Sense of Validation and Involvement in Residence Halls: A Study of Chinese International Students at a Mid-Western Public University

• In Event: Social Context and Education

Abstract

Research on residence life and on-campus housing indicates that students who live on campus versus those who live off-campus or commute display a higher level of academic and social engagement; however, most research in this area does not include the specific experience of non-traditional student population, such as Chinese international students studying in American higher education institutions. The current study aims at examining Chinese international students’ sense of validation in residence halls at a mid-sized public university. Further analysis of the relationships among Chinese students’ sense of being validated, their demographic characteristics and pre-college experiences, and their residence hall involvement demonstrates the importance of validating minority students in the process of promoting healthy campus climate.
The results of the current study add to the research on campus minority students, specifically, Chinese international students. With the findings of the current study, higher education practitioners will be able to examine the effectiveness, cultural inclusiveness, and diversity sensitivity of their institutional administrative efforts, while striving to promote college involvement for all the students. In addition, contextualized factors such as newer generation of Chinese students’ unique precollege experiences and demographic information will provide rich strategic and practical implications in improving the overall quality of residential hall affairs in higher education.

Authors

• Ting Li, The University of Toledo

• Lei Wang, The University of Toledo