Managing and resourcing a program of social integration initiatives for international university students: what are the benefits?

Abstract

There has been much concern in the higher education sector recently about the well-being and the safety of slightly more than 200,000 international students studying in higher education in Australia. In recognition of the economic and socio-cultural value of the international student cohort, as well as the significant challenge and risk of studying away from family and friends in a foreign community, CQUniversity has focused for the last two years on improving social integration for over 5000 international students. These students are studying at CQUniversity metropolitan campuses in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Sydney, which are popular destinations for international students. Initiatives to enhance social integration for these students were achieved in partnership with the local community, staff and other students. This paper reports the results of a survey of 446 CQUniversity international students who have had access to these enhanced opportunities for integration as well as a focus-group discussion with staff and students. Results determine the success of these initiatives from the perspective of students as well as key staff and identify further initiatives considered beneficial to supporting continuing social integration.

Embedded culture and intercultural adaptation: implications for managing the needs of Chinese Students

“…Most importantly, activities must centre on the enhancement of intercultural skills and social integration. These can best be achieved through broader institutional policy and strategies such as internationalising the curriculum (Leask, 2001), the inclusion of intercultural outcomes for all students (Campbell, 2010;Leask, 2004), and the development of mandatory intercultural mediation and social integration practices (Owens & Loomes, 2010) for all students, both domestic and international. Cultural mentoring, intercultural mediation programmes and the sharing of cultural knowledge have all been found to assist international students in making gains in intercultural interaction and adaptation (Pedersen, 2010).…”

Students supporting students on the PhD journey: An evaluation of a mentoring scheme for international doctoral students

“…The international evening was highly praised, as students could bring their families, wear their national dress and offer samples of typical dishes from their country. A study of Australian universities by Owens and Loomes (2010) highlighted how much international students appreciated social activities which enabled them to mix with staff and students. The study not only provided evidence that social activities improved students' well-being and satisfaction but also that academic performance was enhanced.…”

Academic engagement of international students at community colleges: a culturally sensitive measurement model

“…As the discussion of the reviewed studies shows, researchers have identified academic, social, and personal factors that affect international student experience in American colleges and universities. Building on theoretical frameworks of student involvement (Astin, 1984(Astin, , 1993, college student development and student engagement (Pascarella, 1985;Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005), and student integration (Tinto, 1993), researchers have linked international college student outcomes to levels of academic and social engagement with various groups on campus including faculty, peers, administrators, and staff (Andrade, 2008;Kwon, 2009;Owens & Loomes, 2010;Sherry et al, 2010;Zhao et al, 2005). Academic engagement of international students is often viewed and discussed as part of student engagement.…”

“…The study findings suggest that program participants compared to nonparticipants developed more social connections with domestic students and eventually were better adjusted to life on campus, which was linked to better overall college experience. Kim and Egan (2011) and Owens and Loomes (2010) also stressed the importance of peer interaction and the value of programs supporting social integration between domestic and international students. Kim and Egan conducted an exploratory case study of a formal crosscultural mentoring program at a large American university.…”

“…On the one hand, the presence and contributions of international students make them a valuable resource to campus communities and the American society overall (Anderson, Carmichael, Harper, & Huang, 2009;Andrade & Evans, 2009;Brennan & Dellow, 2013;Owens & Loomes, 2010;Spiro, 2014). On the other hand, the growing number of international students has created numerous challenges for students, faculty, and support staff at American colleges and universities (Anderson et al, 2009;Andrade & Evans, 2009).…”