The Role of the SIO in the Retention and Engagement of ... · •Bridging the Gap: Recruitment and Retention to ... Chief Knowledge Officer & Sr. Director of Strategic Development

The Role of the SIO in the Retention and Engagement of International Students

Sheila Schulte, NAFSARahul Choudaha, World Education ServicesRachawan Wongtrirat, Old Dominion UniversityFanta Aw, American University

Today’s Agenda

• Bridging the Gap: Recruitment and Retention to Improve the International Student Experiences

- Rahul Choudaha

• International Student Engagement

- Rachawan Wongtrirat

• Case Study from American University

- Fanta Aw

• Q & A

Rahul Choudaha is Chief Knowledge Officer and Sr. Director of Strategic Development at World Education Services, New York

© 2014 World Education Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Highlights of the research

Bridging the Gap: Recruitment and

Retention to Improve International

Student Experiences

Chief Knowledge Officer & Sr. Director of Strategic Development

World Education Services, New York

[email protected]

wes.org/ras

AIEAAnnual Conference

Washington, DC | February, 2015

mailto:[email protected]


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Research Report

NAFSA: Association of International Educators commissioned WES to undertake the research


Research Questions• What are the reasons why undergraduate

international students might leave their institution of first enrollment before completing their degree?

• What are good practices that will help improve the experience and retention of undergraduate international students?

• Download full report from nafsa.org/retentionresearch

http://www.nafsa.org/retentionresearch


Methodology

Institutional Perspective

May 2013

Literature review

Focus groups at

NAFSA AnnualConference (30professionals)

Institutional Perspective

Aug.– Dec. 2013

National survey of NAFSAmembers480 responses from institutional representatives at 100 U.S. HEIs

StudentPerspective

Jan.– May 2014

National surveyof students

517 responses from international undergraduate students at 83U.S. HEIs

Source: nafsa.org/retentionresearch


How Is This Research Unique?• Nation-wide comparative research

• Examines the gap between institutional and student perspectives, and

• Takes into consideration differences among institutional types


Bridging the Gap…• Institutional and

student perspectives

• Student expectations and experiences

• Recruitment and retention practices


.

Institutional Findings – Top 5 Reasons for Students Leaving


.

Student Findings – Top 5 Reasons for Students Leaving


Institutional response Student response

Top 3 reasons are diverse:• transfer to a “better fit institution”• financial reasons• academic difficulties

All top 3 reasons are financial:• access to jobs or internships• affordability• availability of scholarships

Academic preparedness issues were ranked 3rd & 4th:• academic difficulties• inadequate English language skills

Academic preparedness issues not in top 5

International student orientation (on arrival) was ranked 2nd in good practices

Ranked 6th by students

Writing or tutoring services: ranked 4th as a good practice

Ranked 8th by students

Key Findings


Key Findings: Institutional Types

• Institutional Survey Highlights:

– Academic difficulties were reported as more prevalent by Doctorate-granting (71%) institutions than by Master’s (61%) or Baccalaureate (49%) institutions.

– Inadequate English abilities were reported as more prevalent by Doctorate-granting (49%) than by Master’s (43%) or Baccalaureate institutions (22%).


Key Findings: Institutional Types• Student Survey Highlights:

– Students at Master’s (46%) and Doctorate-granting (37%) institutions reported more dissatisfaction with the access to jobs or internships (27%).

– Students at Doctorate-granting (38%) and Master’s (36%) institutions were more dissatisfied with the availability of scholarships than students at Baccalaureate institutions (23%).

Key Takeaways


“Campus infrastructure must be put in place first. From my experience, campuses often addstudent services, housing options, etc. aftertheir enrollment booms. A better approach is tolay a firm foundation first in these areas.”

- Respondent from Institutional Survey


“Finding the right fit between the student's andhis/her parents' expectations [about the]school's ranking, cost, and program offerings is akey factor. Early identification of the misfit duringthe admission process would help with thepremature or unnecessary attrition.”

- Respondent from Institutional Survey


Attrition Causes Corresponding Recommendations

Search for a “Better Fit” Institution

Ensure that Recruitment Efforts Align with the Opportunities Delivered on Campus

Financial Difficulties Transparently Share the Total Cost of Attendance andOpportunities for Institutional Aid

Lack of Access to Work Opportunities

Enhance Career Advising Capacity to Assist International Students

Academic Challenges Augment Processes and Services to Address Academic Issues in Collaboration with Relevant Stakeholders

Campus Integration Invest in Programs that Encourage Interactions Between Internationaland Domestic Students and International Students and Staff

Synthesis of Findings


Overarching Recommendations

• Understand the diverse needs and expectations of international students.

• Collaborate on internationalization efforts across departments.

• Invest in campus programs and services that improve student experiences.


Recruit

Positive Experience

Retain

Positive Engagement

The Recruitment-Retention Connection


Implications

• Understand the diverse needs and expectations of international students.

• Collaborate on internationalization efforts across departments.

• Invest in campus programs and services that improve student experiences.


Additional Resources• International Student Retention and Success: A

Comparative Perspective, World Education News & Reviews• Retaining International Students, NAFSA International

Educator• E-publication of full research report on NAFSA Web site:• nafsa.org/retentionresearch• Perceptions of International Student Retention Vary

Substantially, NAFSA: Association of International Educators• Infographic, NAFSA: Association of International Educators• Retention Is a Growing Issue as More International

Students Come to U.S., The Chronicle of Higher Education

http://bit.ly/1wqo2ap

http://www.nafsa.org/_/File/_/ie_sepoct14_retaining.pdf

http://www.nafsa.org/wcm/Product?prodid=401&catId=7

http://www.nafsa.org/Explore_International_Education/For_The_Media/Press_Releases_And_Statements/Perceptions_of_International_Student_Retention_Vary_Substantially/

http://www.nafsa.org/Find_Resources/Supporting_International_Students_And_Scholars/NAFSA_International_Student_Retention_Research/?cmpid=pr:nrr:press:ufk

http://chronicle.com/article/Retention-Is-a-Growing-Issue/146807/


Additional Resources• For U.S. Colleges, a Drive to Retain Foreign Students,

The New York Times• With More International Students Come Retention

Issues, University World News• Why They Stay or Leave, Inside Higher Ed• Meeting Expectations of International Students, USA

Today• NAFSA Conference Highlights the Interdependency of

Recruitment and Retention Practices, ICEF Monitor• NAFSA Research Reveals Student Retention Perception

Gap, The PIE News

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/us/for-us-colleges-a-drive-to-retain-foreign-students.html?_r=1&utm_content=bufferc855a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20140605182406134

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/05/28/new-research-retention-international-students

http://college.usatoday.com/2014/06/16/u-s-colleges-fail-to-reach-international-students-expectations-study-says/

http://monitor.icef.com/2014/06/nafsa-conference-highlights-the-interdependency-of-recruitment-and-retention-practices/

http://monitor.icef.com/2014/06/nafsa-conference-highlights-the-interdependency-of-recruitment-and-retention-practices/

http://thepienews.com/news/nafsa-research-reveals-student-retention-perception-gap/

Rachawan Wongtrirat is the Assistant Director for International Initiatives in the Office of Intercultural Relations at Old Dominion University.

International Student Engagement

• Reference: Glass, C. R., Wongtrirat, R., & Buus, S. (2014). International student engagement:

Strategies for creating inclusive, connected and purposeful campus environments. Sterling, VA:

Stylus Publishing.

https://sty.presswarehouse.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=376414

Experience in the Classroom

“He encouraged me, “It’s OK to have difficulties when you’re studying over here and courses.” He was of major help. I still meet him sometimes and say this is how it’s going on, I’m about to graduate and all that stuff. He advises me on how to go on further with a job or if you want to do masters over here back. He has been important, crucial in my life”.

(Female from Southern Asia)

Curricular experiences contribute to cross-cultural interaction and an enhanced sense of belonging for international students.

I love talking in class and sharing my ideas with my classmates, and they’ll listen to what they thought of a certain reading, for example. I think that’s a big step for me. One of my professors, Dr. [Professor], what he does is he makes us sit at different places every class so we get to talk to pretty much everybody in the class over the semester. At first everybody is like, “No, I don’t want to do that! That’s going to suck.” But then we really formed a cohesive group because of that. I love that. It makes me, again, a lot more open. (Undergraduate, Female, Eastern Europe)

Engaging International Students in Campus Leadership

• …It allowed me to communicate with people that are totally different, really different than in my everyday life, I would never talk to them or never approach them…I regret that I used to judge people by the way they look or they dress, but now I don’t anymore.

It’s like you learn how to accept the others no matter how different they are, no matter what their sexual orientation is, their thoughts, religion, belief. It’s just so diverse, you just learn how to accept people.

(Female from Africa)

Increased engagement in co-curricular activities greatly affects international students’ sense of belonging and in turn enhances their desire for and degree of cross-cultural engagement.

Friends , Peers and Social Networks

What strikes me the most is I didn’t really feel alien in the U.S. I didn’t feel like I was not home. I was just not home, but not foreign. It was in between. (Male student from Eastern Europe)

The role of friendship networks in important in international students’ well being and academic success. Student narratives highlight qualitative aspects of students’ relationships that contribute to their sense of belongingness.

The use of social media with family, home and host country peers affects international students life, retention and success.

Family Relationship, Technology and Social Media

My family. Skype is my number one friend. (Undergraduate, Male from Southern Asia)

Today, many international students and their families go online together to recreate family togetherness. The ability to share multimedia clips and moments of “Did you see that?” create a form of shared experience that allows all parties to maintain a fundamental sense of continuity and connectedness.

Campus Initiative InternationalStudent Advisory Board

Leadership program that builds university-international student relationships and prepares international students with the individual and collective capacity to advocate for their community and interests.

The International Student Advisory Board (ISAB) represents the ODU international student community and provides constructive feedback to the Office of Intercultural Relations, Office of International Programs, and other university departments. The ISAB offers suggestions for improving current programs and services and also makes recommendations for new initiatives.

Reference: https://www.odu.edu/life/gettinginvolved/leadership/isab

• Connect international initiatives to existing efforts for student engagement and success.

• Invest in faculty learning and professional growth.

• Expand existing initiatives that are already effective.

Connect International Initiatives with Strategic Priorities

• Do not treat international students as one group in institutional assessment.

• Focus on connecting the data already collected, not on collecting more data.

• Put someone in charge of sharing key findings with stakeholders.

• Tell the story as you provide the proof.

Focus on Continuous, Data-Driven Approaches to Decision-Making

• Integrating international students requires integrating (or at least coordinating) various campus offices and units.

• Partner to advocate, not just cooperate. • Collaborating with the International Student

Community

Forge Flexible Coalitions With Key Stakeholders

Fanta Aw is Assistant Vice President of Campus Life at American University. She is also Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer in the School of International Service at American University.

• Creating a Culture of Inclusion:– Building competence– Raising Awareness

• Structures :– Integrated approach– Infusion Model rather than Silo- Web of Support Model

• Evidence Based Strategies:– Intentional Approach– Warning signs

Tools/Assessment:

– CareNetwork

– Mapworks

– Early Warning Report

– Campus Climate Survey

– Point of Service Data

Retention Rate AY 2013:

– First Yr Students: 92%

– Transfer Students: 97%

– Satisfied with AU Experience: 97%

• Community of Care

• Intercultural Programs:– TALK

– Peer Mentors Program

– International Student Leadership Team

– Clubs and Organizations

– Exploring Intercultural Communication Workshop

– Faculty Development- CTRL

Lessons Learned:– Sustaining Efforts

– Feedback Loop Essential

– Intentionality is Key

– Assessment/Impact

– It Takes the entire Village

– Shared Responsibility

– Need A champion with credibility

Q & A

Rahul Choudaha, [email protected]

Rachawan Wongtrirat, [email protected]

Fanta Aw, [email protected]

If you are interested in receiving the presentation via email, contact Sheila Schulte at [email protected]

Thanks for your participation!

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

The Role of the SIO in the Retention and Engagement of ... · •Bridging the Gap: Recruitment and Retention to ... Chief Knowledge Officer & Sr. Director of Strategic Development