Understanding International Undergraduate Students Living and Learning Experiences at Protestant Christian Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges

• In Event: Roundtable Group 14
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Race, Religion & International Student Agency

Proposal

Student experiences are important resources to inform the improvement of the quality of higher education teaching, learning and management activities. While there are a number of studies addressing international students’ living and learning experiences in American research universities, few researchers and practitioners have investigated the lived experiences of this population at nonresearch, Christian higher education institutions. During the past two decades, there has been a growing number of international undergraduate students studying at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) institutions. The influx of international students has contributed to American higher education institutions academically, financially, and culturally. Using multidimensional transition theory (Jindal-Snape & Rienties, 2016), this roundtable paper presents survey results conducted between January 2023 and June 2023 on the trends and issues facing international undergraduate students at a private, faith-based, Protestant Christian university. Data participants included 32 international undergraduate students from 18 different countries, including the Caribbean (N=7), Brazil (N=3), South Africa (N=3), Canada (N=2), Ireland (N=2), United Kingdom (N=2), Nigeria (N=2), Australia (N=1), New Zealand (N=1), Honduras (N=1), Indonesia (N= 1), Kenya (N=1), Poland (N=1), Serbia (N=1), Russia (N=1), Serbia (N=1), and Singapore (N=1). In total, 30 questions were asked that explored the academic, social, and emotional transitions individuals encounter when moving from one space to another. The results show five key challenges international undergraduate students experience on a Christian campus: 1) academic study and support, 2) transition and sense of belonging, 3) mental health and wellbeing, 4) integration of faith and learning, and 5) microaggressions, discrimination, and racism. The findings also reveal that non-Christian international undergraduate students were less likely to seek socioemotional support from other Christian international student peers due to fear of not “fitting in” with the campus culture and climate. This study contributes to the emerging literature on the COVID-19-related experiences of international undergraduate students in the U.S. higher education, and more specifically, factors that helped or hindered their experiences of transition to a Protestant Christian university. As the number of international students continues to grow in the post-COVID-19 era, this roundtable session will highlight the status and needs of these diverse students at a nonelite, nonresearch institution in the United States. The roundtable session will be guided by three learning objectives: 1) to understand the opportunities and challenges that impact student learning and living experiences alongside the psycho-social experiences of international students at a Protestant, Christian institution, 2) to assist faculty members, international student advisors, program directors, and chief diversity officers in ways to strengthen guidance, counseling, and psycho-social support mechanisms on campus, and 3) to enhance the capacity development of teacher-scholars and practitioners in anti-racist and international education. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Author

• Roy Y. Chan, Lee University