INTO University Partnerships and Oregon State University (OSU) are currently celebrating a significant milestone – 15 years of a partnership that has revolutionized the educational experiences of a vast number of international students.
Since its inception in 2008, the objective has been to amplify OSU’s international presence. The partnership has successfully delivered a comprehensive array of academic support and services for international students, encompassing direct entry and specially tailored preparatory courses for all undergraduate majors, as well as a vast selection of postgraduate degrees. OSU stands in the top 1.4% of universities worldwide and is recognized for having graduates among the top 20% highest earners in the US.
At the heart of OSU’s historic campus lies the INTO OSU Centre, an energetic hub of learning that provides students with an additional level of academic and personal support, courtesy of the centre’s dedicated staff and faculty.
This centre, a pioneering initiative in the US, has facilitated over 11,900 international students from more than 155 countries in achieving academic excellence in their chosen disciplines. INTO OSU-supported students have also made their mark across all 11 of OSU’s academic colleges at the doctoral level.
Edward Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President at Oregon State University and a member of the INTO OSU Board, stated: “In 15 years of collaboration, the INTO Oregon State University partnership helped bring more than 12,000 international students to OSU. This has strengthened the university by enriching the intercultural experiences of domestic students; providing support for faculty hires, infrastructure, and study abroad opportunities; influencing improvements to our academic program mix; and elevating OSU’s global visibility and brand.”
John Sykes, CEO of INTO University Partnerships, expressed: “Our partnership with Oregon State University marked a real breakthrough moment in US public universities’ approach to internationalizing the student experience. We could not be prouder of our partnership and what it has accomplished. It has been a privilege to watch the life-changing experiences this great American university has delivered to the thousands of Chinese students who made Corvallis their home.”
Bob Gilmour, INTO OSU’s Executive Director, conveyed: “At INTO OSU, we’re so proud of the students we have supported over the last 15 years and the range of academic, personal, and professional successes that they have gone on to achieve. Over that time, it’s really been an honor to have been a part of a team of people at INTO OSU that shows up every day to put students first and provide them with the support and experience that they deserve.
“With both INTO and OSU’s combined efforts, this pioneering Centre has played a significant role in raising the standards and expectations for international student support in higher education from application to graduation and beyond. And as a team, we at INTO OSU look forward to the next 15 years with as much passion and excitement as the day this innovative model was conceived.”
The partnership continues to excel in student satisfaction and retention rates. OSU’s launch of International Direct Services in 2020, which offers bespoke academic and personal support to all international undergraduates in their initial year, has facilitated a seamless start to their degree programmes at OSU. The retention rates for first-year students since the establishment of INTO OSU have impressively climbed to 95%.
INTO University Partnerships is dedicated to connecting motivated international students with top-tier universities in the US, UK, and Australia. Since its founding in 2005, INTO has assisted over 150,000 students from 180 countries in realising their dream of attaining a degree from a prestigious global university.
