Abstract:

For the last half century, the numbers of international students studying in the United Stated have gradually been raising (Crano & Crano, 1993). The leading destination for international students is the US, which host roughly 25% of the international student population, more than double that of the next closest nation, the United Kingdom, with 12% (Bain, Luu, & Green, 2006).
There are tremendous benefits to having international students in the United States (Chung, 2003). First, international students returning to their home counties can become social agents, which means that they are prepared for positions of leadership and responsibility in their home countries. Second, their presence positively impacts the academic environment. The host institutions are exposed to diverse culture, values, approaches, philosophies, and research ideas by accommodating international students. Third, this helps other students understand international communities better, so that they can work more effectively with global communities and organizations. Fourth, accommodating international students has a positive economic effect on the country where students will study. For example, international students contribute approximately $14.5 billion to the U.S. economy (Davis, 2000). Overall, accommodating international students will provide the academic environment with opportunities to grow, enrich our environment, and develop global communities.
Given the importance of accommodating international students to the U.S. educational system, however; there are growing concerns regarding the lack of resources for these students. It is important to understand the factors that affect the quality of their educational experiences (Crano& Crano, 1993) and their unique needs should be addressed (Chung, 2003). The first barrier is language and cultural adjustment such as limitations of English proficiency, cultural adjustment/shock, acculturation issues, discrimination, homesickness, and isolation. Secondary barriers may come form different educational systems/expectations. For example, Asian students often experience difficulties adjusting to new learning habits in the U.S. (Hasan, Fouad, & Williams-Niclelson, 2008).
Literature indicates that a great amount of support from training programs has shown a promising effect of reducing international student’s stress level (Inman, Jeong, & Mori, 2008). It is important to understand the international student’s unique educational needs and the ability to develop appropriate culturally sensitive models. Hasan et al. (2008) suggested that providing appropriate career goals after graduation, providing adequate training/supervision for language adjustment and acculturation, and providing culturally relevant materials and support systems. For the institution, it is important to increase knowledge of immigration issues and increase understanding about the specific challenges that international student my face as they adjust to the host country, and explore personal biases that may affect helping international students and enhance awareness of personal and cultural impact as a result of these biases.