Edwards attends Bush administration educational

Edwards attends Bush administration educational meeting

Pellissippi State President Allen Edwards was one of about 120 college and university presidents from across the country who met last week in Washington, D.C., to discuss the drop in college enrollment by international students.

The meeting was organized by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and included an appearance by President Bush. Discussions focused on ways to attract more foreign students to the United States and to encourage more American students to participate in educational programs abroad.

Presidents of Duke University, Stanford University, Cornell University and Washington University in St. Louis were among those attending the meeting.

Since September 11, 2001, U.S. colleges and universities have experienced a decline in foreign student enrollment. While there are now signs that those numbers are increasing, experts on international education are worried that the United States is losing its dominance as a desired place to seek an education.

College officials said the Washington meeting would be a step toward restoring the country’s reputation as a magnet for international students.

"Inside Pellissippi" is a bi-monthly electronic publication produced by the Community Relations Office for the faculty and staff of Pellissippi State Technical Community College, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, P.O. Box 22990, Knoxville, Tennessee 37933-0990. All suggestions and comments should be sent to Julia Wood (jwood@pstcc.edu).

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