Exploring Iraqi Undergraduate Exchange Students' Cultural and Academic Adjustment Processes in the United States

• In Event: 18.059 - MTCC Roundtable Session Three
  In Roundtable Session: 18.059-8 - Student Experiences of Education Through an International Lens

Abstract

Iraqi exchange students from cities with a high rate of terrorism may face complex struggles given the extremity of their country’s violent history. Iraq has a deep, rich history of distinction in the arts, education, and culture (Al-Janabi & Anderson, 2011), but after 2003, the insurgence violence escalated in Iraq, and the educational community was an unfortunate target (Marr, 2012). This multiple case study explored the factors that contributed to Iraqi undergraduate students’ abilities to adjust culturally, socially, and academically to life in the U.S. using interviews with Iraqi students, staff from a large university’s international office, and advisors from a scholarship program. Our results identified four main themes: academic preparedness, prior exposure to U.S. culture, resiliency, and support networks.

Authors

• Heather Theisen-Gandara, University of Houston - Clear Lake

• Amy Orange, University of Houston - Clear Lake