International students coming to DePauw University face unique obstacles that are not shared by other incoming students. Many international students coming to DePauw are visiting the U.S. for the first time. Acclimatizing to American culture, trusting the safety of a campus they’ve never visited, and relying on support from the International Student Services office – key factors to their overall DePauw experience – are mostly out of their control.

This brief exposition contextualizes some of the unique obstacles that international students encounter during their time on campus. A large portion of all incoming students are undecided on their major. Students make this crucial decision in their sophomore year after exploring all their options and consulting with Professors and peers alike. International students face this same choice, but with added complexity. Those seeking to graduate and pursue full-time roles often encounter a conflict of interest when their desired major does not fall in the “STEM Designated Degree list” maintained by the United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE). The employability benefits (for international students) of graduating with a STEM degree are well known and documented across higher education (1).

Key Proposal:

This petition intends to provide a rationale for the Economics department and the Office of Academic Affairs to consider reclassifying the Economics major as a STEM degree under the CIP code of 45.0603 (Econometrics and Quantitative Economics). This reclassification will apply retroactively to the Class of 2019 [economics] graduates, all current and future students majoring in economics at DePauw.  

By the numbers:

• Economics departments at 5 Ivy league schools and UC-Berkeley have made such a reclassification in recent years (2)
• The Economics department at DePauw has averaged 77 students (highest) for the last 4 years. A conservative estimate of 10% amounts to 7-8 students/year that can benefit from this reclassification (3)
• Without a STEM degree, international students can legally work for 12 months on Optional Practical Training (OPT) and this only gives them 1 chance to participate in the H1-B lottery (assuming they get sponsored by their employer). Sponsorships aren’t easy to come by since employers must fork out between $5,500 - $17,000 for each H1-B application (4). There are only 85,000 H1-B visas issued each year with 20,000 visas reserved for students with master’s or higher degrees (5). The USCIS sees approximately 195,000 applications every year. That gives one-time applicants only a 33.3 % chance (on average) of acquiring the elusive H1-B visa.

The “Quantitative Rigor” of the Economics Major:

The final and most pertinent question remains: “Is the economics major at DePauw quantitative enough to justify this reclassification?”

• The economics major requires 10 course credits. This includes 5 “core courses”: ECON 100, ECON 294, ECON 295, ECON 350, ECON 480 (or 485). Students already earn a “Q” competency in 4 of these 5 course credits (except the ECON 480 - Senior Seminar)
• While the combination of the remaining 5 credits is subjective, some of the highest enrolled classes also provide the “Q” competency to students. Common examples include: Financial Accounting, Corporate Finance, Investment Analysis, etc.
• Finally, the economics department offers a few courses – that don’t qualify for a “Q” competency – like Professor Barreto’s Regression & Simulation which teaches advanced statistical and problem-solving skills while developing technical skills on prominent software programs like MS Excel and STATA

Final Thoughts:

In conclusion, this proposed reclassification is compelling for three reasons:

1. The academic program has sufficiently evolved to justify a CIP code reclassification that better describes the economics major at DePauw

2. It encourages incoming international students passionate about economics to pursue a degree that helps them think critically about the world and promote the common good. This aligns perfectly with the mission of DePauw’s Academic Affairs to “align the curricular program with a vision for a liberal arts experience shaped by the ideals of access, relevance, and purpose” (6)

3. This proposal benefits at least 8 – 10 international students every year without hurting the legitimacy of the major or other students. The network effects of this change also translate to future employers of these students, potentially saving thousands of dollars in legal and sponsorship costs to retain their employee for longer than one year

 

Please show your support for international students at DePauw. Sign this petition with your name and class (or title for faculty/other) if you support a reclassification of the economics major as outlined above. For any questions, comments, or concerns you can contact the author of this petition, Abhishek Sambatur (DePauw Class of 2019), at abhishek.sambatur@gmail.com.

 

Links:

(1) https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/09/stem-majors-jobs/568624/

(2) https://www.thedp.com/article/2018/09/cornell-economics-major-stem-visas-international-students-ivy-league-penn-upenn-philadelphia

(3) https://sites.google.com/a/depauw.edu/ir/academics

(4) https://www.lawtrades.com/answers/total-cost-employer-employee-case-h1b-transfer-filing-new-h1b-visa/

(5) https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-and-fashion-models/h-1b-fiscal-year-fy-2020-cap-season

(6) https://www.depauw.edu/offices/academic-affairs/academic-affairs-staff/our-mission/