ABSTRACT
Ontario universities have increasingly relied on the recruitment and retention of international students from Asian countries since the late 1990s, notably because of significant shifts in provincial priorities and funding schemes. This chapter examines the relationship between provincial governments and universities in consolidating an abstract portrayal of international students based mainly on their economic contribution. It also highlights how the interplay of provincial priorities, internationalization policy mandates, and the institutional strategies of three Ontario universities effectively erase the backgrounds of international students from Asia, and lead to blanket support services built on a deficit-focused model. When a specific cultural or national profile of international students is acknowledged, it is mostly to target specific groups, like high school graduates from China. In this case, deficit-focused support services are expanded in ways that reinforce these students’ economic role, while underplaying the significance of their national and cultural background.
