Executive Summary
The continued escalating cost of obtaining a college degree combined with the declining feeling of degree value has American higher education institutions facing enrollment challenges. By focusing on the strategic diversification of enrollment through recruitment and experience satisfaction of international students, the University of North Alabama can position itself for long-term growth and success. Ensuring a well-rounded quality experience for international students through the adoption of an academic and social integration strategy will develop a stable international enrollment pipeline. A thorough evaluation of university strategy regarding its international student population is recommended. It is also recommended that the university implement a detailed international student recruitment plan.
Keywords: international students, recruitment, academic integration, social integration, enrollment growth, strategic diversification
Introduction and Statement of Problem
For the past two decades, American universities and colleges have ranked as the top educational destination for international students. Although American higher education institutions depend on international enrollment as a consistent revenue stream, there is increased competition for the market share that demands a more responsive approach to providing the consumer base with both a quality education and a quality experience.
This Capstone Project will examine factors contributing to and/or detracting from the academic, social, and cultural integration of undergraduate and graduate international students on American university campuses. Based on an extensive review of relevant literature drawn from the specialized field of International Education and Developmental Education, this Project will advance a series of practical recommendations and practical applied strategies designed to facilitate a campuswide global climate at the University of North Alabama conducive to both international and domestic students.
Justifications for the Study
Necessity of Integration
As domestic enrollment continues to decline in this post-Covid world of higher education, international students have become a valuable way to increase enrollment. With the increasing adaptation of online education through technology, physical boundaries to globally coveted American degrees are virtually non-existent. With the rise of globally minded citizenship, destination education is more attractive now than it has been in the past 50 years.
International student revenue pipeline
International students are a commodity worth pursuing. According to Martirosyan, et. al., (2019), the steady increase in international student enrollment at American institutes of higher learning since the mid-1950s has created a dependency of international student revenue. In recent years, due to several political factors and other changes in policies, international student enrollment has been in slight decline. Also, several countries have emerged as desirable locations for international students. For example, Australia, France, Ireland, and Canada. Not only do international students bolster enrollment numbers vital to obtaining state funding, in-person international students contribute greatly to local economies. The annual Economic Impact Report compiled by NAFSA, Association of International Educators, attributes a financial contribution of $27.7 million supporting 116 jobs in Alabama to the University of North Alabama’s international student population. Monetizing the post-Covid surge of international interest in American destination higher education depends upon building a reputation for supplying both quality instruction and a quality experience. Research studies must continue to examine the experiences of international students to improve their integration into their campus environments.
Contributing Factors
As a regional mid-tier university, the University of North Alabama is not positioned to compete for international or domestic enrollment on most fronts. Shortsighted incentives such as scholarships have proven to be a successful recruitment tool to temporarily support enrollment growth, but this tactic is not sustainable. Student satisfaction in the deliverables of higher education is the cornerstone to long-term institutional growth and success. Related to this point, Deuchar (2021) presented research supporting the premise that international students struggle to meet learning demands in classrooms, had difficulty making friends and forging social connections on campus, and experienced racism and discrimination.
Prioritizing international students
Although international enrollment has increased since 2021, international student satisfaction is a low-priority concern at the University of North Alabama. International students differ from their domestic counterparts in many ways, with their expectations paramount. Maximizing potential international enrollment at a mid-size American university such as the University of North Alabama begins with the acknowledgement of these differences and a commitment to supply the expected deliverables to the international student population both online and in person by conducting valid research assessments of the important student population.
Lack of institutional strategies
International students have historically been considered visitors and/or outsiders in American higher education. Embracing an integrative strategy for international students begins with a change in campus culture. Abdul-Rahaman, et. al., (2011) supports the premise that institutional strategies are needed to promote the academic and social integration of international students to ensure student success.
Student Development Theory
Student Development Theory is the cornerstone of domestic student success. Universities rarely extend Student Development Theory practices to encompass the unique needs and expectations of international students. According to Ballo, et. al., (2019), the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model of Student Development Theory focuses on how campus learning and support systems adapt to the culturally diverse needs of international students. The CECE Model suggests that when students have opportunities to connect with staff and peers, it allows them to share common backgrounds, engage in cross-cultural interactions, validate their cultural identities, and leads to success in higher education. There is no adaptation and utilization of Student Development Theory at the University of North Alabama to encompass and extend to include its substantial international student population. Research in this area is sorely needed so universities such as UNA can make progress in meeting international student retention goals.
Increased importance of international enrollment
Pavlov and Katsamakas (2020) examined the growing threat to U.S. institutions of higher education and observed a “demographic storm” that references a decline in the U.S. college-age population. Although the data is focused on domestic college enrollment in the United States, the implications extend to justify the increased importance of international enrollment as a consistent revenue pipeline in American universities. As rising generations continue to question the value of a four-year degree, international students are even more weary of the rising cost of investing in destination education and are hyperaware of choosing options that provide the most return on investment. Although international enrollment in American higher education has typically been taken for granted, those days are gone, and the head count and revenue are crucial to the continued success of regional universities such as the University of North Alabama.
Return on investment
A greater focus is needed on growing international student enrollment because of the return on investment. This return on investment is both monetary and institutional. Not only do international students pay additional fees on top of tuition, they are not eligible for financial aid. Providing a financial statement showing an international student’s ability to pay for tuition, room, and board is part of the stringent visa requirements for international students pursuing destination education in the United States. Without considering the handful of earmarked internal award incentives offered to international students by UNA to offset the inflated cost of enrollment compared to a domestic student, international students are in essence an all-cash sale for the university because they are not eligible for federal financial aid.
Current UNA trend
Internal data from the University of North Alabama Office of International Affairs shows an increase in international enrollment since 2019. Total international enrollment at the University of North Alabama increased from 691 in the fall of 2019 to 820 in fall 2023. Of the 820 international students currently enrolled, 511 are on campus and 309 are online. UNA’s international student population represents 65 countries. This steady increase in international student enrollment contributed to the University of North Alabama’s fall 2023 declaration of total enrollment exceeding 10,000 for the first time in its history.
Value of international student enrollment
Not only are international students a valuable and consistent commodity to the University of North Alabama, but they are also a valuable economic asset to the state and local economy. In the National Association of International Educators’ 2021 Economic Value Report for the state of Alabama, the University of North Alabama ranks fourth among the state’s higher education institutions for its generation of dollars and jobs directly related to its international student population. International students at UNA contributed $19.5 million to the state economy and supported 87 jobs. Conversely, NAFSA’s 2022 report has UNA falling to fifth among the state’s higher education institutions for its generation of dollars and jobs directly related to the state economy.
Historically, including international students in the “other” category when tracking and reporting enrollment numbers has devalued the segment of UNA’s student population. Acknowledging the impressive presence of UNA’s international student population is the first step to recognizing its value to the university. The annual Open Doors report from the Institute of International American Institutions has the University of North Alabama consistently ranked in the top five for higher education international enrollment in the state of Alabama. UNA currently ranks number four as a top destination higher education institution in Alabama for international students in the current report just behind Auburn University, the University of Alabama Birmingham, and the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa.
Literature Review
The future of American higher education is a shifting landscape with traditional guiding norms of practices being challenged by the rising generation. Post-Covid domestic enrollment at institutions of higher learning has been in decline while international enrollment has held steady. In order to compete for international student enrollment, regional institutions of higher education such as the University of North Alabama must adapt and become adept to providing a quality education and experience that aligns with its suitable market.
Student Migration Theory
Weber and Von Mol (2023) point to the steady increase of international enrollment at American higher education institutions because of the internationalization of higher education. Understanding Student Migration Theory and developing an international student recruitment and retention plan accordingly is an investment in securing a foothold in the destination education market as the world becomes more internationalized. Using Student Migration Theory as a guiding principle to understand the ever-evolving dynamics of destination education is the baseline for avoiding and rectifying international student challenges at regional American higher education institutions.
According to Weber and Mol (2023), Student Migration Theory examines the dynamic of international student mobility from both the sending and receiving country’s perspectives considering developmental factors that determine needs by sending countries and the consequent ability of receiving countries to provide suitable deliverables based on these needs. Ultimately, Student Migration Theory explains that students in developing countries desire access to better education and richer countries, such as the United States, are attractive to international students because they provide better quality degrees. Conversely, first-world countries such as the United States invest in international student recruitment to fill gaps in its workforce. Understanding the intricate symbiotic relationship between international students and regional universities is an important first step to delivering a fully integrated experience as a destination education university.
Increased competition for international students
Although the United States is historically a top location for destination education, data from the past two decades suggests escalating competition for international enrollment. Altbach (2004) cites the United States as traditionally hosting a quarter of the world’s international student scholars and refers to international higher education as “big business” (P. 20). Since the early 2000s, though, the United States has experienced significant political and economic shifts that have negatively affected the appeal of studying at an American university. These negative factors have resulted in increased competition among first-world universities to secure international enrollment revenue.
Diversification of degrees
Altbach contends that for U.S. colleges and universities to remain competitive, institutions must offer specialized and post-graduate degrees not readily available in developing countries and must develop recruitment, admission, and retention plans that are devoid of as many hurdles as possible to pursuing these coveted degrees.
Reputable experience
Further expounding on the increasingly competitive nature of international student enrollment, Nicholls (2018) provides an in-depth examination of reasons international students choose to study in the United States. From offering a multiplicity of reputable degree programs and course offerings and providing a quality education at an affordable price to campus safety and the affordability and availability of student housing, deciding factors run the gamut and expectations are influenced by the student’s country of origin. At the very least, regional universities such as the University of North Alabama benefit in the long run from being transparent regarding whether or not it is capable of meeting the expectations of international students. Reputation based on deliverables such as providing a quality academic and social experience consistently top the list of important factors to international students shopping for destination education.
Safety concerns
In recent years, typically those defined as post September 11, 2001, many international students are choosing to study in Australia, Britain, and New Zealand instead of the United States because of safety concerns. The rise in safety concerns over the past two decades has resulted in a slowing of the international student pipeline to the United States. Whereas Altbach notes that these safety-conscious attitudes have been acknowledged by American higher education administrators he also notes that the concerns are perceived as a greater problem by those outside of the United States. This failure to address increased campus violence by American universities does affect the recruitment of international students. American higher education administrations traditional head in the sand stance regarding hot topic issues such as campus violence is perceived as negligent to the world at large.
Challenging U.S. governmental policies
It is impossible to discuss influential factors regarding whether international students choose to pursue higher education opportunities in the United States without addressing current federal immigration policies. Van Alabeek and Wilson (2019) list several federal immigration regulations enacted during the Trump administration that adversely affected the issuance of F-1 international student visas. Although the political climate toward immigration in the United States has shifted somewhat with the current administration, past policies impact the current desirability of American institutions for destination education. The authors establish that federal policies affect access and access does affect international student choice. Limited access to American higher education inhibits the ability for institutions to compete globally for international student enrollment.
Johnson (2020) confirms a softening of the U.S. International education market due to a recent increase of obstacles to obtaining F visas. As the United States has tightened visa policies for students, Johnson confirms the rise of a competitive market for international student enrollment in such non-traditional destination education countries such as Canada, France, and Germany. Altbach also contends that governmental policies outlining stringent restrictions on student visas regarding work limitations has had a negative effect on international students choosing to study in the United States.
For international students who have endured and ultimately overcome the intricate challenges of navigating federal immigration requirements to become part of UNA’s student body, it is even more important to ensure satisfactory academic and social integration. In the competitive market of destination education, the coveted revenue of international enrollment must be seen as a commodity that requires strategic marketing based on deliverables.
International student satisfaction
Although international and domestic students are similar in many ways, one important way in which they differ concerns the expectations they have for academic and social experience at an American university. To compete for international students on the world stage and retain the valuable revenue pipeline, regional universities such as the University of North Alabama must develop a strategic approach to international recruitment that centers on student satisfaction which encompasses both academic and social integration from an active perspective.
The international student population in American higher education is commonly thought of as being in a separate category from the domestic student population, but a change in cultural mindset would result in the revelation that international students are simply another segment of an already diverse landscape of college students. A shift toward an inclusive approach to the academic and social integration of international students on American college campuses is necessary to maintain enrollment and foster growth to help secure a healthy future for regional universities.
Factors influencing international student satisfaction
International students expect a complete American university experience that not only includes academic elements such as time in the classroom and instructor support, but expectations extend to both on-campus and off-campus environments. Keri and Hetesi define these experience factor as “tangible elements.” Tangible resources such as campus environment, layout, transportation, and infrastructure as well as the competency and attitude of faculty and staff have a positive effect on student satisfaction. The authors also present evidence that suggests the importance of personal life and living environment to international student satisfaction. A recurrent theme in international student satisfaction research is the absolute necessity of the host institution’s responsibility to provide a complete American university experience.
Although student retention is often considered an indication of domestic student success, international students tend to have individualized education plans that are less predictable and outside the realm of what we consider the traditional timeframe of student retention based on the end goal of graduation. Zhou and Zhang (2014) conducted research on international student success in the Canadian university system that focused on elements of academic and social integration as opposed to the broad concept of retention with graduation as a benchmark.
Zhou and Zhang discovered that international students value association with peers, contact with faculty and staff, participation in social activities, and studying experiences. The authors’ focus group results revealed that international students are not one size fits with large contingencies preferring both on-campus and off-campus housing. A common thread to international student satisfaction, though, whether living on campus or not, centered on chances to be involved – social integration opportunities.
Satisfaction: Chinese, Indian, South Korean students
Over the past 30 years, the University of North Alabama has consistent international enrollment from Chinese and South Korean students. In recent years, most notably post-Covid /post 2021, UNA has experienced a meteoric rise in its Indian student population. Merola, et. al, (2019) contends that international student satisfaction determinants vary based on nationality with research focusing on Chinese, Indian, and South Korean students studying in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Results indicate that Indian students were more satisfied overall than Chinese and South Korean students. The study revealed that nationality is a factor in determining satisfaction regarding social integration and academic integration. Ultimately, the study indicated that the higher level of satisfaction among Indian students could be explained by an increased degree of social and academic integration.
Factors influencing international student success
More often than not, it is falsely assumed that domestic students and international students are basically the same. Generally speaking, there are similarities among the demographics but Rientes, et, al. (2011) asserts that international students enrolled in Western universities experience an added amount of stress associated with adapting to the culture of the host institution. Many factors related to the lack of university mechanisms to ensure the academic and social integration of international students on American college campuses contribute to this unique stress. This stress is often attributed to homesickness, cultural shock, and discrimination.
The Zhou and Zhang focus group revealed a deeper issue at hand that has been virtually ignored at the University of North Alabama – international students have different educational values than domestic students. Not only that, but international students have different educational values depending upon country of origin. The often-unintentional ethnocentrism runs deep at UNA. Even the most educated faculty member can seem taken aback by the fact that the rest of the world’s educational systems do not mirror the American system. International students often struggle with the number of written assignments required in courses. Although part of this struggle is almost certainly due to language barriers to some degree, most often, though, the difficulty comes because international students are conditioned to an evaluation-based, end product curriculum as opposed to an incremental learning curriculum (Zhou, Zhang. 2014).
As a UNA Office of International Affairs staff member, it is frustrating to see the sole blame of sub-par international student academic performance often placed on the student and explained away as being because of language proficiency or a cultural difference when, in fact, it is many times due to the willful ignorance of a faculty member who is perpetuating ethnocentric ideals. This firsthand knowledge of a prevalent prejudicial mindset among faculty compounded by the often-unintentional ignorance of a largely provincial staff and campus population is unsettling to say the least.
Campus Climate Diversity Study
Speaking of ethnocentrism, it is interesting to note that UNA’s annual Campus Climate Diversity Study does not include breakout information regarding international students. Students are defined by how they identify regarding religion, race and ethnicity, but not by country of origin. Although there is a section of the study entitled Reasons Preventing Interactions with Others from Diverse Backgrounds the data is clearly presented from the domestic student perspective.
The responses from UNA’s student population at large in the Campus Climate Diversity Study are indicative of the challenging environment that many international students potentially endure at UNA. Half the respondents reported “lack of opportunity” as an impediment preventing interactions with others from diverse backgrounds while 42.6% reported a “fear of appearing insensitive or ignorant” -- both of these categories are external in nature and can be addressed through education and an active plan by university administration to change the current culture at UNA. From an internal perspective, 28% of respondents reported “conflicting feelings about different cultures” and 37.3% of respondents reported that they “prefer to interact with people like me.” An active university plan to make campus more inclusive of international students would also combat the ethnocentrism reflected in these responses.
Summation of Literature Review
The literature review establishes a clear need for regional higher education institutions, such as the University of North Alabama, to adapt to the competitive nature of the destination education landscape. This adaptation encompasses a clear understanding of Student Migration Theory and Student Development Theory in the broad sense along with a detailed examination of the specific university landscape at the University of North Alabama and requires academic and social integration of international students to ensure international student satisfaction and success.
Proposed Recommendations
Not only do current practices at the University of North Alabama disregard the value of international student enrollment, the international segment of the student population, which is roughly 5%, is largely neglected. Academic and social integration efforts for international students are virtually non-existent with international student success and satisfaction being ignored. The few practices and initiatives geared toward international students that are in place are grossly outdated and out-of-sync with the expectations and needs of the more than 500 students from 60 different countries who choose to pursue degrees at UNA. The university must actively develop and implement a strategic plan not only to recruit international students but to serve the rising generation of international students who choose UNA as an education destination.
Proactive approach to strategic international student recruitment
Although the United States is still touted as providing diverse degree offerings and quality education at an affordable cost for international students, unless institutions develop and implement active international student recruitment strategies to compensate for increased barriers, the commodity will decline due to the rise of viable competition. To off-set these issues and maintain international student enrollment, American institutes of higher learning must be proactive and compensate for these shortcomings by way of academic and social integration that provides a complete experience.
Understanding and utilizing the tenets of Student Migration Theory as it applies to UNA is crucial to developing an efficient, targeted, realistic approach to international student recruitment.
Evaluation of current and past practices
The challenges of UNA’s current international student population must be addressed and rectified before developing a feasible plan for future international student recruitment. For example, just this past academic year, the University of North Alabama’s recent enrollment growth resulted in a housing shortage that had a negative impact on the incoming cohort of international students. Many international students arrived at campus from their home countries in fall 2022 to find their housing assignments did not meet their expectations.
From less than desirable housing options to extremely limited access to public and university transportation necessary for quality of life, step one in maximizing international student enrollment as a valuable university asset is to acknowledge and evaluate past oversights. There is an undeniable necessity to actively pursue the international student pipeline from a revenue perspective, but the pursuit must be motivated by the ultimate goal of providing a successful international student experience at UNA.
Develop international student recruitment strategies
To develop relevant international recruitment strategies for 21st-century students, American universities, such as UNA, must also evaluate current campus cultures. In addition to considering the needs and expectations of international students, universities must integrate these needs and expectations with those of its domestic student population and incorporate a unified needs approach into campus cultures.
Hans de Wit (2020) identifies the internationalization of higher education as being a divisive “agent of change in higher education both in the developed world and in emerging societies” (Pg. 1). Whereas destination education is big business for many American institutions of higher learning with increased competition for coveted revenue guiding some strategic growth plans, de Wit points to the added responsibility higher education has to approach the (international student) commodity from an ethical standpoint. In the past 10 years, de Wit notes that a neo-colonial dimension element has revealed itself in American higher education by way of increased franchise operations, articulation programs, branch campuses, and online delivery.
For example, the University of North Alabama has more than 40 active “cooperation” agreements with universities from more than 20 countries and has relied heavily in recent years on paid agents to recruit international students to the tune of more than $300,000 annually. The bulk of the agreements in place are with institutions in China and India with South Korea being a distant third. Furthermore, UNA has a joint International College endeavor with Guizhou University and Huizhou University in China that is for 20 years. From an ethical perspective, is it acceptable to do business with countries lacking in civil liberties? Is it ethical to depend upon out-of-sight, out-of-mind third-party agents/recruiters who are getting rich “selling” UNA in developing countries? All questions and concerns that should be openly discussed while developing and implementing strategic plans to pursue the international student enrollment pipeline.
Implementations of Recommendations
Implementation of these recommendations relies heavily on a concerted effort to change campus culture at the University of North Alabama regarding its international student population. This change in culture can only be achieved through transparent university-led training and workshop initiatives bolstered by the development and adoption of a comprehensive long-term plan for international student recruitment and retention. Such initiatives should include a revision of the university’s strategic plan and include mandatory intercultural communication workshops for all faculty and staff.
International Affairs on campus
It is imperative to create a contingent of international education experts in UNA’s Office of International Affairs who will serve as a centralized hub to plan and lead training opportunities for faculty, staff, and even community members related to all aspects of international education and the university’s international student population. This past year, the Office of International Affairs offered the six-week self-guided virtual course, Navigating Cultural Differences, and 92 of UNA ‘s more than 1200 employees took advantage of the opportunity. This overwhelming response to such an offering is indicative to the receptiveness of UNA’s faculty and staff to learn more about its international students. More of the same type of offerings made available on a regular basis at the very least would help increase the visibility of the unique needs of UNA’s international student population and establish the value of the student enrollment pipeline.
Including an international student section in the annual Campus Climate Diversity Study would also go a long way to increasing awareness of the unique perspective of UNA’s international student population. As it is, UNA’s international student population is historically grouped in the “other” category in all campus data. Although some efforts have been made in recent months to rectify this practice, any change at UNA regarding strategic international student recruitment and the subsequent academic and social integration of international students is dependent upon international students being fully recognized and analyzed as a unique demographic at UNA.
International student direct input
International student voices must be heard and heeded for UNA to maximize the lucrative big business potential that is destination education. Hearing these international student voices begins with the demographic being represented in university data, but it extends to being in tune with individual voices and experiences. The university must launch strategic/targeted sustained campaigns to engage past, present, and future international students to truly understand what is needed from an academic and social integration aspect going forward to maintain the already established valuable international student pipeline at UNA.
International Student Advisory Board
The creation of an international student advisory board which meets on a regular basis will provide valuable input from current international students. These International Student Advisory Board meetings would also include campus faculty and staff at least half the time to ensure a proliferation of firsthand information regarding international student experience and expectations. This student-led board would mirror the School of the Arts Student Leaders (advisory board) which was formed in 2018 when UNA’s School of the Arts was created. This 12-member board of current on campus and online international students would be nominated by an at-large campus committee of faculty and staff with service being voluntary for one academic year. This board’s mission would be to instill, foster, and engage a positive multicultural disposition on campus and in the community at large.
International Alumni Advisory Board
Considering the absence of institutional data at UNA, it is recommended that the university establish an International Alumni Advisory Board to provide firsthand insight into the university’s past practices regarding its international student population. UNA has not diligently tracked nor utilized its international alumni in any way in the past. Going forward, enlisting University Advancement to treat international alumni as a unique demographic can be a valuable tool to activating a primary source knowledge base. Creating an International Alumni Advisory Board can only fill in the gaps of past shortcomings regarding UNA’s international student population, it can serve as a networking tool for current international students, and it can serve as a fundraising tool for international endeavors.
Evaluation and Follow-up
International student surveys must be implemented and adopted as the norm for each semester cycle. These surveys must encompass all areas of academic and social integration. The survey content must be conducive to soliciting, encouraging, and valuing honest international student feedback. The tenets of evaluating and following up on the academic and social integration of international student must be guided by the cornerstones of: Be responsive and be transparent.
Evaluation and follow-up must include routine classroom observation to evaluate the effectiveness of the highly sought-after programs used to attract international students to the University of North Alabama. Whether it’s the MBA program or CIS, international student recruitment and enrollment is largely responsible for the viability of these programs. There is an added layer of urgency to ensure these programs are reputable and providing expected deliverables to international students.
Conclusion
The University of North Alabama has a responsibility to its international students. This responsibility extends to each and every faculty and staff member and permeates to the surrounding community at large. To compete in the ever-expanding destination education market and secure the valuable revenue pipeline provided by international enrollment, UNA must actively develop and implement strategic recruitment and retention plans based on Student Migration Theory and Student Development Theory to maximize deliverables related to achieving the academic and social integration of international students.
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