Concordia international recruiter being looked into

A number of Concordia students demonstrated at a rally on Wednesday i light of recent concerns on the university's international recruiting practices for Chinese students.

According to the Gazette, the issue was first revealed in an article from The Link roughly a month ago. Students said that Concordia's recruiting agent for Chinese students, Peter Low, dupes them into paying large fees for homestays that don't deliver. Two students interview by the Gazette say they were underfed, and one didn't even have a desk or chair for studying.

Jennifer Humphries, board member for the Canadian Bureau for International Education, does not beleive that Concordia is violating her Bureau's code of ethics, nor are there plans to launch an external investigation into Concordia's practices.

Also, Chris Mota, driection of media relations at Concordia says they sent letter to all 5 200 international students, including 982 Chinese Nationals. The letter asked atudents to come forward with any issues, yet only received one reply.

Still, Concordia has responded with some improvements to its China Student Recruitment Partnership Program. They are planning to interview a random sample of 15 percent of the students. They will also offer orientation sessions in Mandarin  about housing and tenant rights.

STORY WRITTEN BY: PATRICK MILLER