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International Student Experiences at the University of South FloridaRebecca Eisenstein, Sella Gonzalez, & Lauren LevantiIntroduction and PurposeInternational students experiences in college differ from that of traditional students. They face many challenges within their environment that have the potential to make them feel either marginalized or like they matter. Traditional students are impacted by institutional and national environments, while international students are impacted by the environment in their home country as well. Each international student experiences these environments with a different impact on their daily life. The purpose of this study is to explore avariety of environments and the impact they have on feelings of marginality and mattering of international students at the University of South Florida. Model
Application to TheoriesBronfrenbrenner’s Ecogolical Systems Theory (1979)• Bronfrenbrenner created an ecological model that represented different environments and how they interact with a student (Patton, Renn, Guido, & Quaye, 2016). We adapted his levels of context to fit international students. To do so, we created the environments of institutional, United States, and home country. We chose these because they were common themes found in our research.
• Similar to Bronfrenbrenner’s model, a completed IMISEM model varies for every international student.
Schlossberg’s Theory of Marginality and Mattering (1989)• Schlossberg’s theory describes students in new environments that can make them feel either marginalized or like they matter. In our research, we found that many international students expressed varying feelings of marginality and mattering in a variety of environments that impact their college experience and potential to persist.
Abes, Jones, and McEwen’s Reconceptualized Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity (2007) • We adapted the idea of contextual influences presented in the RMMDI and broke them down into three environmental contexts: institutional, United States, and home country. These contexts impact individual students to varying degrees.
• We then elaborated on the idea that contextual influences impact self-perception by connecting the RMMDI to Schlossberg’s theory.
ReferencesJones, S. R., & Abes, E. S. (2013). Identity development of college students: Advancing frameworks formultiple dimensions of identity. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., & Quaye, S. J. (2016). Student development in college:Theory, research, and practice (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Interview Questions1. What are some challenges you face/are facing within the US university system2. What resources on campus have you taken advantage of?3. Thus far, has USF met your expectations?4. What are some of the reasons you chose to attend school in the US?5. How would you say your family feels about becoming integrated with American culture?
6. How engaged would you say you are with the university? Are you a member of any student organizations? If so, which ones?
7. Are you working while attending school? If so, where?8. Are you living on-campus or off-campus?9. What are some experiences you hope to gain outside of academics while attending school?
10. What are ways that you alleviate stress?11. How often do you interact with your family back home?
Description of ModelThe Intersecting Model of International Student Ecosystems and Mattering (IMISEM) contains a set of axes. The x-axis represents environment with a continuum ranging from low impact to high impact. Low impact environments are those that are less likely to influence the chances that the student persists in college. High impact environments are those that have a great impact on the persistence of the student. The y-axis represents marginality and mattering. The model is split is into quadrants. The quadrant that encompasses points that are low impact and make a student feel marginalized are considered periphery points. This means that a student affairs practitioner should be aware of them, but they should not be a priority. The quadrant that contains points that are low impact and make a student feel like they matter are considered support points. The job of student affairs practitioners is to continue to support these points because they make a student feel like they matter, but since the student categorizes it as low impact on them, it is less important than other areas. The quadrant that contains high impact and makes the student feel like they matter is an area that practitioners need to help students sustain. Since the student places high importance on the area, practitioners need to continue to foster the variables that create that sense of mattering. The quadrant that contains high impact and makes the students feel marginalized is the major focus area for student affairs practitioners. The goal is to explore the variables within the quadrant and why they are marginalizing the student. The practitioner can then work with the student to transform these variables into ones that make the student feel like they matter. This is the main area of focus since the student places high impact on this area and it makes them feel marginalized.
MethodParticipantsA total of 80 International students were surveyed. The students were recruited through professional staff members on campus and the International Students Association. All students were undergraduates representing a variety of class years.
