An Initiative in Underrepresentation in Study Abroad: Native Hawaiian, Underrepresented, and First Generation College Students

• In Event: Examining student mobility from both sending and receiving sides: the perspectives of various stakeholders

Proposal

The purpose of this paper is to examine the issue of underrepresentation in study abroad nationwide. According to the 2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, 325,339 students from the USA received credit at their home institution for study abroad in 2015-2016, with the majority being White (71.6%) and female (66.5%). These numbers show that diversifying the types of students who study abroad is an issue in higher education in the USA. Furthermore, education literature reveals that there is a gap in meeting the needs of underrepresented students because undergraduate success in the USA is based on middle class cultural norms of independence and independent learners’ success in college. Stephens et. al. (2012) state that “American universities' focus on cultural norms of independence can serve as an unseen academic disadvantage for first-generation college students and, thereby, fuel the very social class gap in experience and performance that they hope to erase” (p. 1195).

Most underrepresented students find it difficult to navigate through a four-year university, let alone studying abroad. However, it is important to provide study abroad opportunities that enable these populations to fulfill degree requirements, graduate on time, be exposed to different cultures, and develop skills that will help them navigate through higher education and a variety of problems that they may encounter in their careers.

If study abroad is a public good, then what are the ways in which it can be provided to all undergraduates. This paper presents the origins and rationale of study abroad in the USA, how study abroad has evolved over time, why it has become an important component of higher education, what research has shown are the benefits of study abroad, and the issue of underrepresentation in study abroad. Lastly, the experience of a Study Abroad Advisor who has been working on an initiative at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa to recruit and advise Native Hawaiian, underrepresented and first-generation college students to study abroad makes clear the work that is required to advance this endeavor. So far, this project has demonstrated that diversifying the types of students who study abroad requires intensive and engaged advising, with less attention to the numbers (i.e.; to increase the numbers as fast as possible) and more attention to the process: one on one mentoring and being attentive to the needs of the students and knowing their communities and cultural expectations.

Author

• Vanessa Chong, University of Hawaii at Manoa