Dive Brief:

• The New York Times reports there is growing concern among international students studying in the United States as anti-immigrant and minority sentiment increases on predominantly white college and university campuses. 
• Students who have seen coverage of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and incidents on campuses nationwide are considering other nations for college study, despite international student enrollment surpassing 1 million in 2015. 
• Canadian institutions say they have seen a massive increase in web traffic and applications in the days following the presidential election, but caution that it's too early to tell what impact it will actually have on enrollment or transfers. 

Dive Insight:

The prevailing thinking is that international student enrollment is likely to take a precipitous dip in the next four years under growing animosity against "politically correct" culture and anti-minority sentiment, which is playing out is significant numbers at colleges and universities nationwide. Coded in language like "anti-safe space" and negative reactions to racialized language, gone are the days when administrators mulled ways to bring divided sides together for common dialog and efforts to build community respect. 

Now, the Trump presidency and its resulting social fallout are causing harm to the higher education business model, and it is up to presidents to make tough decisions about enrollment management, campus safety, and the promotion of online degree programs to avoid an altruistic approach to diversity and inclusion that many feel will not work.