Sea Change? International Student Experiences of US Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Leading and Learning During Disruptive Times

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered life at higher education institutions in the US. International students were particularly affected because they lack the community and support structures upon which other stakeholder groups can rely. International student experiences of the pandemic may have been further exacerbated by uncertain immigration policies, their perceptions of more successful containment of the virus abroad, and xenophobia in the public discourse. This phenomenological study documents the reflections of international students on their experiences in US higher education during the pandemic to determine how they adapted, how they were shaped, and how their attitudes toward study abroad in the US may have changed. The findings provide insight into steps that policymakers and higher education leaders might take to meet the needs of international students and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the continued choice of the US as a destination for study abroad.

Authors

• Peter Ghazarian, Ashland University

• Babita Bhandari, Ashland University

• Shuoyu Chen, Ashland University