Date of Award

12-2021

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

First Advisor

Dr. Regina Garza Mitchell

Second Advisor

Dr. D. Eric Archer

Third Advisor

Dr. Anne M. Hornak

Keywords

International education, student affairs, international students, graduate student, international student integration

Abstract

International graduate students are a unique population that face specific challenges that affect their campus integration (Arthur, 2017; Burdett & Crossman, 2012; Sharma, 2019). The role of student affairs professionals and staff includes developing and integrating all students, including international graduate students, on-campus (Di Maria, 2012; Braskamp, 2011; Kuh, 2009; Wilcox, et al., 2005). However, many student affairs professionals and staff feel unprepared to serve or work with international graduate students (Brandenburg, 2016; Cierra, 2004; Di Maria, 2012; Yakaboski & Perozzi, 2018). There has been little empirical research conducted on student affairs professionals and staff members’ perspectives about their role in integrating international graduate students on their campuses.

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand the perspectives of student affairs professionals and staff about their role in integrating international graduate students into campus and the policies, services, programs, and other elements they consider most helpful in integrating these students. This study was conducted at a four-year public higher education institution in the Midwestern United States that has committed to internationalization. The study design included data gathered from multiple in-depth semi-structured interviews, site observations, and documents shared by student affairs professionals and staff members.

Inductive thematic analysis was used to examine the perspectives of each participant. It consisted of identifying, analyzing, organizing, describing, and reporting themes found within a data set. The data analysis revealed that student affairs professionals and staff play five roles in integrating international graduate students: educators, adapters, liaisons, career shapers, and barrier breakers. Within their roles of serving international graduate students, student affairs professionals and staff face challenges, such as limited on-campus resources for international graduate students, limited understanding of university policies, limited intercultural training, and limited intercultural exposure. To respond to the needs and challenges of international grad students, student affairs professionals and staff adapt the existing programs and support services initially designed for undergraduate domestic students, while some of the needs and challenges of these students are different. My findings recommend that institutions create support structures that allow student affairs professionals and staff to work with these students and learn more about their needs and challenges related to integrating into their campus.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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