The American Dream: Cultivating Equitable Workforce Pathways for International Scholars in U.S. Higher Education

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This symposium discusses the plurality of lived experiences of international scholars navigating multiple positionalities within the U.S. higher education context. Specifically, the session aims at sparking a conversation around the inequities experienced in higher education and the personal narratives of international students and scholars. The presenters will each share their research and lived experiences on:
1. Challenges and hurdles experienced by international scholars and students within the academic setting, with a focus on inequities in accessing educational and professional spaces.
2. Impediments to workforce pathways for international and scholars as examined through an intersectional lens.
3. The interplay of socio-political environments and intersectional identities with respect to career goals and aspirations among international students and scholars.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Critical Educators for Social Justice

Chair

• Sarah M. Schiffecker, Texas Tech University

Papers

• Making It Work: International Students and Inequities During and Outside of the COVID-19 Pandemic - Sarah M. Schiffecker, Texas Tech University

• PhD Done! Now What? International Scholars Navigating the U.S. Academic Job Market - Santiago Castiello-Gutiérrez, Seton Hall University

• Promising Pathway: Economic Opportunity and the Realities of Post-College Workforce Transitions - Anita Gopal, American University

• Border(ing) Equity: Academic Mobility Across Borders and Legal Statuses - Hugo Alberto Garcia, Texas Tech University

Discussant

• Catherine Mary Johnson, Reach Inc.