GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY AWARDED OPEN DOORS SEAL OF EXCELLENCE
Published: December 16, 2024
Author: T. Sunderland
GREENVILLE, IL – 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the Open Doors report, a publication of the Institute of International Education (IIE). First released in 1949, the report presents annual census data of international students in the United States.
This year, the IIE is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Open Doors report by honoring institutions that have participated in the survey since its inception. Greenville University has submitted international student data consistently since 1949 and has been awarded the Open Doors Seal of Excellence.
Victoria Clark, Greenville University's vice president for enrollment, said, "In 1949, Greenville University had 16 international students. Today, we have 136. We are thrilled with a 750% increase in our international student population over these 75 years. We are proud to be one of the original institutions participating in this landmark survey and are grateful for our significant growth in educating students worldwide."
Since its founding in 1919, the IIEhas conducted an annual census of international students in the United States. For the first 30 years, IIE and the Committee on Friendly Relations Among Foreign Students carried out this joint effort. The IIE's first independent publication of the annual census, Education for One World, reported data for the 1948-49 academic year.
Six years later, the IIE renamed the publication the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. In 1972, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Information Agency (USIA), now part of the U.S. Department of State, began supporting the project.
Open Doors is the comprehensive information resource for international students and scholars in the United States and U.S. students studying abroad.
Currently, Greenville University has 221 non-white students and 136 international students, contributing to a total on-campus undergraduate enrollment of 843 students. These groups comprise 42% of the student body, indicating GU's growing diversity. Additionally, GU hosts international students from 24 countries.
"I am thrilled to see Greenville University's commitment to international diversity honored in this way," said Alice Trinidad, Assistant Director of International Student Success. “Recently, the president’s office and the Board of Trustees purchased flags of all countries represented on campus and installed them outside the dining commons for all students to see.” The display shows the surprising breadth of GU’s reach and the interconnected community of Greenville University.
A study conducted in 2019 by the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) revealed a significant increase in diversity on Christian campuses. In 2003–2004, member schools reported 16.6% diversity; by 2018–2019, diversity had risen to 30.9%. This marks a 14.3% increase over 15 years, reflecting a trend toward greater inclusivity across Christian institutions.
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Greenville University thrives as a worldwide learning community of grateful and faithful Christ-followers who warmly welcome students from all over the globe. We see all persons within our ever-growing reach as bearers of God’s image and beneficiaries of God’s grace. Here, students are seen, known, and valued as global citizens fueled by immersive experiences, innovative learning, and a deeply connected community, anchored in a transformative relationship with God. Able and trusted guides help them live, learn, and grow into their unique God-given stories and callings.
Greenville University is an accredited Christian liberal arts university with more than 1,000 students, including traditional undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree completion students. Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the University is located in Greenville, Ill., 45 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri. For more information, visit www.greenville.edu.
