US Higher Education Experts Call for True International Student Integration in the Classroom

(October 2021) Insufficient in-country preparation could still be hampering complete international student integration at US universities, higher education experts warn at a recent webinar amid decreased enrollment levels among foreign learners in the country.

Speaking about the general gaps and concerns in integrating international students into local classrooms, Dr. Dawn Sherman, founding dean at the School of Continuing Education at Post University, said the lack of faculty?s preparedness for international students to learn about U.S. higher education and academic expectations doesn?t bode well with the students? already limited understanding and need to be well-oriented about what lies ahead.

The total number of international students studying at US universities, whether in the country or online from home, dropped by 16 percent in the fall, according to a survey of over 700 colleges conducted by 10 major higher education organizations and released in November 2020.

Pre-Arrival Efforts

?We have opportunities to help students interact with faculty, make them understand what to expect once they join the classroom before the students actually get there. Academic honesty and integrity and the cultural foundations; and faculty not understanding or being prepared for cultural differences are some other concerns,? Sherman said at ?Integrating International Students Into the Classroom: Opportunities and Best Practices for the Next Normal,? a Think-In event of international education provider M Square Media (MSM) last Sept. 29, 2021.

Sherman cited challenges in student affairs and student services not being able to support international students holistically, i.e. academically, socially, emotionally, and psychologically. With a major part of student integration starting before arrival, institutions must offer webinars to students with help from agents and recruiters about finding success in a US course, how to prepare, and what to expect, as well as include faculty members.

?Holding pre-arrival sessions in-country or online before departure to prepare for U.S. higher education and embedding academic information in pre-arrival materials should be done,? said Sherman.

Fostering the Right Environment

Post-arrival, it is important that faculty provide a welcoming environment. ?Remembering the names of each student can make a huge difference,? Sherman added.

Speaking about the best practices to ensure faculty and staff engagement, Dr. Dan Lesho, Admission Recruitment Specialist at Notre Dame de Namur University, said encouraging the use of early warning systems like class attendance trackers and identifying international champions among faculty by collecting, documenting, and disseminating success stories hold the key.

?When you do have an opportunity to have an orientation session or training, make it very hands-on, very practical, very authentic so that you are almost role-playing scenarios and situations with faculty,? Lesho said, also warning universities not to ignore the mental health of students in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Paul Milan Foster Jr., Executive Director for International Studies, Montana State University Billings (MSUB), highlighted MSUB?s emphasis on community engagement with international students.

?We make students feel at home by making efforts to understand their cultures, learning about their backgrounds, cuisines, languages, and other aspects,? Foster said, adding similar initiatives at MSUB including mentoring of young faculty members and using alumni and community volunteers to liaison with current learners.

MSM Vice President May Arthur, who hosted the Think-In event, emphasized the need for engagement from start to finish. Citing the results of the November 2020 IIE report where enrollment of new international students decreased by 43 percent, she said ?positive student experiences via genuine integration offer plenty of room for HEIs to bounce back.?

?But more than focusing on bolstering recruitment numbers to hit targets, we should exert effort in ensuring that our global learners will remain in their degree programs until their graduation,? Arthur said reiterating that extra effort in integrating international students becomes more critical as diverse student cohorts now begin their journey in the post-COVID era.

A recent i-graduate survey titled ?The Global Student Experience? noted that COVID-19 has affected the happiness of international students. While 91 percent of respondents reported being ?happy or very happy? in 2018, the number dropped to 83 percent in 2020. The analysis was drawn from i-graduate?s International Student Barometer (ISB) and the COVID-19 Response Barometer comprising over 24,000 responses from students at 42 institutions worldwide.


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M Square Media (MSM) is a leading international education company that establishes global or in-country offices and offers education management, an AI-powered student recruitment marketplace, high-performance student recruitment services, online courses and programs, and a wide range of edtech solutions. Through these diverse lines of business, we deliver targeted numbers in student recruitment to foster sustained institutional growth and cater to every stakeholder in the industry: schools, agents, and keen learners from around the world. Headquartered in British Columbia and operating in 17 countries, we strive for people and community empowerment through education, technology, and partnerships with industry and academia.
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