scholarly journals Understanding the Mental and Physical Health Needs and Acculturation Processes of International Graduate Students in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (Fall) ◽  
pp. 10-17
Author(s):  
Mehrete Girmay
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
Host Institution ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

The international graduate student population is a unique one that has specific needs that differ from that of domestic students and other acculturating groups. International graduate students face social, financial, and other stressors rooted in language proficiency while dealing with academic performance demands that accompany being a graduate student (Sullivan & Kashubeck-West, 2015). Furthermore, many international students studying at American universities tend to experience severe adjustment challenges dealing with the unfamiliarity of American customs and traditions in addition to the lack of emotional and social support on behalf of the host university. The goals of this qualitative, narrative case study were to explore the needs of international graduate students in regards to their adjustment and whether the needs of this population are being met by the host institution, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). The results of this study indicated that there is a concrete need for University staff to be trained on cultural competency, health literacy, and xenophobia as they seek to meet the potential needs of their visiting international students. Additionally, health and wellness resources offered through the University should be improved in order to be more comprehensively advertised and promoted on campus and within the surrounding community. The study yields results that crystallizes the impact that poor acculturation can have on the student’s mental and physical health, and how bridges between the international and non-international communities can be built and more importantly sustained, thus resulting in a more inclusive environment.

scholarly journals Speaking in Tongues: Can International Graduate Students Read International Graduate Admissions Materials?

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary W. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
Reading Levels ◽  
Speaking In Tongues ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
International Graduate Student

A recent Educational Testing Services report (2016) found that international graduate students with a TOEFL score of 80—the minimum average TOEFL score for graduate admission in the United States—usually possess reading subscores of 20, equating to a 12th-grade reading comprehension level. However, one public flagship university’s international graduate student admissions instructions are written at a 17th-grade reading comprehension level, or, a 27-30 band on the reading section of the TOEFL. This study seeks to answer the question, “Do U.S. graduate programs compose admissions materials at unreadable levels compared to these programs’ minimum reading comprehension levels for international graduate student admission?” Findings reveal average public flagship international graduate student admissions materials are written above 15th-grade reading comprehension levels, with select flagships composing these materials at 19th grade reading levels. Implications for practitioners and policymakers, as well as areas of future research, are addressed.

scholarly journals Issues of International Students’ Academic Adaptation in the ESL Writing Class: A Mixed-Methods Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 887-904
Author(s):  
Eunjeong Park
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Lexical Bundles ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
Academic Adaptation ◽  
Field Notes

Despite the contribution to economic and social impact on the institutions in the United States, international students’ academic adaptation has been always challenging. The study investigated international graduate students’ academic adaptation scales via a survey questionnaire and explored how international students are academically adapted in the U.S. college setting through qualitative research with class observations, field notes, and semistructured interviews. In addition, the use of lexical bundles was examined as one of the academic literacy adaptation indicators. The quantitative and qualitative results revealed international graduate students’ academic adaptation in different angles. The implications of the findings are discussed.

scholarly journals Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mental and Emotional Well-being among International Students in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-82
Author(s):  
Mehrete Girmay ◽  
Gopal K. Singh
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
International Students ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
International Student ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Background: Loneliness and social isolation have the ability to affect an individual's mental and physical health. With research linking both to morbidity and premature mortality, their effects must be viewed as important public health problems. Loneliness and social isolation can be especially pronounced in the international student community, particularly at the university level, as this population encounters challenges assimilating to their host university, surrounding community, and host country. This study explores the risks and sociocultural factors associated with loneliness, social isolation, and psychological distress with regards to the overall adjustment of international students. Methods: In this qualitative, narrative case study, 10 international graduate students at a university in the United States participated in two focus group sessions followed by individual interviews. Thematic areas and topics were identified using Barrer's three models of social support. Study was completed between December 2016 and September 2017. Results: All of the participants shared that they had experienced loneliness and social isolation at some point during their acculturative process resulting in perceived xenophobia and a sense of insincerity on behalf of domestic students when attempting to forge connections. For some, these experiences elicited feelings of depression, a disinterest in building connections with domestic students, and in attending social events held on campus and within the community, further exacerbating feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Conclusions and Implications for Translation: Results shed light on the impact that poor acculturation can have on the student's mental and physical health and how bridges between the international and non-international communities can be built and more importantly, sustained. There is a critical need for more effort to be focused on attending to both the mental and physical health needs of migrant students during their stay at the host university. Key words: • Acculturation • Social Isolation • Loneliness • Mental Health • International •  Student   Copyright © 2019 Girmay and Singh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Com- mons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

scholarly journals First Term Support for International Graduate Students Attending Small Colleges and Universities

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-538
Author(s):  
Mary Jo Shane ◽  
Loredana Carson ◽  
Diana Gloria Macri
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Private University ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Colleges ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
International Graduate

The recruitment and retention of international students in academic institutions in the United States has become more complicated and more competitive than ever before given the current political climate and governmental policies. This article discusses some of the specific challenges international students face and what a small- to medium-sized private university has put in place to attract these students and to better prepare them for graduate level management courses starting their first term. This example introduces an 11-week foundations course along with additional resources designed to provide knowledge, instruction, and practice in skills and behaviors crucial for academic success within the United States.

scholarly journals Integrating International Graduate Students on Campus: The Perspectives of Student Affairs Professionals

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (Winter) ◽  
pp. 107-109
Author(s):  
RACHAL ETSHIM
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
International Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Student Affairs Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
International Graduate

Higher education institutions in the United States (U.S.) recruit international students as part of their internationalization strategies. The overall number of international students enrolled in American universities and colleges between 2017 and 2018 increased by 1.5% compared to the previous year, totaling over 1 million international students (Institute of International Education 2018). Of this total, 382,983 are international graduate students. International graduate students are good resources for the internationalization and economy of higher education institutions in the U.S. (Urban and Palmer, 2014) and, despite the reduction in the number of visas approved and job prospects, their numbers continue to grow (Almurideef 2016; Killick 2015). These students come from different countries, have different cultural backgrounds and needs, and face different challenges that student affairs professionals at host institutions must address to integrate them into campus (Harper and Hurtado, 2007; Lee and Rice 2007). Moreover, the needs and challenges of international students differ depending on their level of studies, undergraduate vs. graduate (Rai 2002). While student affairs professionals are often the first contacts for all international students, and they play a key role in the integration and development of international graduate students on campus (Brandenburg 2016), most higher education institutions and their student affairs units today are not yet prepared to serve international graduate students (Arokiasamy 2011; Burdzinski 2014; Castellanos et al., 2007; Di Maria 2012; Moswela and Mukhopadhyay 2011; Yakaboski and Perozzi 2018). The purpose of this study is to understand the perspectives of student affairs professional 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.

scholarly journals Second Language Learning: Cultural Adaptation Processes in International Graduate Students in U.S. Universities

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-125
Author(s):  
Mariella Espinoza Herold
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Adaptation Processes ◽  
The Impact

The impact of globalization, the rapid technical advancements, and the access to educational opportunities have attracted large numbers of bright international students to study in the United States. Graduate and undergraduate international students as well as foreign-born faculty are now visible in American higher education institutions

scholarly journals Navigating Through Uncertainty in the Era of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manca Sustarsic ◽  
Jianhui Zhang
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Research University ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Host Institution ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact

With the spread of COVID-19 around the world, the lives of international students became affected by a sudden shift to online learning, sheltering in place, and travel restrictions. Drawing upon the stress and coping framework, this study explores the experiences and coping of international graduate students at a large Western research university in the United States. We employed a phenomenological inquiry of in-depth interviews with 20 participants. Findings reveal the increased levels of stress and anxiety among participants as they faced academic challenges, personal challenges, and immigration-related uncertainties. Over time, students developed emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies to minimize the impact of the pandemic on their lives. Participants’ concerns about the host country’s treatment of international students raise important questions about the future of international student mobility. Finally, this study demonstrates the need to develop emergency responding mechanisms of the host institution.

scholarly journals Keeping Top AI Talent in the United States

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remco Zwetsloot
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
United States ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
Large Source ◽  
International Graduate

Talent is core to U.S. competitiveness in artificial intelligence, and international graduate students are a large source of AI talent for the United States. Retaining them in this country as they transition into the workforce is key. Graduate student retention has historically been a core U.S. strength, but that strength is endangered by recent events.

scholarly journals Inside the International Student World

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-144
Author(s):  
Jean Kaya
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
International Education ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
International Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
Imagined Communities ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
Lower Case

Substantial research emphasizes recruitment and retention of international students over their lived experiences. This qualitative study employed a sociocultural lens to explore five international graduate students’ lived experiences in the United States and their postgraduation plans. Findings suggest that international graduate students navigate a World that encompasses individual worlds that revolve around challenges, opportunities, and imagined communities. I draw on Gee’s (2014) notion of capitalizing a word normally written in lower case to make clear two differing connotations of the word “world.” I discuss implications for higher education host institutions and their offices of international education.

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