By Clyde Noel

Town Crier Correspondent

It’s all a case of misunderstanding say Foothill College officials.

Lori Thomas, publicity and publications coordinator of Foothill College Marketing Department, said a Wall Street Journal reporter came to campus and interviewed different students and staff.

A WSJ article published April 2 reported that community colleges across the United States are courting international students because they pay more tuition.

The article said that along with four other community colleges, Foothill recruited with materials and Web site information that its international students were transferring to Yale, Harvard and other elite institutions.

“If the WSJ reporter didn’t understand what the brochure said, then we have to make things clearer,” Thomas said. “He used the Web site and the brochure to create a story that was misinterpreted.”

“We looked at the Web site and the brochure and updated them,” said Kurt Hueg, director of the Foothill College Marketing Department. “The WSJ reporter made us aware of how it could be misinterpreted and we made a change.”

The Foothill-DeAnza Community College District has an enrollment of about 3,000 international students evenly split between the colleges.

It should be noted that Foothill and De Anza colleges have a strong record of success with international students.

After completing their first two years, most successfully transfer to private or public universities in California.

The Web site now states: “Every year our international students transfer to many excellent universities. In fact, some of our students have transferred to schools such as UC Berkeley, UCLA, Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown and many other outstanding schools.”

Foothill and De Anza students have an opportunity to complete a Transfer Admission Agreement, and are given first consideration for admission to selected colleges and universities.

The TAA ensures acceptance and smooth transfer to a chosen college or university.

Foothill is one of 106 community colleges in the state.

The campus is on 122 acres in Los Altos Hills with 10 acres of classroom and laboratory space, a stadium and track, three softball and soccer fields, and an Olympic size swimming pool, made possible through a $10.4 million bond issue in 1957.

While originally intended for 3,500 day students, it now serves more than 16,000 students in day and evening classes, and through on-line courses.