Navitas and WKU end their partnership

Emma Collins

In January, WKU and Navitas, a recruiting agency for international students, ended their five-year partnership.

The partnership, which began in 2010, allowed international students to study at WKU through Navitas, a program that works to give students the chance to study at various universities around the world.

The split was due to the low number of international students Navitas was bringing to campus, said President Gary Ransdell.

“Since their numbers weren’t performing at a level where we thought they would be, then we began to question whether this was a relationship that we could sustain,” Ransdell said.

Ransdell does not expect the end of the partnership to affect the number of international students who come to study at WKU. In the past few years, the number of international students recruited directly by WKU has increased.

In addition to maintaining the number of international students, Ransdell believes the university will also benefit from the increased revenue that had previously gone to Navitas.

According to Ransdell, Navitas took approximately 70 percent of the tuition students in the program paid. The new revenue WKU will receive from international students’ tuition will be used to pay for the Honors College and International Center, which was supposed to be funded partially by proceeds Navitas earned from students.

Navitas at WKU did not respond to an interview request at the time of publication; however, according to the agency’s website, both Navitas and WKU will work to ensure an easy transition for students still involved in Navitas pathway programs.

Navitas at WKU offered international students two education pathways: a University Pathway Program and a Pre-Master’s Program.

Both programs allowed international students to pursue degrees from WKU.

The University Pathway Program was designed for undergraduate students who had completed school through the equivalent of the 12th grade.

International students entering this program started work on the first year or freshman year of their bachelor’s degree.

During their first year, students took 12 courses, or 36 hours, in a three-term period, which is the equivalent of a year.

Upon completion of the University Pathway Program, students entered WKU as sophomores in their chosen fields of study.

The Pre-Master’s Program served students who had already attained their bachelor’s degree but had yet to earn their master’s degree.

Students in this program took three academic courses, a total of nine hours, over a four-month period. Once the four-month term ended, these students entered WKU as graduate students.

The students currently involved in the programs will be allowed to continue their education at the university.