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Meadows Field Airport

Meadows Field is a public airport in Kern County, California, United States, three miles northwest of downtown Bakersfield. It is the main airport for the Bakersfield area, and one of two international airports in the San Joaquin Valley, the other Fresno Yosemite International Airport. Also known as Kern County Airport #1, it is located in an area of unincorporated Kern County adjacent to Oildale, California.

Federal Aviation Administration records show 141,847 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 103,067 in 2009 and 111,699 in 2010. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.

History
Aviation has been linked to Kern County for almost as long as the existence of the industry. In 1891, Charles Howard ascended in a hot air balloon to 1000 ft. He jumped and landed safely with a parachute he designed and constructed. By 1910, only seven years after the Wright Brothers' first airplane flight, aircraft began arriving in the county. They were brought in by Glenn Curtiss (in conjunction with the Kern County Board of Trade). The first flight in the area was flown by Charles Hamilton.

Bakersfield then had two airfields. The more prominent field was at Sacramento and Monterey streets in East Bakersfield (at the time, mostly empty fields). It was named Bernard Field and was run by the Pacific Aero Club. The field would be a stop for US Air Mail from 1923 to 1926 (when that moved to Meadows Field). Another airfield was on the Panorama Bluffs in Northeast Bakersfield where Greenlawn Mortuary is today.

With the development of commercial air service, Bakersfield needed a purpose-built commercial airport. In 1926, the Kern County Chamber of Commerce constructed and operated a new airport called Kern County Airport No. 1. Originally at the intersection of U.S. Route 99 and Norris Road, the following year it was moved one mile east to its current location. The original facility had one runway, one terminal building, and a few hangars and other buildings. In 1935, Kern County bought the airport from the Chamber of Commerce. It was the first county-owned airport in the nation.

United States Army Air Force use
In September 1939, war broke out in Europe, prompting Congress to appropriate $40 million for the Development of Landing Areas for National Defense (DLAND). Under DLAND, the secretaries of War, Commerce, and the Navy approved expenditures for airports. By 1941, the Army Air Corps had begun directing aid to Meadows Field for improvements to include the operation of airport towers.

In late 1943, the United States Army Air Forces acquired usage rights to Meadows Field. It was placed under the jurisdiction of the IV Fighter Command. The 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group (NFOTG) used the facility as part of the Army Air Forces Night Fighter School, which had transferred from Florida to Hammer Field, California. Meadows Field was used as an auxiliary training airfield and the school operated a combination of modified Douglas A-20 Havocs for night fighter operations, designated P-70, and brand-new prototype YP-61 Black Widow night fighters.

Between May 1 and July 12, 1944, the 427th Night Fighter Squadron trained at Meadows Field; the 549th Night Fighter Squadron trained there between July and October 1944. In addition, flights of P-61s from the 426th, 547th, 548th, and 550th Night Fighter squadrons moved in and out of Meadows Field during 1944 as part of their training prior to being deployed to combat units, primarily in the Pacific and CBI theaters.

In December 1944, the 481st NFOTG was inactivated as part of an AAF reorganization. Meadows Field was placed on standby status and the airport was only used for emergency purposes, being under the control of Hammer Field.

A Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech, an experimental fighter powered by a turboprop engine, was on display at the entrance to the former air terminal at Skyway Drive and Hanger Way until 1992 when it was reclaimed and moved to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It was subsequently replaced by a U.S. Air Force T-38 Talon supersonic jet trainer. The T-38 was donated and was moved to the Minter Field Air Museum at Shafter Airport in 2015.

Return to civil control and expansion
After the war, Meadows Field would return to being a commercial airport. In the mid-1950s, Kern County would modernize the airport. The land was purchased and new facilities were built; in 1957, a new terminal and control tower was built east of the runway. That year, the county renamed the airport Meadows Field (by a board of minute order on August 6, 1957), after Cecil Meadows. He was the county's Director of Airports from 1935 to 1957, except during World War II when he was a pilot in the armed forces. He was also responsible for the county purchasing the airport and modernization efforts.

Historical airline service
Commercial airline service to Bakersfield dates back to 1927 when Pacific Air Transport operated a route from Los Angeles to Seattle stopping at Bakersfield, Fresno, San Francisco, Medford, and Portland. By 1934, Pacific Air Transport merged with three other carriers to become United Airlines. United flew Boeing 727s and Boeing 737-200s to Los Angeles and to San Francisco from the late 1960s until 1979 and again from 1984 to 1987. For a short time in 1933 and 1934, Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) served the city on a San Francisco-Fresno-Bakersfield-Los Angeles route. Other carriers include Southwest Airways and successors Pacific Air Lines, Air West, and Hughes Airwest that served the airport from 1956 until 1979 with Fairchild F-27 and DC-9-10s. In 1966, Pacific Air Lines operated Boeing 727-100s nonstop to Los Angeles and Fresno and one-stop to San Francisco; this was the airport's first jet service. Pacific Express served the airport with BAC One-Elevens nonstop to San Francisco and Santa Barbara during the 1980s. Continental Airlines flew Douglas DC-9s on a Las Vegas-Houston route in 1982 and flew Boeing 737-200s to Denver from 1987–1988. America West Airlines operated mainline service to Las Vegas from 1990–1991 using the De Havilland Dash 8 turboprop. From 1984 until 1999, American Airlines operated Dallas/Fort Worth service using the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 which initially included a Santa Barbara stopover. From September 1994 through April 1995, American operated a Boeing 757-200 to John Wayne Airport and one-stop to Chicago-O'Hare which is believed to be the largest commercial jetliner to serve Bakersfield. Allegiant Air operated to Las Vegas from 2010–2011 using the McDonnell Douglas MD-80, and Frontier Airlines briefly flew Airbus A319s to Denver in 2014.

From 2007 until 2008, Mexicana flew Airbus A318s non-stop to Guadalajara.

A number of commuter and regional carriers have served the airport including Air Pacific, Air L.A., American Eagle Airlines, Apollo Airways, Aspen Airways, Cal-State Air Lines, ExpressJet Airlines (initially operating as Continental Express and later independently), Imperial Airlines, Golden Gate Airlines, Golden West Airlines, Laughlin Express, Mesa Airlines (initially operating independently and later as America West Express and successor US Airways Express), Pacific Coast Airlines, SkyWest (initially operating independently and later as Western Express, Delta Connection and US Airways Express), Sun Aire, StatesWest Airlines (operating as USAir Express), Swift Aire Lines, WestAir (operating as United Express), and Wings West Airlines.

Deregulation and decline
The airport saw increased air service during the 1950s and 1960s; in 1975, annual enplanements would reach 97,000. The growth ended with airline deregulation in 1978. While other cities saw a decrease of prices and increase in service, almost all air service was eliminated from Meadows Field in favor of other airports such as LAX (about 120 mi south). The City of Bakersfield and the County of Kern attempted to prevent a reduction in service by filing a joint lawsuit; however, the court sided with the federal government. Annual enplanements fell 59%, from 147,866 in 1978 to 60,958 in 1981 (although the next year it would rebound to 90,000). Air service would eventually average 120,000 enplanements between 1980 and 2000.

Service was expensive compared to nearby airports and normally ran during inconvenient times. Service was also inconsistent, with airlines frequently starting and ending routes. During the same time period, the region also saw a large growth in population. While the City of Bakersfield grew 134%, and the County of Kern grew 64%, the airport did not see an increase in service to match. Except for the lengthening of the main runway in 1987 to accommodate wide-body jets, few improvements were done at Meadows Field during that period.

Rebirth and rise to international airport
In the early 2000s, the county started an initiative to address the problems in air service. In 2002, it was estimated that about 400,000 people who lived in the service area of the airport chose to fly from a different location; 25% of those flew to destinations in Mexico. Kern County started multiple projects to address the reluctance of airlines to use the airport. They included: installing centerline landing lights on the main runway, extending the second runway to 7,700 feet (the length most airplanes that use the airport would need), construction of a new terminal with jet bridges and inside baggage claim, and remodeling the existing terminal to accommodate international flights. Most improvements were completed by 2006, with the international terminal completed in 2007.

Initial response was favorable. Four new airlines would start service at the airport, including international service to Mexico operated by Mexicana. This would also increase enplanements above the levels set in 1978. However, high gas prices and the subsequent recession of 2008 would reduce service to 2002 levels, including the loss of the airport's international carrier. However, the US Customs house would remain open. In addition to serving international charter and unscheduled flights, it would process international cargo. Both the Tejon Industrial Complex (south of Bakersfield) and the International Trade and Transportation Center (in Shafter, west of Bakersfield) would lease warehouse space at the airport for use by their clients.

Facilities
Meadows Field covers 1,357 acres (549 ha) at an elevation of 510 feet (155 m). It has two asphalt runways: 12L/30R is 10,855 by 150 feet (3,309 x 46 m) and 12R/30L is 7,703 by 100 feet (2,348 x 30 m).

The main runway, 12L-30R, is the longest in the San Joaquin Valley. It is classified as a commercial D-IV runway, but can handle Boeing 747s. The other runway, 12R-30L, is a general aviation B-II runway. Although only 75 feet of width is required for this classification, the runway is 25 feet wider to allow it to serve as an alternate runway for turboprop and regional jets.

In the year ending May 31, 2018, the airport had 61,229 aircraft operations, average 168 per day: 76% general aviation, 20% air taxi, 4% airline, and <1% military. In November 2021, 194 aircraft were based at the airport: 108 single-engine, 52 multi-engine, 32 jet, 1 ultralight, and 1 helicopter.

William M. Thomas Terminal
William M. Thomas Terminal has six gates numbered 2 through 6. Gate 1 is inoperational due to the lack of a jet bridge, and Gate 6 is at ground level. The terminal also contains an Omni Goods gift shop and a Blimpie sandwich restaurant. Features of the terminal include a rotunda with compass point floor design and a scaled model of Spaceship One (which flew out of Mojave about 50 mi east of Bakersfield). It is also constructed on a hill, which allows for all passenger services to be on the second level, while airport services are on the first. The terminal was constructed in 2006 at a cost of $33.8 million and designed by Odell Associates.

International Air Terminal
Kern County Air Terminal was built in 1957 and had three gates: 4, 5, 5A. It handled all commercial flights until the William M. Thomas Terminal opened in 2006.

In 2006, the terminal underwent a $1 million renovation and an adjacent $7 million US Customs & Immigration facility was built. The terminal was reopened in 2007 and renamed "International Air Terminal at Meadows Field" to handle both international departures and arrivals.

The terminal closed again in 2008 when its only air carrier, Mexicana, suspended service. As of December 2020, the terminal remains mothballed and all of its signage has been covered up or removed.

The terminal had an adjacent motel known as Skyway Inn, and a restaurant which in its existence was known as Freddie's at the Skyway House, Anton's Airport Bar & Grille, Milano's, and Skyway Steakhouse. Both the motel and the restaurant were closed in 2001 due to the decline in passenger traffic following the September 11 attacks and were later demolished in 2005.

Terminal connections
Although the International Terminal is currently closed (the US Customhouse remains open), when the terminal was open there was no airport transportation between it and the Domestic Terminal. There is also no road connection or pedestrian access between the two terminals. For passengers to transfer (from the international terminal to the domestic terminal), they would leave the airport and turn left on Airport Drive. They would then turn left on Merle Haggard Drive. Passengers would then re-enter the airport at Wings Way, a distance of approximately 2.5 mi. There is a long-term plan to extend Wings Way through the airport, which would provide a more direct connection, but there is no date for construction.

Road
The airport is located at the intersection of Merle Haggard Drive and Airport Drive, in Oildale (also called North Bakersfield). Access to the Domestic Terminal is from Merle Haggard Drive while access to the International Terminal is from Airport Drive. The primary signed route to the airport is via SR 99 (Golden State Freeway). Drivers traveling north exit at Porterville Highway (SR 65) while drivers traveling south exit at 7th Standard Road/Merle Haggard Drive. In both cases, drivers then turn east on Merle Haggard Drive, which leads to the airport. There is an alternate signed route via Golden State Highway (SR 204 Freeway). Drivers exit at Airport Drive, and travel north to the airport.

The Domestic Terminal provides fee parking for both short-term, and long-term parking. People can also park for free in the short term parking for a limited amount of time. The International Terminal provides free parking for both short term, and long term parking.

Public transportation
Public transportation to the airport was provided exclusively by Golden Empire Transit. Routes 22 and 45 stop close to the airport, but not inside. There are no scheduled bus routes to the Domestic Terminal.

Rental car/taxi
Rental cars are only available at the Domestic Terminal. Currently four companies are located at the airport. Rental car counter space is on the east side of the terminal, with the car lots directly outside the east exit.

Taxi stands are located outside the north entrance to the terminal, across the street. Taxis are sometimes available when flights are arriving at the airport. Meadows Field also lists two taxi companies on their website, which provide 24-hour pickup, if no taxis are available.

There are extremely limited rideshare options, as the airport is only serviced by Lyft.

Future
Kern County has planned several improvements to the airport over the next 20 years, all of which are based on future demand.

Passenger
The domestic terminal was constructed in anticipation of future expansion. Currently, it has four jet bridges to connect passengers to aircraft. Without any new construction, an additional jet bridge can be added. The existing gate area can then be extended towards the runway for an additional seven gates. After that, a new concourse can be constructed on the west side of the terminal for 12 more gates. That puts the ultimate capacity for the terminal at 24 gates.

Other facilities are planned to expand with these future changes to the terminal. The existing parking lot will grow both east and west. The rental car parking lots will be consolidated and relocated east of the terminal. Wings Way, the road that connects to the airport, will be extend to Airport Drive and connect to Day Avenue.

Cargo
Currently, all cargo operations are conducted out of a small facility, east of the international terminal. A new, expanded cargo facility is planned west of Merle Haggard Drive, north of the runway. Ultimate build out will contain 12 sortation buildings, 30000 sqft each. A road will connect them to trucking/warehouse/distribution facilities west of the airport. That road will terminate at Porterville Highway (SR 65) and Merle Haggard Drive (at Wings Way). Other aviation-related structures are planned in the area.

In addition, there is a long-term plan to construct a third parallel runway. Designated 13–31, it will be located north of the cargo facilities, as well as Merle Haggard Drive. The runway is planned to be 8000 ft long and 150 ft wide. It will be widely spaced, which will allow for simultaneous Instrument Flight Rule (IFR).

Other sources

 * Meadows Field, official site
 * Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
 * Maurer, Maurer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
 * Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History's Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
 * Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History's Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.

title: Meadows Field Airport


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International student

International students or exchange students, also known as foreign students, are students who undertake all or part of their secondary or tertiary education in a country other than their own.

In 2021, there were over 6.39 million international students, up from 5.12 million in 2016. The most popular destinations were the United States (with 833,204 international students), the United Kingdom (600,589 students), and Australia (378,439 students) which together receive 28,37% of international students.

National definitions
Definitions of "foreign student" and "international student" vary from country to country.

In the US, international students are "[i]ndividuals studying in the United States on a non-immigrant, temporary visa that allows for academic study at the post-secondary level." Most international students in the US hold an F1 Visa.

In Europe, students from countries who are a part of the European Union can take part in a student exchange program called the Erasmus Programme. The program allows for students from the EU to study in other countries under a government agreement.

Canada defines international students as "non-Canadian students who do not have 'permanent resident' status and have had to obtain the authorization of the Canadian government to enter Canada with the intention of pursuing an education." The study permit identifies the level of study and the length of time the individual may study in Canada. Unless it takes more than six months, international students do not need a study permit if they will finish the course within the period of stay authorized upon entry.

In Australia, an international student "is not an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, New Zealand citizen, or a holder of an Australian permanent resident humanitarian visa."

According to the Institute of International Education, an international student in Japan is "[a] student from a foreign economy who is receiving an education at any Japanese university, graduate school, junior college, college of technology, professional training college or university preparatory course and who resides in Japan with a 'college student' visa status."

Destinations of foreign students

Student mobility in the first decade of the 21st century has been transformed by three major external events: the 9/11 terrorist attack, the global financial crisis of 2008, and an increasingly isolationist political order characterized by Brexit in the U.K. and the presidency of Donald Trump in the U.S. Changes to the visa and immigration policies of destination countries impact the availability of employment during and after education. Political developments are often a major consideration; for example, a survey conducted before the 2020 presidential election in the U.S. indicated that a quarter of prospective international students were more likely to study in the country if Joseph R. Biden was elected president.

Traditionally the US and UK have been the most prestigious choices. There is increasing competition from several destinations in East Asia such as China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan which are keen to attract foreign students for reputation and demographic reasons.

According to OECD, almost one out of five foreign students is regionally mobile. This segment of regionally mobile students who seek global education at local cost is defined as "glocal" students]. Many "glocal" students consider pursuing transnational or cross-border education which allows them to earn a foreign credential while staying in their home countries. With the increase in tuition cost in leading destinations like the US and the UK along with the higher immigration barriers, many international students are exploring alternative destinations and demanding more "value for money." Recalibrating value for money for international students It is projected that the number of internationally mobile students will reach 6.9 million by 2030, an increase of 51%, or 2.3 million students, from 2015. The affordability of international education is an area of concern not only for international students but also universities and nations interested in attracting them.

, the top 10 countries for foreign student enrollment according to Institute of International Education:

, the top 10 countries for foreign student enrollment according to UNESCO:

China
In 2016, China was the third largest receiver of international students globally, with 442,773 international students. By 2018 this number had grown to 492,185 (10.49% growth from 2017).

The number of international students in China has grown steadily since 2003, with apparently no impact from the rise of terrorism or the 2008 global financial crisis. In contrast to the reported decline of enrollments in the USA and the UK, China's international student market continues to strengthen. China is now the leading destination globally for Anglophone African students.

In 2016, the students coming to China were mostly from Asia (60%), followed by Europe (16%) and Africa (14%). However, Africa had the highest growth rate at 23.7% year-on-year 2015–2016.

The top 15 countries sending students to China in 2018 are listed below. African countries are grouped together and show a considerable block of students.

In 2016, international students mostly went to study in the major centers of Beijing (77,234, 17.44%) and Shanghai (59,887, 13.53%). In recent years there has been a decentralization and dispersion of students to other provinces.

Various factors combine to make China a desirable destination for international students.

 * 1) China boasts a significant number of world-class universities.
 * 2) Universities in China are attractive research centers.
 * 3) It costs relatively less than studying in developed countries.
 * 4) There is a huge diversity of universities and programs.
 * 5) There are more career opportunities due to China's growing economic strength.
 * 6) Many graduate and postgraduate programs are offered in English.
 * 7) A huge number of scholarships (49,022 in 2016) are on offer from the Chinese government.

China is openly pursuing a policy of growing its soft power globally, by way of persuasion and attraction. Attracting international students, especially by way of scholarships, is one effective way of growing this influence.

India
In 2019, India was hosting over 47,000 overseas students and aims to quadruple the number 200,000 students by 2023. India has most its international students and targets from South, Southeast, West Asia and Africa and is running various fee waiver and scholarship programs.

Iran
Iran had 55000 studying in 2018. In 2021 it doubled to more than 130000 with half of them enrolled in Azad University and Payamnoor. Iran Signed up PMF Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces to study at University of Tehran. By 2023 there were students from 15 countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Russia, Syria, Pakistan, African countries. They study humanities sciences, law, medicine, construction, accounting.

Japan
Japan is perceived as an evolving destination for international students. Japan has around 180,000 overseas students studying at its institutions and the government has set targets to increase this to 300,000 over the next few years. According to the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), the number of international students on 1 May 2022 was 231,146 people.

Malaysia and Singapore
Malaysia, Singapore and India are emerging destinations for international students. These three countries have combined share of approximately 12% of the global student market with somewhere between 250,000 and 300,000 students having decided to pursue higher education studies in these countries in 2005–2006.

South Korea
In 2023, the number of international students studying at universities and colleges in South Korea was about 180,000.

Australia and Oceania
Australia has the highest ratio of international students per head of population in the world, with 775,475 international students enrolled in the nation's universities and vocational institutions in 2020. In 2019, international students represented 27% of the student bodies of Australian universities. International education is one of the country's largest exports and has a pronounced influence on the country's demographics as many students remain in Australia after graduation.

France and Germany
In 2016, France was the fourth largest receiver of international students globally, with 245,349 international students. Germany was the fifth largest receiver, with 244,575 international students. Since the 2016/17 academic year, the number of foreign students attending university in Germany has constantly risen, climbing from 358,895 students five years ago to 411,601 students last year.

With the Franco-German University, the two countries have established a framework for cooperation between their universities, enabling students to participate in specific Franco-German courses of study across borders.

The top 10 countries sending students to France in 2016 are listed below.

The top 10 countries sending students to Germany in 2015 are listed below.

Netherlands
As of 2017, 81,000 international students studied in the Netherlands, compromising 12% of the higher education student population. Of these students, 12,500 students or 15.4% were Dutch nationals who had studied elsewhere previously. Three-fourths of international students in the Netherlands come from European Union countries, with the largest segment of that population coming from Germany. Of the non-EU students, the largest portion is composed of Chinese students. Two-thirds of all international students come to the Netherlands for their bachelor's degree.

Russia
Russia, since the Soviet times, has been a hub for international students, mainly from the developing world. It is the world's fifth-leading destination for international students, hosting roughly 300 thousand in 2019.

The top 10 countries sending students to Russia in 2019 are listed below.

Canada
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reckons that as of December 2019, there were 642,480 international students which is a 13% increase from the previous year. In 2019, 30% of the international students in Canada were from India and 25% were from China. The newest Canadian government International Education Strategy (IES) for the period 2019-2024 includes a commitment to diversify inbound students and distribute them more equally across the country rather than having a strong concentration in a few cities.

United States
Around 750,000 Chinese and 400,000 Indian students apply to overseas higher education institutions annually. New enrollment of undergraduate and graduate foreign students at American universities and colleges for 2016-17 declined by 2.1% or nearly 5,000 students which translates into a potential revenue of US$125 million for the first year of studies alone. Much of the increase in international students in the US during 2013–2014 was fueled by undergraduate students from China. The number of Chinese students increased to 31 % of all foreign students in the US, the highest concentration of any one country since the Institute of International Education began collecting data on international students in 1948.

Requirements
Prospective foreign students are usually required to sit for language tests before they are admitted. Tests notwithstanding, while some international students already possess an excellent command of the local language upon arrival, some find their language ability, considered excellent domestically, inadequate for the purpose of understanding lectures, and/or of conveying oneself fluently in rapid conversations. A research report commissioned by NAFSA: Association of International Educators investigated the scope of third-party providers offerings intensive English preparation programs with academic credit for international students in the United States. These pathway programs are designed to recruit and support international students needing additional help with English and academic preparation before matriculating to a degree program.

Student visa
Generally, foreign students as citizens of other countries are required to obtain a student visa, which ascertains their legal status for staying in the second country. In the United States, before students come to the country, the students must select a school to attend to qualify for a student visa. The course of study and the type of school a foreign student plans to attend determine whether an F-1 visa or an M-1 visa is needed. Each student visa applicant must prove they have the financial ability to pay for their tuition, books and living expenses while they study in the states.

Economic impact
Research from the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA) shows the economic benefits of the increasing international higher-education enrollment in the United States. According to their 2021–2022 academic year analysis, nearly one million international students contributed $33.8 billion to the US economy and 335,000 jobs. This represents almost a 19% increase in dollars compared to the previous year. International students contribute more than job and monetary gains to the economy. “The increase in economic activity is certainly positive news but it should be kept in perspective: it shows we’ve only regained about half the ground lost in the previous academic year,” said Dr. Esther D. Brimmer, NAFSA executive director and CEO. “We must not be complacent that this upward trend will automatically continue. According to NAFSA's research, their diverse views contribute to technological innovation has increased America's ability to compete in the global economy.

On the other hand, international students have faced suspicions of involvement in economic and industrial espionage.

Higher education marketing
Marketing of higher education is a well-entrenched macro process today, especially in the major English-speaking nations: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA. One of the major factors behind the worldwide evolution of educational marketing could be globalization, which has dramatically shrunken the world. Due to intensifying competition for overseas students amongst MESDCs, i.e. major English-speaking destination countries, higher educational institutions recognize the significance of marketing themselves, in the international arena. To build sustainable international student recruitment strategies Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) need to diversify the markets from which they recruit, both to take advantage of future growth potential from emerging markets, and to reduce dependency on – and exposure to risk from – major markets such as China, India and Nigeria, where demand has proven to be volatile. For recruitment strategies, there are some approaches that higher education institutions adopt to ensure stable enrollments of international students, such as developing university preparation programs, like the Global Assessment Certificate (GAC) Program, and launching international branch campuses in foreign countries.

Global Assessment Certificate (GAC) Program
The Global Assessment Certification (GAC) Program is a university preparation program, developed and provided by ACT Education Solution, Ltd., for the purpose of helping students to prepare for admission and enrollment overseas. The program helps students from non-English speaking backgrounds to prepare for university-level study, so they are able to successfully finish a bachelor's degree at university. Students who complete the GAC program have the opportunity to be admitted to 120 so called Pathway Universities, located in destinations including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Mainly, the program consists of curriculums, such as Academic English, Mathematics, Computing, Study Skills, Business, Science and Social Science. Moreover, the program also provides the opportunity to get prepared for the ACT exam and English Proficiency tests like TOEFL and IELTS.

Foreign branch campuses
Opening international branch campuses is a new strategy for recruiting foreign students in other countries in order to build strong global outreach by overcoming the limitations of physical distance. Indeed, opening branch campuses plays a significant role of widening the landscape of the higher education. In the past, along with high demand for higher education, many universities in the United States established their branch campuses in foreign countries. According to a report by the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE), there was a 43% increase in the number of foreign branch campuses in the worldwide scale since 2006. American higher education institutions mostly take a dominant position in growth rate and the number of foreign branch campuses, accounting for almost 50 % of current foreign branch campuses. However, some research reports have recently said foreign branch campuses are facing several challenges and setbacks, for example interference of local government, sustainability problems, and long-term prospects like damage on academic reputations and finance.

Challenges for foreign students in English-speaking countries
Most foreign students encounter difficulties in language use. Such issues make it difficult for the student to make domestic friends and gain familiarity with the local culture. Sometimes, these language barriers can subject international students to ignorance or disrespect from native speakers. Most international students also lack support groups in the country where they are studying. Although all colleges in North America that are in student exchange programs do have an International Student Office, it sometimes does not have the resources and capability to consider their students' individual needs when it comes to adapting to the new environment. The more students a particular college has who come from the same country, the better the support is for getting involved in the new culture.

Foreign students face several challenges in their academic studies at North American universities. Studies have shown that these challenges include several different factors: inadequate English proficiency; unfamiliarity with North American culture; lack of appropriate study skills or strategies; academic learning anxiety; low social self-efficacy; financial difficulties; and separation from family and friends. Despite the general perception that American culture is diverse rather than homogenous, the American ideology of cultural homogeneity has been alleged to imply an American mindset that because Eurocentric cultures are superior to others, people with different cultures should conform to the dominant monocultural canon and norms.

US colleges and universities have long welcomed students from China, whose higher education system cannot meet the demand. 10 million students throughout China take the national college entrance test, competing for 5.7 million university places. Because foreign undergraduates typically fail to qualify for US federal aid, colleges can provide only limited financial help. Now, thanks to China's booming economy in recent years, more Chinese families can afford to pay.

US colleges also face challenges abroad. Worries about fraud on test scores and transcripts make occasional headlines. And even Chinese students who score highly on an English-language proficiency test may not be able to speak or write well enough to stay up to speed in a US classroom, where essay writing and discussions are common. Chinese international students face other challenges besides language proficiency. The Chinese educational structure focuses on exam-oriented education, with educational thinking and activities aimed towards meeting the entrance examination. Students become more focused on exam performance, and teachers are inclined to focus on lecturing to teach students what may be on the test. In addition, "parents are also convinced that the more students listened to the lectures, the better they would score on the finals." With more than 304,040 Chinese students enrolled in the US in 2014/15, China is by far the leading source of international students at American universities and colleges; however, there are three waves of growth in Chinese students in the US.

Each of the three waves differs in terms of needs and expectations and corresponding support services needed. Unfortunately, many higher education institutions have not adapted to the changing needs. It is no surprise that many Chinese students are now questioning if it is worth investing in studying abroad.

International students also face cross-cultural barriers that hinder their ability to succeed in a new environment. For example, there are differences in terms of receiving and giving feedback, which influences academic engagement and even the job and internship search approach of international students.

Transparency is an issue that international students face when coming across activities within class, specifically when it comes to group discussions, it may be a bigger obstacle. Firstly, the issue of how topics being discussed may not need further elaboration when it comes to local students and for an international student, the ability of the student to be able to understand and contribute may diminish in return. This may be due to the feeling of dismissal via the appearance of lack of interest in their opinion. Another would be the failure of expected scaffolding during group discussions when it comes to international students. This is due to the need for a developed understanding of local culture, or "cultural facts" as represented by Kim. This represents the knowledge of humor, vernacular, or simple connotations in speech that may allow international students to further develop an understanding of a given topic.

Plagiarism is the most serious offense in academia. Plagiarism has two subtle forms, one of which includes the omission of elements required for proper citations and references. The second form is unacknowledged use or incorporation of another person's work or achievement. Violation of either form can result in a student's expulsion. International students from some cultures lack the concept of plagiarism. Most of them are unfamiliar with American academic standards and colleges are not good about giving a clear definition of the word's meaning. For example, many international students don't know using even one sentence of someone else's work can be considered plagiarism. Most colleges give students an E on their plagiarized assignments and future offenses often result in failing class or being kicked out of university.

Mental wellness
International students studying in a foreign country face a life-altering event which can cause distress that can potentially affect their mental wellness. Many students report homesickness and loneliness in their initial transition, experience isolation from peers and struggle with understanding cultural differences while staying abroad. In certain cultures, mental illness is seen as a sign of weakness. Because of this, international students believe they can prevail through their struggles alone without help, which can lead to a decrease in mental wellness.

There are two common symptoms among international students from China in particular: 45 % of the students faced depression and 29 % of the students faced anxiety. Stressors that lead international students to struggle with anxiety are rooted in numerous causes, including academic pressures, financial issues, adapting to a new culture, creating friendships, and feelings of loneliness. International students are also more likely to rely on peers for support through their transition than teachers or adult peers. If the student is unable to make friends in their new environment, they will struggle more with their transition than an international student who has established relationships with their peers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many international students started remote learning and had to overcome time differences to take classes online, which further led to sleep disruption, social isolation, and thus, higher rates of mental health symptoms.

Language and communication barriers have been noted to add to student anxiety and stress. International students face language discrimination, which may exacerbate mental health symptoms. Evidence has not conclusively shown that language discrimination is a greater risk factor than discrimination against foreigners. However, there has not been any conclusive evidence to show whether language discrimination plays a significantly larger role than simple foreigner discrimination.

Since international students are less likely to use individual counseling provided by the university. and may experience even more intense stigmas against seeking professional help, group-oriented ways of reaching students may be more helpful. Group activities, like collaborative workshops and cultural exchange groups, can introduce a sense of community among the students. In addition, efforts can be placed to improve awareness and accessibility to mental wellness resources and counseling services. Social workers, faculty, and academic staff can be educated beforehand to provide an adequate support for them.

Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students. A 2012 study showed number of students studying abroad represents about 9.4% of all students enrolled at institutions of higher education in the United States and it is a part of experience economy.

Studying abroad is a valuable program for international students as it is intended to increase the students' knowledge and understanding of other cultures. International education not only helps students with their language and communicating skills. It also encourages students to develop a different perspective and cross-cultural understanding of their studies which will further their education and benefit them in their career. The main factors that determine the outcome quality of international studies are transaction dynamics (between the environmental conditions and the international student), quality of environment, and the student's coping behavior.

Accommodation
Accommodation is a major factor that determines study abroad experience.

Positive affectivity
Affectivity is an emotional disposition: people who are high on positive affectivity experience positive emotions and moods like joy and excitement, and view the world, including themselves and other people, in a positive light. They tend to be cheerful, enthusiastic, lively, sociable, and energetic. Research has found that students studying abroad with a positive emotional tendency have higher satisfaction and interaction with the environment; they engage in the staying country's citizenship behaviours.

Adjustment concepts
Being relevant to research on coping by international students, the concept of adjustment to a foreign work environment and its operationalisation has been the subject of broad methodological discussion.

Organizations

 * Brethren Colleges Abroad
 * International Union of Students
 * NAFSA: Association of International Educators
 * Journal of International Students

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: International student


text:
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), founded in 1962, is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas. Difficulties related to travel distances led seven former members to announce the formation of a new Southeastern US-based conference, the Southern Athletic Association, starting with the 2012–13 academic year.

Prior to 1991, the conference was known as the College Athletic Conference (CAC). The commissioner of the SCAC is Dwayne Hanberry. The chair of the Executive Committee of the SCAC for 2022–23 is L. Song Richardson, Colorado College president.

Chronological timeline

 * 1962 – On September 1, 1962, the SCAC was founded as the College Athletic Conference (CAC). Charter members included Centre College, Southwestern University at Memphis, The University of the South of Sewanee and Washington and Lee University, which later added Washington University in St. Louis during that same year; effective beginning the 1962–63 academic year.
 * 1972 – WashU left the CAC, effective after the 1971–72 academic year.
 * 1973 – Washington and Lee left the CAC, effective after the 1972–73 academic year.
 * 1974 – Principia College and Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology joined the CAC, effective in the 1974–75 academic year.
 * 1980 – Illinois College joined the CAC, effective in the 1980–81 academic year.
 * 1983 – Illinois College left the CAC, effective after the 1982–83 academic year.
 * 1983 – Fisk University joined the CAC, effective in the 1983–84 academic year.
 * 1984 – Principia left the CAC, effective after the 1983–84 academic year.
 * 1984 – Earlham College joined the CAC, effective in the 1984–85 academic year.
 * 1989 – Two institutions left the CAC: Earlham to join the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), and Rose–Hulman to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC), both effective after the 1988–89 academic year.
 * 1989 – Millsaps College and Trinity University joined the SCAC, effective in the 1989–90 academic year.
 * 1990 – Oglethorpe University joined the SCAC, effective in the 1990–91 academic year.
 * 1991 – The CAC was re-designated as the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), while women's programs became part of the SCAC, effective in the 1991–92 academic year.
 * 1991 – Hendrix College joined the SCAC, effective in the 1991–92 academic year.
 * 1994 – Fisk left the SCAC to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), effective after the 1993–94 academic year.
 * 1994 – Southwestern University joined the SCAC, effective in the 1994–95 academic year.
 * 1998 – DePauw University joined the SCAC (with Rose–Hulman re-joining), effective in the 1998–99 academic year.
 * 2006 – Rose–Hulman left the SCAC again to re-join the HCAC, effective after the 2005–06 academic year.
 * 2006 – Austin College and Colorado College joined the SCAC, effective in the 2006–07 academic year.
 * 2007 – Birmingham–Southern College joined the SCAC, effective in the 2007–08 academic year.
 * 2011 – DePauw left the SCAC to join the NCAC, effective after the 2010–11 academic year.
 * 2011 – The University of Dallas joined the SCAC, effective in the 2011–12 academic year.
 * 2012 – Centre, Rhodes, Sewanee, Millsaps, Oglethorpe, Hendrix and Birmingham–Southern left the SCAC, effective after the 2011–12 academic year, to form the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), along with NCAA D-III Independent Berry College.
 * 2012 – The Centenary College of Louisiana joined the SCAC, effective in the 2012–13 academic year.
 * 2013 – Schreiner University and Texas Lutheran joined the SCAC, effective in the 2013–14 academic year.
 * 2013 – The University of California at Santa Cruz joined the SCAC as an affiliate member for men's swimming & diving, effective in the 2013–14 academic year.
 * 2014 – UC Santa Cruz left the SCAC as an affiliate member for men's swimming & diving, effective after the 2013–14 academic year.
 * 2016 – McMurry University and the University of the Ozarks joined the SCAC as affiliate members for men's and women's swimming & diving, effective in the 2016–17 academic year.
 * 2018 – The Denver campus of Johnson & Wales University joined the SCAC, effective in the 2018–19 academic year.
 * 2019 – The University of St. Thomas joined the SCAC, effective in the 2019–20 academic year.
 * 2020 – Johnson & Wales–Denver left the SCAC as the school announced that it would close, effective after the 2019–20 academic year.
 * 2022 – McMurry University will join as a full member in the fall of 2024.
 * 2023 – Trinity and Southwestern announce their departure from the conference, joining the Southern Athletic Association in 2025.
 * 2023 – The conference announces that Concordia (TX) and University of the Ozarks will join in 2024–25.
 * 2024 – Lyon College will join the SCAC as an affiliate member for football, beginning in the 2024 season (2024–25 academic year).
 * 2024 – The conference announces that LeTourneau University will join the SCAC, effective in the 2025–26 academic year.
 * 2024 – Hendrix College announces it will return to the SCAC, effective in the 2025-26 academic year.

Current members
The SCAC currently has 12 full members, all are private schools:

 * Notes:

Affiliate members
The SCAC currently has one affiliate member, which is also a private school.

 * Notes:

Future full members

 * Notes:

Former members
The SCAC had 16 former full members, all were private schools:

 * Notes:

Former affiliate members
The SCAC had three former affiliate members, all but one were private schools.

 * The University of California, Santa Cruz was an affiliate member in men's swimming and diving only during the 2013–14 school year.
 * McMurry University and the University of the Ozarks were affiliate members for men's and women's swimming and diving only. McMurry was accepted in June 2014 as an affiliate member starting in the 2014–15 school year.  The University of the Ozarks was approved as an affiliate member in February 2016 to begin competition in the 2016–17 school year.

 * Notes:

Membership timeline
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Conference overview
Prior to the 2012 conference split, the SCAC fielded competition in baseball, basketball, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, outdoor track and field and volleyball. With membership greatly reduced and in flux, some of these sports (field hockey, women's lacrosse) no longer have enough participants (zero and two, respectively) to allow the conference to sponsor them. In addition, after struggling with only four football playing schools for several seasons, the conference in November 2015 announced football would be discontinued as a conference sport effective the 2017–18 school year, with football playing institutions affiliating with either the American Southwest Conference or the Southern Athletic Association. On July 21, 2018, the conference announced that men's and women's lacrosse would once again be offered as conference sports, and made a commitment to holding an eSports championship in 2019. With only four schools fielding women's lacrosse teams, and five men's, the conference champions will not qualify for an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.

Unlike many Division III conferences, where geography is the primary determining factor for membership, the SCAC is made up of private institutions where the primary focus is on academics; the New England Small College Athletic Conference and University Athletic Association are other athletic associations with similar academic emphasis. Almost all members sport Phi Beta Kappa chapters. Member schools are prominently featured in annual "Best College" rankings; admissions are highly selective.

In an unusual move for the conference, Colorado College, which offers two Division I (scholarship) sports, was accepted as a member beginning in the 2006–07 season. It is the only SCAC school to offer any sort of scholarship athletics, though the Division I programs—namely men's ice hockey and women's soccer—do not compete in the SCAC. (The conference does not sponsor ice hockey for either men or women.)

The conference had previously announced its desire to expand to a total of twelve members, which would ease scheduling issues and allow the conference to divide into eastern and western divisions spread across the southern US. On May 26, 2006, Birmingham-Southern College, one of the smallest Division I schools in the country, announced its intentions to drop scholarship athletics and join the SCAC. This is a multi-year process subject to final approval by the NCAA. The SCAC approved BSC's application, pending NCAA approval, on June 8, 2006.

Due to the unusual (for Division III) distances between member institutions, travel costs and durations must be factored into any decision to join the conference. Rose–Hulman cited these factors as reasons for leaving the conference when it rejoined the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2006–07. Austin College readily took RHIT's place, moving from the American Southwest Conference before the 2006–07 season.

On June 9, 2010, DePauw University announced that it was departing the SCAC for the North Coast Athletic Conference. Like Rose-Hulman, DePauw cited "a less strenuous and more environmentally friendly travel regimen for our teams." DePauw became a member of the NCAC for the 2011–12 season except for football, which will join for the 2012 season.

On September 22, 2010, the University of Dallas announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the SCAC at the beginning of the 2011–12 academic year.

The May 10, 2011 issue of the DePauw college newspaper, The DePauw, reported that four schools (Centre, Sewanee, Hendrix, and Rhodes) were considering leaving the conference at the end of the 2011–2012 school year, ostensibly due to travel issues and issues relating to the conference splitting into two divisions. As the two reasons were somewhat exclusive (e.g. divisions would reduce overall travel), and other regional conferences would offer similar issues, it remained to be seen at that time what the schools planned in a post-SCAC world.

After the conclusion of the June 7, 2011 SCAC Presidents' meeting, the conference announced that seven of the twelve schools would be leaving to form a new, more compact conference based in the Southeastern US. This transition was effective at the conclusion of the 2011–12 academic year. The schools departing include founding SCAC [CAC] members Centre, Sewanee, and Rhodes, in addition to Birmingham-Southern, Hendrix, Millsaps, and Oglethorpe. Berry College will also join the newly formed Southern Athletic Association.

The SCAC intends to remain a viable entity, enlisting other schools which subscribe to the SCAC charter. Commissioner D. Dwayne Hanberry will remain with the conference to oversee that effort, which will be complicated by the paucity of unaffiliated Division III schools in the SCAC's new region of Texas and Colorado. Reflecting that challenge, the conference has sought new members from the American Southwest Conference, whose geographical footprint is similar to that of the "new" SCAC. On September 28, 2011, Centenary College of Louisiana announced it would join the SCAC beginning in the 2012–13 season. Two more ASC schools joined the SCAC for the 2013–14 season: Schreiner University announced their decision on January 23, 2012, and on February 16, 2012, Texas Lutheran University announced it too would join the SCAC.

Football was no longer be sponsored by the SCAC as of the 2017–18 school year. The conference had four schools playing in 2015 and 2016: Texas Lutheran University, Austin College, Southwestern University and Trinity University. Texas Lutheran University and Southwestern University will play football as affiliates in the ASC, while Austin College and Trinity University will be affiliates of the Southern Athletic Association.

A much-needed travel partner for isolated Colorado College will join the conference in 2018. On February 21, 2017, the conference announced that the Denver campus of Johnson & Wales University would join the conference as it transitions from the NAIA to NCAA Division III, after the school's "exploratory year" in 2017–18. It is expected that the school will not be eligible for conference championships or NCAA playoff bids until the transition to Division III is complete, per typical NCAA practice. The conference has already announced plans to pursue a tenth institution to better balance travel and scheduling requirements.

On February 14, 2018, the University of St. Thomas - Houston announced it would become the SCAC's 10th member after completing an exploratory year in Division III. SCAC competition would begin in the 2019–2020 season.

On June 25, 2020, Johnson & Wales University announced that it would close its Denver campus at the end of the 2020–21 school year due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and would accept no new students at that campus effective immediately. The following day, the Denver athletic program was shut down.

On October 31, 2022, the conference announced that McMurry University, currently an affiliate in Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving, will join the conference as a full member starting with the 2024–25 season, becoming the latest school to leave the American Southwest Conference for the SCAC. As McMurry offers football, there was speculation that the conference might once again sponsor the sport; two days later, the conference announced it would reinstate football in 2024 as long as at least four members agree to participate in SCAC play. Austin, Southwestern, Texas Lutheran, and Trinity all are affiliated with other conferences for football and will have to complete any commitments before returning to the SCAC; in addition to McMurry, Centenary and Schreiner have nascent programs which could be ready to compete by 2024. Finally the SCAC also announced that Lyon College will join as an associate for football only in 2024. The conference expects Lyon, Austin, Centenary, and McMurry at a minimum in 2024 with the other schools having until 2026 to return to SCAC play. The conference's football champion will not earn an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs until the first year six teams participate in SCAC competition.

On March 9, 2023, the conference's plans to restart football were somewhat complicated by the announcement that Trinity and Southwestern would leave the SCAC in favor of the Southern Athletic Association with the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. While the conference will retain enough football-playing schools to receive an automatic bid (if and only the remaining six teams meet their commitments to play football at that time), it may give the conference reason to join forces with the American Southwest Conference, which by that time will only have four schools participating in the sport and thus lack the minimum number of teams to receive an automatic playoff bid.

President's Trophy
Each year, the "President's Trophy," a 300-pound railroad bell, is awarded to the school with the best overall sports record. Teams are awarded points for their final position in each sport; the school with the most points is declared the winner. For the 2021–22 school year, the President's Trophy was awarded to Trinity University for the 22nd time, and eleventh-straight season, both conference records. The 174.5-point margin of victory (over second-place Southwestern) was the third-largest in conference history.

NCAA national championship teams and individuals
SCAC members have won a total of ten NCAA team championships and 35 individual championships.

Team champions:
 * 1999–00: Men's Tennis (Trinity); Women's Tennis (Trinity)
 * 2002–03: Women's Basketball (Trinity), Men's Soccer (Trinity)
 * 2006–07: Women's Basketball (DePauw)
 * 2008–09: Men's Golf (Oglethorpe)
 * 2011–12: Men's Golf (Oglethorpe)
 * 2013–14: Men's Golf (Schreiner)
 * 2015-16: Men's Baseball (Trinity)
 * 2018-19: Women's Softball (Texas Lutheran)

Individual champions:
 * 1979–80: Men's 400 IM (Chris Fugman, Centre)
 * 1981-82: Men's cross country (Mark Whalley, Principia)
 * 1983–84: Men's javelin, outdoor (Chris Trapp, Rose-Hulman)
 * 1984–85: Men's javelin, outdoor (Chris Trapp, Rose-Hulman)
 * 1985–86: Men's javelin, outdoor (Chris Trapp, Rose-Hulman)
 * 1995–96: Women's tennis, singles (Nao Kinoshita, Rhodes)
 * 1996–97: Women's tennis, singles (Nao Kinoshita, Rhodes); Women's tennis, doubles (Kinoshita, Taylor Tarver, Rhodes)
 * 1997–98: Men's pole vault, indoor (Ryan Loftus, Rose-Hulman)
 * 1999–00: Women's 1500 meters, indoor (Heather Stone, Sewanee); Women's 1500 meters, outdoor (Stone, Sewanee)
 * 2002–03: Men's 100 breaststroke (Matt Smith, Rose-Hulman)
 * 2003–04: Women's high jump, outdoor (Christyn Schumann, Trinity)
 * 2004–05: Women's high jump, indoor (Christyn Schumann, Trinity); Women's high jump, outdoor (Schumann, Trinity)
 * 2005–06: Women's high jump, outdoor (Christyn Schumann, Trinity)
 * 2006–07: Women's tennis, singles (Liz Bondi, DePauw)
 * 2008–09: Men's pentathlon, indoor (Todd Wildman, Trinity); Men's golf, medalist (Olafur Loftsson, Oglethorpe); Men's triple jump, outdoor (Chrys Jones, Centre)
 * 2009–10: Men's pentathlon, indoor (Todd Wildman, Trinity); Men's triple jump, indoor (Chrys Jones, Centre); Men's triple jump, outdoor (Chrys Jones, Centre); Women's 1-meter diving (Lindsay Martin, Trinity); Women's 3-meter diving (Hayley Emerick, Trinity)
 * 2010–11: Men's triple jump, indoor (Chrys Jones, Centre); Men's golf, medalist (Chris Morris, Centre)
 * 2011–12: Women's 60 meter hurdles, indoor (Tiarra Goode, Birmingham-Southern); Men's 200 freestyle (Jordan DeGayner, Colorado College); Women's 3-meter diving (Ruth Hahn, Trinity); Men's golf, medalist (Anthony Maccaglia, Oglethorpe); Women's 100 meter hurdles, outdoor (Tiarra Goode, Birmingham-Southern)
 * 2013–14: Men's 100 freestyle (Stephen Culberson, Trinity)
 * 2016-17: Men's 400 meter run, indoor (Marquis Brown, Texas Lutheran)
 * 2023-24: Women's 400 meter individual medley (Neely Burns, Trinity University)

This list does not include championships won by schools outside of their period of membership in the SCAC.

Overall success on the national level
While championships come infrequently, overall SCAC athletic programs rate favorably when compared against the diverse Division III membership. The Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup provides one representation of any school's athletic success as compared to its peers. Trinity has ranked in the top five nationally twice, most recently in 2004–05 when it placed fourth. Trinity again led the way in 2021–22 when it placed 20th nationally; Colorado College, at 102nd, was the next school among 327 ranked institutions.

The SCAC and Division I
On several occasions the SCAC has been used as a role model for academically high-achieving Division I programs considering a move to non-scholarship athletics. In 2004, Rice considered a move to Division III with Trinity cited as a possible model by the Houston Chronicle. The university eventually remained in Division I. In 2006, Birmingham-Southern College elected to leave Division I for Division III, and stated that they would seek membership in the SCAC. This represented the first time since 1988 that a Division I school had changed affiliation to Division III. In 2012, Centenary College of Louisiana joined the SCAC, after leaving Division I in 2011; however, its initial partner in the transition from Division I was the American Southwest Conference.

title: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference


text:
Mel B

Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Mel B or Melanie B, is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a member of the pop girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Scary Spice. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, the group became the best-selling female group of all time.

Mel B debuted as a solo artist in 1998 with the release of "I Want You Back" which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. She released her debut solo album, Hot, in 2000, which respectively produced the successful singles "Tell Me" and "Feels So Good". She released her second solo album, L.A. State of Mind, in 2005, which spawned the single "Today". Mel B released "For Once in My Life" in 2013, her first single in eight years; it peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

Since 2007, Mel B has established herself as a television personality and talent show judge. She participated in the fifth season of the American dance competition series Dancing with the Stars (2007), finishing in second place with her professional partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Between 2011 and 2016, Mel B served as a guest and main judge on the Australia and UK shows of The X Factor. In 2012, she co-presented the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars for one season. Mel B has also judged on America's Got Talent (2013–2018), The Voice Kids Australia (2014), The Masked Singer Australia (2022–2023), and Queen of the Universe (2023). From 2016 to 2018, she co-presented Lip Sync Battle UK alongside rapper Professor Green.

Early life
Melanie Janine Brown was born in Harehills, Leeds, and grew up in the Burley area of the city, the daughter of Andrea and Martin Brown. Her father was from Saint Kitts and Nevis and her mother is English. Through her mother, Mel B is a first cousin of actor and director Christian Cooke; Cooke's mother Di and Mel B's mother Andrea are sisters. Mel B studied performing arts at Intake High School in Rodley, Leeds before entering the entertainment industry. For a time, she worked as a dancer in Blackpool, Lancashire.

1994–2000: Spice Girls
In 1994, Mel B, along with Melanie C, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham responded to an advertisement in The Stage magazine. Around 400 women who answered the advertisement attended auditions at Danceworks Studios in Mayfair, London. Halliwell, Melanie C, Beckham, Mel B, and Michelle Stephenson were originally chosen as the members of the group which was known as Touch. Stephenson later left and was replaced by Emma Bunton.

The group were unsatisfied with their original management, Heart Management, and broke with them. In 1995, they toured record labels in London and Los Angeles. After teaming up with music manager Simon Fuller, they signed a deal with Virgin Records and the group name was changed to Spice Girls. Their debut album, Spice, was a worldwide commercial success. The album peaked at number one in more than 17 countries and was certified multi-platinum in 27 countries. The group's massive and sudden popularity was compared to Beatlemania. In total the album sold 30 million copies worldwide and became the biggest-selling album in music history by a girl group and one of the most successful albums of all time. The album's first single, "Wannabe", reached number one in 37 countries and all of the subsequent singles from the album – "Say You'll Be There", "2 Become 1", "Who Do You Think You Are" and "Mama" – also peaked at number one in United Kingdom.

In 1997, they released their second album, Spiceworld. The album's first two singles "Spice Up Your Life" and "Too Much" reached number one in the UK, marking seven consecutive number one singles, an all-time record for a musical group. The album was a global best seller, selling 20 million copies worldwide. The group also starred in their own film, Spiceworld: The Movie, which grossed $100 million worldwide. The third single from Spiceworld, "Stop", peaked at two, breaking the group's sequence of number ones. "Viva Forever" was released as the album's final single in July 1998. The single was another number one and was the group's first single released following Halliwell's departure from the group in May 1998.

Mel B debuted as a solo artist in September 1998 with the release of "I Want You Back". The single charted at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and also had success around the globe. The song was recorded for the soundtrack of the film Why Do Fools Fall in Love. The single sold 218,000 copies and became the 82nd Bestselling British Single of the year. In late 1998, the Spice Girls released "Goodbye" as a four-piece. It topped the UK Singles Chart and became their third consecutive Christmas number-one – equaling the record previously set by The Beatles.

1999–2004: Hot and acting
In 1999, Mel B began recording her debut album, working with producers Sisqó, Teddy Riley, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the latter of whom she was also working with on the Spice Girls' third album, Forever. At the suggestion of her then-husband Jimmy Gulzar, Brown covered Cameo's 1986 hit "Word Up" as her next solo release. The track was included on the soundtrack to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The song charted poorly, peaking at fourteen on the UK Singles Chart, making it the lowest-charting Spice Girls-related single of the 90s. Turning to television work, she hosted Pure Naughty, a weekly BBC2 magazine show focusing on black music. She hosted the MOBO Awards on two occasions, in 1998 with Bill Bellamy and in 1999 with Wyclef Jean, and took part in the BBC-funded short film Fish. She hosted a number of TV shows such as This Is My Moment (a talent show) for ITV1 and shot a documentary called Voodoo Princess for Channel 4. She took part in smaller projects as a presenter such as Top of the Pops, Party in the Park for The Prince's Trust and The All Star Animal Awards. She appeared as herself in an advert for the Yorkshire tourist board in a series which included contributions from other Yorkshire-born celebrities, and in the film Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde.

Mel B's debut album Hot was released in October 2000, a month before the final Spice Girls album Forever was released. Following the release of Forever, which was far less successful than their previous two albums, the Spice Girls stopped recording and the members began investing more time into their solo careers. Hot was not a success and garnered mediocre reviews, selling a disappointing 7,419 copies in its first week and charting at No. 28. Hot was preceded by the lead single "Tell Me" in September 2000. "Tell Me" debuted at No. 4 in the UK charts with about 40,000 copies sold in its first week of release. It sold approximately 100,000 copies, making it the 158th "best seller" of 2000. In February 2001, "Feels So Good" was released as the second single from the album and peaked at No. 5. It followed by "Lullaby" in June, a pop number dedicated to her daughter. It was accompanied by a video shot in Morocco and featured Mel B with Phoenix Chi. The media criticised Mel B for using her child in the music video and single artwork, labeling her "Desperate Spice" and insinuating that she was exploiting her child as a marketing tool. The single entered and peaked at No. 13. Mel B left Virgin records in July 2001.

In 2002, Mel B released her autobiography, Catch a Fire, which reached No. 7 in the official books chart, and saw her touring the UK to promote it with a run of book signings. In 2003 Mel B's first movie role came in the form of a British drama, Burn It. She acted in a long run of shows as part of the cast for The Vagina Monologues. She was in the movie The Seat Filler, co-produced by Will Smith and starring Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland. In April 2004, Mel B took part in the musical Rent as Mimi Marquez in Netherlands.

2005–2008: L.A. State of Mind and Spice Girls reunion
After Rent, Mel B began recording new songs and decided to release them through an independent label, Amber Café. Mel B said that she was working on acoustic music in contrast with her previous releases. The resulting album, LA State of Mind, was released on 27 June 2005. It was released with a bonus DVD featuring an in-depth documentary filmed and directed by Mark McConnell. In a scathing review, AllMusic stated that this album was one of the worst pop albums of the decade. The only single from the album, "Today", saw a UK release in June 2005. "Today" entered the singles chart at No. 41, selling around 1,000 copies in its first week. The same year, Mel B appeared in the films Telling Lies and LD 50 Lethal Dose. In 2006, Mel B appeared in the short film Love Thy Neighbor.

In September 2007, Mel B joined the fifth season of the US television dance competition, Dancing with the Stars with her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. On 27 November 2007, they took second place in the show, losing to Hélio Castroneves and his partner, Julianne Hough. That year, the Spice Girls re-grouped and announced plans for a reunion tour, from which they were said to have earned £10 million each (approximately $20 million). The group released Greatest Hits in early November 2007 and the tour began on 2 December 2007. The Spice Girls appeared in Tesco advertisements, for which they were paid £1 million each.

2009–2018: Television and other projects
In April 2009, Mel B joined actress and former Dancing with the Stars champion Kelly Monaco as original stars of a Las Vegas revue called Peepshow at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. In September 2009, Mel B appeared for a week of shows as a visiting panellist on ITV1's daily lunchtime show Loose Women. From June through August 2010, Mel B hosted the Oxygen weight loss show Dance Your Ass Off. In September 2010, her own reality show aired on the Style Network called Mel B: It's a Scary World. In November 2010, the console game Get Fit with Mel B was released in North America and Europe. Mel B served as a celebrity mentor on the second season of the Australia show of The X Factor during the quarter-final of the live shows in 2010. During the results show, she performed a duet with the remaining five acts singing "Stop" originally by the Spice Girls.

Mel B was featured as a judge for the third series of the Australia show of The X Factor, which premiered in August 2011. She appeared alongside Ronan Keating, Guy Sebastian, and Natalie Bassingthwaighte. For her first series on the show, she was given the Girls category. In April 2012, Mel B appeared as co-host on twelfth season of the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars. On 31 March, it was announced that Mel B signed a global partnership with EMI Music Australia for the release of her third studio album, but she later broke from the contract.

Mel B returned for the fourth series of The X Factor Australia and mentored the Boys category. Her act Jason Owen reached the final, but finished in second place after losing out to Samantha Jade, mentored by Guy Sebastian. In June 2012, Mel B appeared as a guest judge for the Manchester auditions of The X Factor UK.

In July 2012, Mel B reunited with the Spice Girls for a one-off performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony in London, performing their hits "Wannabe" and "Spice Up Your Life". The performance was the most tweeted moment of the entire Olympics with over 116,000 tweets on Twitter per minute. Later in the year, the Spice Girls reunited again to launch and attend the premiere of the musical Viva Forever!. The group appeared in the documentary Spice Girls' Story: Viva Forever!, which aired on 24 December 2012 on ITV1.

In March 2013 it was confirmed that Mel B would judge Australia's Got Talent to replace Dannii Minogue and that she would not return as a judge for the fifth season of The X Factor Australia and was replaced by Minogue, due to her commitments with Australia's Got Talent. However, Seven, the Australian TV network that airs The X Factor Australia, filed suit to prevent Mel B from appearing on Australia's Got Talent and any rival networks. The judge ruled that Mel B was still under contract with Seven until January 2014, which prevented her from appearing on a program aired by another network until after that date.

Mel B had a small part in the final episode of the ITV2 drama series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. In 2013, she appeared in the Lifetime movie Twelve Trees of Christmas. From August to September 2013, she was a judge on the televised dancing show, Stepping Out, alongside choreographers Wayne Sleep and Jason Gardiner. That month, Mel B released her first single in eight years, "For Once in My Life". The single peaked at No.2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs charts.

On 20 February 2013, NBC announced that Mel B would be a judge on America's Got Talent to replace Sharon Osbourne for its eighth season, alongside Howie Mandel, Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, and later Simon Cowell in 2016. Mel B judged seasons 8 through 13, and the first season of America's Got Talent: The Champions before her departure was announced in February 2019.

In early 2014, Mel B become a coach on the Australia show of The Voice Kids, alongside singers Joel Madden and Delta Goodrem. Later that year, Mel B was a permanent judge for the eleventh series of The X Factor UK when she replaced Nicole Scherzinger. In December 2014, Mel B missed The X Factor UK Saturday final due to illness and did not return for the twelfth series, and was replaced by Rita Ora In the same year, Mel B became a guest co-host on the Breakfast program of Sydney radio station 2Day FM, alongside Jules Lund, Merrick Watts and Sophie Monk. In late 2014, she appeared on The Big Fat Quiz of the Year and a sketch with the cast of Coronation Street for charity telethon Text Santa.

In January 2016, Mel B began presenting Lip Sync Battle UK alongside Professor Green. Later that year, Mel B guest judged the thirteenth series of The X Factor UK at the London auditions. In 2016 she announced that the Spice Girls – except for Victoria Beckham and Melanie C – were working on new material and a 20th anniversary tour for 2017. Plans for a reunion were dropped when Halliwell announced she was expecting her second child. Mel B also confirmed her return to The X Factor Australia after a three-year absence to replace Minogue. In 2017 she returned to Broadway to star in the musical Chicago as Roxie Hart. The same year, she returned to acting in the movie Chocolate City: Vegas Strip and made a cameo in the movie Killing Hasselhoff. In late 2017, Mel B had a cameo appearance in the music video for "Spice Girl" by Aminé.

2018–present: Second Spice Girls reunion and further television work
On 5 November 2018, Mel B announced the Spice Girls reunion tour on her Instagram profile. It was confirmed that Mel B and ex-bandmates Melanie C, Bunton and Halliwell (but not Beckham) would return for a 13-date UK and Ireland stadium tour Spice World - 2019 Tour, their first in a decade.

In 2021, Mel B appeared on the second series of The Masked Singer as "Seahorse" and finished in 11th place. In May 2021, Brown collaborated with Fabio D'Andrea in his short music film, "Love Should Not Hurt", in support of Women's Aid. In 2021, she also appeared on the Spanish version of The Masked Singer as "Medusa" and finished in ninth place. Mel B later appeared on the panel of fourth season of the Australian version of The Masked Singer. In 2023, it was announced that Mel B would be returning to the panel for a fifth season, set to premiere in the second half of 2023.

Mel B was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to charitable causes and vulnerable women. Mel B was also appointed as a tourism ambassador from the United Kingdom to Nevis in 2022.

In November 2022, Mel B presented the BBC documentary Trailblazers: A Rocky Mountain Road Trip alongside Ruby Wax and Emily Atack. In December 2022, she starred in the Christmas TV A New Diva’s Christmas Carol, alongside Ashanti and Vivica A. Fox.

In 2023 Mel B appeared as a guest star in the French version of The Masked Singer and covered Katy Perry's "Roar". In June 2023, Mel B announced that she will appear as a judge on the second reason of the Paramount+ reality series Queen of the Universe.

In 2024, Mel B returned to America's Got Talent to judge on the spinoff, America's Got Talent: Fantasy League.

Personal life
From 1996 to 1997, Mel B dated the Icelandic businessman Fjölnir Thorgeirsson.

In March 1998, she began a relationship with the Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar while on the Spiceworld Tour. They became engaged on 13 May 1998, Mel B became pregnant that June, and the couple were married in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, on 13 September 1998. Mel B changed her stage name to Melanie G while they were married. Their daughter, Phoenix Chi Gulzar, was born on 19 February 1999. Mel B filed for divorce in 2000, and the divorce was finalised later that year. Mel B won custody, and paid a settlement of £1.25m to Gulzar. Gulzar was prosecuted for threatening Mel B and attacking her sister, Danielle. In August 2001, Gulzar was found guilty of the assault, but later cleared by the court.

From 2000 to 2002, Mel B was in a relationship with actor Max Beesley.

From 2002 to 2006, she was in a relationship with the film producer Christine Crokos. Mel B and Crokos lived together in Los Angeles, California. Speaking to Gay Star News about the relationship, she said: 'It wasn't experimentation. I fell in love with a woman for five years. An experiment doesn't last five years.' Asked about the relationship, Mel B said: "People call me lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual, but I know who's in my bed and that's it. I have a huge libido and a great sex life." Brown and Crokos's relationship ended in 2006. Brown said that she had had a four-year relationship with a woman when she was in her teens. In a 2019 interview with Piers Morgan, Mel B was asked if she had slept with Halliwell in an intimate manner and she nodded yes. Halliwell released a statement saying that the press reports following the interview had been "hurtful to her family". Brown later said: "I just said it was like a little thing and we giggled about it the next day and that’s that. It's the press [who] have taken it onto a whole new level."

Mel B became the subject of tabloid stories during her relationship with the Hollywood actor Eddie Murphy, who is the biological father of Mel B's second child, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, born 3 April 2007. By early December 2006, Mel B and Murphy had separated. Murphy told a journalist that the parentage of Mel B's then-unborn baby could not be proven until a paternity test was performed. On 22 June 2007, a court-ordered DNA test confirmed that Murphy was the child's father. Murphy admitted paternity and indicated that he and Mel B had reached a paternity settlement of $7 million.

In February 2007, Mel B began dating the film producer Stephen Belafonte. They secretly married on 6 June 2007 in Las Vegas. They renewed their vows in front of their families on 8 November 2008 in Hurghada, Egypt. On 1 September 2011, Mel B gave birth to her third daughter, Madison Brown Belafonte. On 11 December 2014, she attempted to commit suicide by taking nearly 200 Aspirin pills. Mel B and Belafonte separated in December 2016. Mel B filed for divorce in March 2017, and accused Belafonte of emotional and physical abuse. In court, Belafonte's representative said that due to the couple's "extravagant and affluent" lifestyle, Brown had "wiped out all her Spice Girls money – approximately $50 million (£38.3 million), if not more". The divorce was finalised on 15 December 2017. Mel B cited her divorce from Belafonte and her father's death as her reasons for seeking treatment for PTSD. In November 2018, Brown became a patron of the domestic violence survivors' charity Women's Aid.

In December 2018, Mel B collapsed, breaking several of her ribs and suffering a serious cut to her hand, for which she underwent emergency surgery. In 2019, Mel B revealed she has been diagnosed with anxiety, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and ADHD. In October 2022, Mel B announced she was engaged to Rory McPhee. It is thought the pair have been in a relationship since 2018. It was revealed in 2024 that Mel B's former Spice Girls group member, Victoria Beckham, would be designing Mel B's wedding dress.

Discography

 * Hot (2000)
 * L.A. State of Mind (2005)

title: Mel B