International students will be allowed to directly enroll at UNC for the first time this fall, as part of an effort to increase the global presence on a campus lagging behind its peers in that respect.
The new Global Visiting Students program will give 20 international students the opportunity to attend UNC for one or two semesters for credit.
The direct enrollment is different from a traditional foreign exchange program, in which the number of students UNC sends must be equal to the number it receives.
Katie Bowler, UNC’s director of global relations, said the program only caters to international students.
“This program is about incoming students and international students outside of an exchange program that may not be pursuing four years of study in the U.S., but would like to study here short term,” she said.
The program was created in response to a theme set forth by the 2011 Academic Plan, which aimed to extend UNC’s global presence, teaching, research and public service.
The University does not enroll as many international students as its peers. According to a 2009 report from UNC Global, the percentage of international students enrolled as undergraduates hovered above 1 percent, compared to more than 5 percent for Duke University and the national average of similar colleges — 4 percent.
Ron Strauss, executive vice provost and chief international officer, said the ability to work cross-culturally is important to students’ careers and understanding of the world.
“Being a globally aware student is of very high importance for Carolina, and we’ve taken lots of steps to becoming a more global university,” he said.
