Cumberland College, known for providing education to students in northeast Saskatchewan, has vastly increased its educational reach.
Instead of limiting its student pool to Melfort, Tisdale, and Nipawin, Cumberland College has attracted students from India, China, Nigeria, Suriname, and the Philippines.
Brandy Wicks, Cumberland College’s international student advisor, told northeastNOW the increased diversity is providing an exciting opportunity.
“It’s a good opportunity for the international students as well as the domestic students that are taking the classes with them because they get to learn so much about the cultures that our international students come from throughout the year,” Wicks said.
And while bigger centres such as Saskatoon and Regina are more commonly known for bringing in these types of students, that tradition is changing.
Wicks knows there are positives in bigger centres, such as more vibrant downtowns and better transportation, however, she believes the negatives may be starting to outweigh them.
“I’ve found that quite often our international students like the smaller communities because they’re safe, they’re easier to access and they’re comfortable… it’s also much more affordable to live in and I think our students really enjoy the community atmosphere that they get living in rural areas.”
The college currently houses a total of 13 international students from the five different aforementioned countries, with an added five students already signed up for the upcoming January semester.
Cumberland does have agents in different countries who continue to recruit students to come to the northeast.
Wicks explained the agents have done such a good job, that extra programming is now needed.
“The plan is to offer an additional CCA (continued care assistant) program in January because we have such a high number of international students apply, but just weren’t able to get their visas in time for the fall start.”
However, she did mention that won’t always be the way it is.
“The goal is to have our international students integrated with our domestic students, so we don’t have any specific programs set aside or designated for international students. We see such a strong value in our international students working with our domestic students, and having people learning each other’s cultures.”
International student numbers were rising before the pandemic, however, fell off dramatically during the Covid years.
Since then, the numbers have risen once again, and are expected to continue on the incline.
And, according to Wicks, that can only be beneficial.
“Now, these students are able to get their post-graduate work permits and find employment in Canada… giving the added benefit of knowing exactly what Saskatchewan employers are looking for in new employees.”
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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter @BenTompkins_8
