AIRC Certification Launches!

Miami, Florida, December 4, 2009 – The American International Recruitment Council today announced the successful certification of eight (8) agencies which had participated in its pilot process. With the completion of the pilot, normal certification operations are now commencing. “These first eight certified agencies together have offices in 32 countries,” said Dr. Mitch Leventhal, Chair and President of AIRC, “Together they have more than 50 branch offices to serve prospective students.” Agencies which have achieved AIRC certification include: EDU Danmark, EduGlobal, Global Reach, IDP Education, IEC Online, Mentor International, Study Overseas UK, and World Education Group. The AIRC process was overseen by accreditation expert Dr. Marjorie Peace Lenn, who serves as Director of Certification, and who heads the Center for Quality Assurance in International Education (CQAIE).

The announcement was made at the first annual conference of AIRC, which was attended by 75 participants, including pilot, candidate and applicant agencies from seven (7) countries. “As the pilot phase has neared its conclusion, agency applicants have surged,” noted John Deupree, Executive Director of AIRC, “Sixteen (16) additional applicants are in process, ten (10) of which have now been advanced to Candidacy by the AIRC Board.” Notable among recent applicants is Hobsons, which announced its intention to enter the recruiting business at the NAFSA last May. According to Jeremy Cooper, President of Hobsons Integrated Marketing Solutions, “AIRC Certification fulfills an essential need by adding credibility and professionalism to the international student recruitment profession. Hobsons is enthusiastic about pursuing AIRC Certification. We believe this process, combined with Hobsons' ongoing oversight and management of its International Counselor Network, will provide both students and institutions with greater confidence in the overall level of service provided.”

According to Deupree, AIRC anticipates that at least 25 agencies will be certified during 2010, and the number will likely double in 2011. “It is clear,” says Deupree, “that AIRC Certification is quickly becoming the gold standard for institutions which are committed to ethical international recruitment, and it also is becoming de rigueur for any agency which is serious about developing a significant portfolio of US institutions.”  In some cases, AIRC Certification may even become a requirement.  The State University of New York (SUNY), a system of 64 institutions with more than 460,000 students, recently announced that it will soon start signing system-level master agreements with international student recruitment agencies. According to SUNY officials, “strong preference will be given to agencies who have achieved AIRC Certification, or who have achieved candidacy and are proceeding through the process.”

AIRC now has nearly 75 institutional members, drawn from 27 states, and split almost evenly between public and private institutions, ranging from large land-grant and state universities, to private colleges and universities, community colleges, specialty graduate schools and AAU member institutions. A large majority of AIRC members are also members of NACAC – the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

For additional information, contact:  Dr. Mitch Leventhal, AIRC Chair & President, tel: +1 212 317 3546,  info@airc-education.org, www.airc-education.org

ABOUT THE AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT COUNCIL – Founded in June 2008, the AIRC is a Standards Development Organization (SDO) officially registered with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. Its mission is to develop standards of ethical practice pertaining to international student recruitment to American educational institutions and to establish a certification framework for international student recruitment agencies.