Research Issues Related to International Students and Scholars

Peter Briggs, Director

Office for International Students and Scholars

Michigan State University

pbriggs@msu.edu

Today’s Topics

Review recent history of international students in the U.S.Compare past research Case study on managing change through data-driven decisionsList some available resourcesModels of international students role in campus internationalization

History

Compared to study abroad, research is lackingSurprisingly, little change of issues over the yearsThis can be a challenge for you

International Students in the U.S.

1930: 9,6431959: 48,4861974: 154,5801982: 336,9901994: 452,6352008 is about 623,000

Overview of International Student Issues

Admissions, recruitment and retentionMarketing strategiesPreparation, ESL and academic supportAdjustment, transition and counselingSocial support issuesAcademic performanceAttitudes of host nationalsLegal issues are huge

Setting the Context: Shifting Across Paradigms

1945-1973: Post WW 2 Boom• Paradigm was promoting development,

democracy, concern for brain drain, roles of the guest and the host, students were often elites

• Government supports community programs/public diplomacy

1973-1989: OPEC, Iran and China• Changes in U.S. dominance foster mutual learning

model• Strong period of enrollment growth

More context

1989-2001: End of Cold War and Business Model• Competing for brains/talent = innovation =

economic development• Decline of government support for public

diplomacy2001 to present: 9/11 brings Security and Risk Paradigm• Iraq War brings new push for “soft power” or

“smart power “public diplomacy

Common Perceptions of International Students Across the Paradigms

Opportunities to promote international understanding and cross cultural learningForeign policy assets and making friends in the world; educating world leaders, spreading democratic valuesStudents with special needsTop academic and research talent; keys to innovationEconomic exportsRisks to national security

Growth of the FSA as a Profession

Homer Higbee compared the status of foreign student advising as a profession 1948, 1954, 1961, 1984• Percentage of time spent as an FSA• Place in the administrative hierarchy• Salaries• Functions performed• Number of support staff• Faculty status or not• Job satisfaction and perceptions of career potential

and peer recognition

Higbee Cont.

1948 there were 400 FSA’s in U.S.1951 NAFSA conference …no consensus on listing qualifications for FSA positions1948, 70% had academic rank, by 1984, less than 35%Decline of academic rank coincides with recognition of specialization, rise of government regulations and dramatic increase in enrollments

Evaluation of Research on Educational Exchange

1962 report by Margaret Cormack prepared for the U.S. Department of State. Findings:• Weakness of research lies in failure to explain

“what really happens to people” during exchanges

• Most studies are evaluations to determine pre-U.S. attitudes among foreign students to justify foreign policy aims of exchange

• Little attention paid to personality and behavior changes or what exchangees learn

Cormack Cont.

Report cited examples of gaps in existing research:• No data on special problems of women• Scant data on alienation from one’s own

culture• Scant data on interaction between foreign and

U.S. students• Little data about cross-cultural learning in

relation to academic fields

Cormack Report Gaps Cont.

Little is known about exchangees own educational backgrounds and social aimsNo analysis for reasons for drop-outsNo data on relationship between advanced U.S. training and subsequent professional advancement in home countryNo records available on grantees other than those sponsored by U.S. government

Cormack Cont.

Recommended research hypotheses to be examined:• Aptitude may be a better criteria for selection than

language• “task oriented” people have fewer adjustment problems

than “experience oriented” people• Younger exchangees experience greater change than

older ones• Pre-departure orientation is better spent on own culture

than alien culture• One year is too short and three years is too long for

successful readjustment

The World’s Students in the United States by Spaulding and Flack, 1976

Review of the literature into 5 categories• What happens to foreign students in U.S?• Structure, administration & finance of foreign

student programs• New approaches to technical cooperation in

prep for human resources for development• Migration of talent• Foreign and international organization

research

Spaulding and Flack Conclusions:

Literature is quantitatively large, but methodologically unevenConceptually and theoretically unfocusedTopically wide ranging, but seldom inter-relatedIn results and findings, diverse, contradictory and only in some instances significant or original

Spaulding and Flack cont.

In policy recommendations, literature is scattered, ad hoc, and unconcerned about implementationIn research recommendations, literature is broad, seldom mutually related, encompassing a wide spectrum, and within it emphasizing some recurrent themes while ignoring others.

David Comp’s Recommendations for Research Today:

Impact of religion on adjusting to new lifestyleWhy students from different regions adapt to the U.S. culture differentlyAverage length or progress of adaptation or acculturation in short term and long term programsInternational students’ perceptions on U.S. cultureWhy some students stay in the U.S. to further their education and why others leave

Recommendations Cont.

International students’ perceptions of gender (before studying abroad, during and after)Effect of media and entertainment on international students’ culture shockInfluence that U.S. lifestyle has on worldview, traditional cultural values, and heritage of international studentsExpectations and standards of international students from teachers and peers

Recommendations Cont.

Expectations from international students about their professors and of themselvesStress/anxiety developed because of failing to meet their own standards of excellenceReview of how effectively international students’needs are being met (or not)Stigma of being a foreigner (possible factor in why international students mostly associate with other international students?)Source of strength in coping skills

Annotated Bibliography of Research on International Students In U.S.

http:webpages.charter.net/ktamblyn/Bibliography.htmKathryn Tamblin and David Comp, University of Chicago

Comparing Overviews 40 years Apart

In spite of spike in globalization and campus internationalization issues, similar questions are still being askedIs lack of progress related to decline in the number of FSA’s who hold academic rank?Profession has been changing from adjustment based to compliance/risk management basedHow are FSA’s valued in higher education?Mestenhauser question: Are FSA’s professionals or just dedicated good guys?Who is paying attention to the big picture?

Case Study: University of Illinois (1996)

Office was responding to growth in enrollment; staff felt OISS was less personalNeeded data to help convince decision makersSix page survey is long and comprehensiveReceived response rate of 21%; considered to be “true sample” of UIUC international students

Illinois Case Study Cont.

Categories of assessment:• Student concerns• Campus life• International student office

Case Study Cont.

Impacts of research:• Improved outreach to other campus units• Helped office argue for outside resources• Helped adjust office resource allocation and

revised publications/services• Gave campus the image of OISS as on cutting

edge of assessment

A Few Helpful Resources

Information clearinghousesResearch based publications that include international student perspectivesInstitute of International Education (IIE)• Open Doors• Atlas of Student Mobility

Resource for showing economic impactRecruitment and marketing data

Information Clearinghouses

Boston College: Center for International Higher Education• http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/ihec/

Centre for Applied Cross Cultural Research • http://www.victoria.ac.nz/cacr/

IIE

Open Doors; annual statistical report on student mobility• http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/

Project Atlas tracks migration trends of the millions of students who pursue education outside of their home countries each year. • http://atlas.iienetwork.org/

Research-based Publications that Include International Student Perspectives

Journal of Studies in International EducationInternational Journal of Intercultural RelationsJournal of Global InitiativesIntercultural PressAssorted Blogs

Journal of Studies in International Education

Website: http://www.asie.org/journal.htm

International Academy of Intercultural Research (IAIR)

http://www.interculturalacademy.org

International Journal of Intercultural Relations• http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescri

ption.cws_home/535/description?navopenmenu=-2

Global Evolution: Chronological Annotated Bibliography of International Students in US Academic Libraries

Author: Kaetrena DavisPublished by American Library Association, 2007ISBN-13 9780838984352

Journal of Global Initiatives

http://www.kennesaw.edu/globalinstitute/journalofglobalinitiatives.htm

Resource for Economic Analysis

Economic Impact of International Students in the U.S.• http://www.nafsa.org/public_policy.sec/internat

ional_education_1/eis_2008• List total impact in U.S.• Also lists impact by state

Recruitment and Marketing Information

Allison Doorbar, JWT Education• Author: Student decision making - the Asian

student survey and transnational education research

• Allison.doorbar@jwt.com• http://www.britishcouncil.org/eumd-events-

training-asian-student-of-2005-review.htm

I-Graduate

For profit company doing wide ranging benchmarking of international student satisfactionwww.i-graduate.org

From UK: Teaching in Transnational Higher Education

Examines current trends and challenges that face students, teachers and institutions of higher education around the globe.Published by: Routledge, March 2008Edited by Michelle Wallace, Lee Dunn

Blogs

Changing Higher Education• http://www.changinghighereducation.com

Global Higher Education• http://globalhighered.wordpress.com

Hedda Blog• http://stan.uio.no/blog/flexlearn/

Inside Higher Education’s Blog U• http://insidehighered.com/views/blogs

Japan Higher Education Outlook• http://japanheo.blogspot.com

Losing the World's Best and Brightest

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Wadhwa, Vivek; Richard B. Freeman; Alex Salkever; AnnaLee Saxenian• Survey of Indian, Chinese, and European

students at U.S. colleges and universities on their decisions to stay or return home after graduation and the factors behind the decisions, such as where they see the best opportunities.

Update from KCTLS

University of Minnesota project to analyze literature on international students and scholarsPlan to review:• Themes• Countries• Messages

KCTLS Cont.

Research Questions:• What are the critical issues identified in the literature

(internationalization, recruitment, access, barriers to students coming to U.S.)?

• What is being studied, how and why (certain populations? Certain fields of study? Certain measures?)?

• What is not being studied/written about? What is missing in the literature?

• Has there been a shift regarding questions over time?

Models of International Student Roles in Internationalization

University of Minnesota’s Culture Corps:• http://www.isss.umn.edu/programs/culturecorps/default

.htmlUniversity of Pennsylvania’s International Classroom: • http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/edu/teachers/teac

hers_intl_classroom.shtmlUniversity of Oregon’s International Cultural Service Program (ICSP):• http://international.uoregon.edu/index.php/intlculturalse

rviceprogram

Questions? Answers?