Growth in International Student Population Required Tech-Driven Approach to Deliver First-Rate Student Support and Compliance
Chapel Hill, N.C., May 15, 2018 – Terra Dotta, the leader in higher education travel, study abroad and international program management solutions, today announced that the University of Delaware Office of International Students and Scholars(UD OISS) has successfully implemented its ISSS software (TDS) to streamline and enhance its international advising services.
“Like many universities, we face stiff competition to attract talented international students while also responding to increased SEVIS compliance requirements,” said Ravi Ammigan, executive director, Office for International Students & Scholars, University of Delaware. “Terra Dotta has enabled us to quickly and seamlessly process international student documents and confirm compliance elements, as well as onboard students and prepare them for a successful U.S. higher education experience.”
With more than 22,000 students, UD has experienced more than a 200 percent increase in the number of international students since 2009 and now serves an average of 5,000 international students, scholars and dependents annually. This growth demanded a move from a paper-based international registration and advising system to a technology-driven approach that can keep up with increased immigration processing and compliance requirements.
Terra Dotta was selected for its specialized focus on international education software as its technology was built for and by international higher education professionals.
With the deployment of TDS, UD’s international students and scholars can log into an individualized profile via a cloud-based TDS portal to complete critical steps, from form completion to recommendation requests, in one central, paperless location. OISS advisers can also log on to offer services to the international community, including scheduling automatic email reminders to complete specific tasks and optional alert communications through text messaging to smartphones.
In addition, TDS has helped automate SEVIS processing in real time, which helps mitigate the risk of data entry errors and provides compliance protection for the university as well as all international students and scholars.
About Terra Dotta
Terra Dotta is the leader in higher education travel, study abroad and international program management solutions. Nearly 600 universities and colleges use Terra Dotta’s proven cloud solutions and mobile apps to automate and streamline all aspects of global collegiate travel and international student programs. The company’s solutions help higher education teams optimize study abroad and international programs enrollment, deliver real-time, GPS-driven travel communication for students and faculty, and ensure compliance and risk mitigation for international travel/scholar programs worldwide. Terra Dotta is based in Chapel, N.C. and can be found at www.terrradotta.com.
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