Ethical Commissions-Based Recruitment:  The Need for a New Way

Join Mark Ashwill, managing director and co-founder of Capstone Vietnam, a full-service educational consulting company in Viet Nam and former country director of the Institute of International Education-Viet Nam,

Eddie West, assistant dean, UC Berkeley Extension, and executive director, international programs, and former director of international initiatives at the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC),

and Lindsay Addington, director of global engagement at NACAC, for a lively discussion and exploration of ways to improve upon the current flawed model of agency-based international student recruitment. 

The brief presentation and discussion are based on this statement, which Ashwill and West made in an October 2018 University World News article entitled An ethical approach to commissions-based recruitment: 

The fatal flaw in commissioned recruitment is that most agents prioritise their partner schools’ interests over those of the students and parents they advise. This means that most guide or, in many cases, drive students to their partner schools because of the gold (commission) at the end of the rainbow (enrolment process). 

[The second co-authored article in a three-part series was published on 8 March, also by University World News:  International recruitment – Are education agents welcome?]

The purpose of this seminar is not to debate the merits of commissions-based recruitment but to bring together colleagues who are interested in exploring ways in which it can be made more ethical to the benefit of international students and their parents, in addition to admitting institutions and education agents. 

This special event will be held from 3:30-5 p.m. on Monday, May 27, 2019 in downtown Washington, D.C.  (The exact location will be sent to all confirmed participants.) 

The seminar is free of charge and refreshments will be served. Online registration is required.

A heartfelt thanks to Study in the USA for its sponsorship! 

Related Announcement:  Eddie West, Mark Ashwill, and Mayumi Kowta will talk about Commissions-Based International Student Recruitment Agents: Is There a Better Way? at a general session from 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 29 at NAFSA 2019.