"Welcome to America?" International Students' Experiences With Integration and Acculturation in a Southwest Florida University

• In Event: A Whole New World: Experiences of Being International at School

Abstract

Intercultural competence directly impacts international students’ experiences in the receiving country. A phenomenological approach investigated the lived experiences of participants of a university-sponsored program designed to integrate and acculturate international students on a Southwest Florida university campus. The observational notes and transcripts of audio-recorded in-depth interviews with six international students were analyzed using analytical coding and the constant comparison method. The findings highlighted the need for university-sponsored programs to encourage domestic student participation and materialize intentional efforts to promote intercultural competence and global awareness to better support international students’ sense of belonging and cross-cultural experiences on campus.

Authors

• Bruno Halpern, Florida Gulf Coast University
  Presenting Author

• Clarisse Halpern, Florida Gulf Coast University
  Presenting Author

• Hasan Aydin, Florida Gulf Coast University
  Presenting Author