Issues in Education: International Student Engagement and Support EDHP 563 University of Southern California Raquel Anderson

Engagement versus Support International student engagement Research on the issue of student engagement and supporting learning suggests that higher education institutions form appropriate mission statements and create suitable and engaging environments (Kezar & Kinzie, 2006). International student support Research on both local transfer students and international students suggests that student affairs in higher education institutions do not promote successful student integration (Zhao, Kuh, & Carini, 2005; Townsend & Wilson, 2006).

Lack of International Student Support International students confirm research by Zhao et al. (2005) by explaining that they eventually overcome the initial lack of support, but it is harder and takes longer than through proper integration support. Dan Fishel from Israel talks to new international students about his personal experiences and the difficulty of social integration for international students.

Impact of Issue on Higher Education and Student Affairs While student affairs could lose credibility by neglecting the importance of successful academic integration of international students, the academic community could suffer in the long run because not all students will endure the integration period. Lack of supportive systems in higher education for international students decreases the number of members in the academic community and restricts individual student development.

Recommendations on the Issue: Student Affairs and Institutions  Multi-cultural Affairs Department  Encourage successful student integration by supporting cultural diversity in higher education institutions.  Counseling and Academic Advising Departments  Conduct obligatory counseling for international students to help them overcome the initial fear, anxiety, and stress.  Assign each international student to a local graduate student who will act as an advisor to support the international student’s academic and social integration with peers.  Orientation/First-year Experience Department  Assist students to identify and achieve their goals early in both academic and social development.  International Student Services Department  Assessing cultural backgrounds of international students at the beginning of every academic year.  Creating goals and interventions in compliance with international student assessment each year.  Coordinating activities among other departments that will provide support to international students.  Student Learning and Engagement in Institutions  Define the level of academic rigor expected from students and provide additional support to international students who require more effort in the beginning to fulfill the expectations.  Form smaller classes in addition to larger classes for students who show lower level of engagement and require more support.

Stances and Controversies  Both local transfer students from community colleges and international students report a low level of support in the beginning of their higher education (Zhao et al., 2005; Townsend & Wilson, 2006), but implemented learning systems seem adequate for supporting student engagement (Kezar & Kinzie, 2006).  Some researchers suggest that institutions should focus on implementing group-focused learning and engagement systems because cognitive differences that impact learning and involvement are usually similar among students who choose the same academic field of study (Ball & Perry, 2011).  Individual differences among students also account for different levels of engagement (Ball & Perry, 2011), so international student support should develop student-focused systems to promote equal student development.  However, the level of engagement among international students is higher than American students in the beginning, but so is the level of psychological tension because of culture shock, and their social development in the academic community is often restricted in the beginning (Zhao et al., 2005).  It is possible that international student engagement is higher in the beginning because inadequate support does not allow them to integrate faster, so their academic development requires more effort until they adapt to the local culture and community.  Higher institution efforts should be focused to meet the needs of international students in terms of helping them overcome culture shock, increase their social integration, and provide additional support in learning through smaller groups, but mutual collaboration in compliance with student cultural backgrounds will be necessary to create and implement adequate systems that support their academic integration and development.

Discussion Research suggests that individual differences contribute to differences in level of student engagement (Ball & Perry, 2011). Is it possible to create a system that will address the need of every single individual? The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (n.d.) proposes the creation of better systems through collaborations between students and institutions. If both sides need to collaborate on solving the issue, both sides should be held accountable if the system is not implemented successfully. If that is the case, why should the student affairs staff assume the major part of responsibility for system implementation?

References Ball, I., & Perry C. (2011). Differences in student engagement: Investigating the role of the dominant cognitive processes preferred by engineering and education students. Education Research International, doi: /2011/ Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (n.d.). Mission. Retrieved from Columbia Business School. (2008, January). International Student Experience: Part 3: Social Adjustment. Podcast retrieved from Kezar, A., & Kinzie, J. (2006). Examining the way institutions create student engagement: The role of mission. Journal of College Student Development, 47(2) doi: /csd

References Townsend, B. K., & Wilson, K.B. (2006). “A hand hold for a little bit”: Factors facilitating the success of community college transfer students to a large research university. Journal of College Student Development, 47(4) doi: /csd What Kids Can Do. (Producer). (2009, February 24). Academic Culture Shock. First in the Family. Podcast Retrieved from Zhao, C., Kuh, G. D., & Carini, R. M. (2005). A comparison of international student and American student engagement in effective educational practices. The Journal of Higher Education, 76(2), doi: /jhe