Maximizing the experience of international graduate students: a case-study

Tsz Kin Kwok

doi:10.17918/etd-7199

The number of international graduate students attending higher education in the U.S. has increased in the past few decades. By studying in what is known as "the land of opportunities," international graduate students beyond acquiring knowledge had the opportunities to network with other professionals and enhance their cultural awareness. With the surge in the number of international graduate students, there had been increased attention paid to the needs of this population; however, many colleges and universities were not adequately prepared to deal with the wave of international graduate students. A comprehensive review of the literature showed that attention given to international students ranged from areas such as transitional difficulties all the way to physiological needs. The purpose of this critical, mixed method case study was to examine the transitional difficulties of international graduate students and how university stakeholders may better accommodate the needs of international graduate students at a pre-orientation program known as the webinar program. According to Tas (2013), it is a good practice to outreach to international graduate students before they arrive on campus. In the case of this comprehensive university in southeast Pennsylvania, a synchronous online webinar was implemented to allow a seamless arrival-and-welcome that facilitates the success of acculturation of international graduate students at this educational institution. By examining the acculturation needs of international graduate students in a pre-orientation program, the initial gateway to every graduate program, faculty, professional staff and students were able to better prepare and accommodate the needs of international graduate students even as they assist them to assimilate into the environment. All university constituents who were directly involved with planning and implementing orientation programs benefited and gained a better understanding of possible transitional difficulties that international graduate students can face when starting in a United States institution. Institutional commitment to international graduate students is a must since what is provided to them impacted the retention rate, academic performance, social interaction with other students, and their overall physiological and psychological being. Above all, international graduate students must be a focal point in the design of every research-1 institution of the pre-orientation program. Understanding diversity can establish a level of trust and acceptance with our graduate students but most importantly a deep appreciation and understanding for different cultures in an educational institution. The research questions guiding this mixed method case study were: (1) What were the academic, social, and cultural histories of international graduate students and how did an existing pre-orientation program acknowledge, appreciate and address these histories? (2) What strategies and techniques did international graduate students employ to cope in their new environment? (3) What policies and procedures did an educational institution employ to bridge the disconnects between student needs and institutional commitment? Relying on quantitative and qualitative methods of triangulation, observations, surveys and a focus group were conducted and collected from eligible participants in three different stages: (a) to acquire feedback about the effectiveness of the pre-orientation program from students' perspectives by administering a questionnaire to participants who attended one of the two pre-orientation sessions; (b) to determine if the different orientation programs and activities during welcome week were applicable to our international participants by administering a questionnaire to participants who attended these events; and (c) a follow-up with a focus group interview comprised of eleven participants at the conclusion of the university-wide orientation program.

Maximizing the experience of international graduate students: a case-study

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Maximizing the experience of international graduate students: a case-study

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