Will they stay? An exploration of embeddedness of international STEM faculty in American professoriate.

• In Event: Cross-border education and emerging issues: Experiences of students and faculty

Abstract

In a transnational landscape of career opportunities, scholars in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines are in high demand. Research shows that organizations and governments across the world are competing for international talent and are promoting greater internationalization. At universities across the United States, a significant percentage of the faculty in STEM disciplines are international scholars (Nelson, 2004; NSB, 2003). Yet, little is known in Higher Education literature about the embeddedness of international faculty in their university and community. This gap in literature is especially problematic when considering research findings that international faculty, although highly productive, are least satisfied (among all faculty) with their experience in the American professoriate (Corley & Sabhawal, 2007; Mamiseishvili & Rosser, 2011).

This presentation begins to fill this gap in literature and engages participants in collegial dialogue about findings from a quantitative research study that adopted embeddedness theory to explore the following questions:
1. How embedded are international faculty members who are employed in STEM disciplines at comprehensive universities in the United States?
2. What factors influence the embeddedness of international faculty members at the university where they work and in the community where they live?

Overview:
Embeddedness is understood as a positive construct that results from how an employee appraises his/her fit and links at their university and in their community, as well as the perceived sacrifices he/she would make if leaving their university and community. The more embedded the employee perceives him/herself in the community and organization; the more likely it is he/she will stay.

This presentation is organized in three segments:

1. First, the presenter will provide a brief overview about embeddedness theory and the participants in this research study.

2. Next, the presenter will discuss findings from a research study that explored the embeddedness of international faculty members who are employed in STEM disciplines at comprehensive universities across the United States.

3. Finally, the presenter will engage participants in collegial dialogue about ways research findings may be applied towards designing programs that facilitate and support embeddedness of international faculty in their academic and non-academic communities.

Conclusion
As conference participants reflect on and contribute to the exciting possibilities for an Ubuntu-inspired education, learning about the embeddedness of international STEM faculty in American professoriate will inform ongoing discourse about embodying philosophical and organizational development frameworks that facilitate integrated academic Ubuntu locally and globally. This presentation informs policy and programs designed to attract and retaining international talent.

Author

• Alexander Akulli, Lynchburg College