic plan. This will be a transparent and inclusive process that will benefit from the diverse perspectives of all AIRC members.

Strategic Planning Task Force

Valeriana Daily

David Di Maria

Bryan Gross

Sophia Iliakis-Doherty

George F. Kacenga

Jing Luan

Stephanie Scoby

Sushil Sukhwani

Brian Whalen

Jennifer Wright

Chunsheng Zhang