International Student

Accommodations and

IntegrationBy:

Takeshia BrownAbby DeHaas

Shannon McKenzie

Overview

Introduction

Statistics

Theoretical Background

Data

Survey

Focus Groups

Summary and Recommendations

Future Implications

Q & A

Introduction

By Shannon McKenzie

Introduction

Global trend of internationalization

Increase in international students = increase in higher

education services

Results in multicultural staff awareness.

Impact of International Students:

Key Statistics

International (non-UK) students in UK HE in 2010-11: totalled428,225 compared with 405,810 in 2009-10 (an increase of 6%),

full-time undergraduate study up 9%,

full-time taught postgraduate courses up 8% and full-time research postgraduates up 4%, while full-time "other" undergraduates and postgraduates, and all part-time non-UK student numbers decreased.

made up 14% of full-time first degree students and 13% of all first degree students

made up 70% of full-time taught postgraduates and 46% of all taught postgraduates

made up 48% of full-time research degree students and 41% of all research postgraduates

Economic Impact

A research paper from the Department for Business

Innovation and Skills called Estimating the value to the

UK of Education Exports (June 2011) estimates that in

2008-09 tuition fee income to the UK was worth over

£4 billion - £2.4 billion for HE.

Significance of International Students

Heavy Financial Sacrifice

“…many international students will have borrowed

heavily from friends and relatives in order to afford

their UK studies; their overseas education represents

a huge investment by family/community, and they are

expected to repay the investment on their return. This

places students under huge pressure to achieve

academically…” (Bailey, 2006)

Barriers to Integration

Socio-cultural

use of alcohol

religion

Language

Focus on Studies

Quieter accommodations

Theoretical Perspective

Schlossberg's Transitional Theory (1981, 1995)

defined a transition as any event, or non-event, that

results in changed relationships, routines, assumptions,

and roles.

Schlossberg identified four major sets of factors that

influence a person's ability to cope with a transition:

situation, self, support, and strategies, which are also

known as the 4 S's.

“Where possible, services and support for

international students should be seen as

part of the institutions core service to all

students, in order to foster an inclusive

environment and promote integration and

inclusion of international students in all

aspects of university life.”

Statistics

Survey Results

526 Students Completed the

Survey

Please State Your Nationality:

11%

53%

32%

4%

Number of Students

EU

UK

International

Other

Graduate vs Post Graduate

Students

050

100150200250300350400

Undergraduate: 76.78%

Post Graduate: 23.22%

400

121

Amount that Answered the Survey

Amount that Answered the Survey

Integration and

Accommodation Issues

with International

Students

By Abby DeHaas

Survey Results

For:

Assuming that there is the right balance of nationalities for you, what

do you think is the best number of students to have sharing a flat?

(choose one)

38%

54%

5% 1%

2%

How Many Students Should Be In A Flat?

(All Students)

up to 5

6 to 10

10 to 12

12 to 15

more than 15

Student Per Flat

Survey Results

For:

Assuming that there is the right balance of nationalities for you, what

do you think is the best number of students to have sharing a flat?

(choose one)69%

28%

0%

2%

1%

Number of Students in Flats

(Chinese Students)

up to 5

6 to 10

10 to 12

12 to 15

more than 15

Student Per Flat

Questions Used to Guide the

Student Focus Groups

What did you expect your accommodations to be?

How do you feel about the change in international housing policy, with a guarantee for international students, will affect your experience?

How do you think that housing should be assigned within flats?

How did you expect your housing assignment to affect your social activities?

What type of accommodation material were you expecting prior to arriving?

What affect do your accommodations have on your academic progress?

How can the university, in your opinion, improve accommodations?

What experiences with students of other nationalities have you had?

Questions Used to Guide the Staff

Focus Group

For you, what has been your biggest challenge housing international students?

What are some of the challenges you been faced with integrating international students

What have been the most successful methods?

How do you feel that the changing in international housing policies will effect your job and students?

What resources, suggestions, or changes do you feel you need to better serve international students?

How do you provide services for international students without abandoning the home students?

How can communication be improved between departments?

What do you think the biggest issues are that are caused by a lack of this?

Open Ended Responses from

Student Survey

“All met apart from a lack of living space in Cartmel to socialize in. A small common room would help.”

“More assistance in dealing with international students when there is a language barrier.”

“More help during the first week when students are homesick.”

“Matching people together better. I’m a 3rd year and a majority of my friends are from different colleges so I chose to live on campus in a flat to meet new people. I feel like the people in this flat, just got chucked together. I have nothing at all in common with any of them…. There has been little opportunity for us to socialize together and I have not enjoy living on campus this year at all.”

Related Comments from Students

When in Canada you could pick a “Global House” could choose to be in a multicultural area.

One foreign, one home person. Good in the respect that you got to mix. BUDDY SYSTEM.

International students are not as vocal about their complaints. Then it’s hard for changes to be made.

“The mix of freshers and final years has been problematic.”

Put at least two people of the same nationality in the same flat, it would make everyone a lot more comfortable.

More assistance in dealing with international students when there is a language barrier.

Related Comments from Students

Cont.

Matching people together better. I am third year and the majority of my friends are from different colleges to me so I chose to live on campus in a flat to meet new people. I feel like the people in this flat just got chucked together, I have nothing at all in common with any of them, it can be awkward at times when in the same room as them. There has been little opportunities for us to socialize together and I have not enjoyed living on campus this year at all.

There is a lack of nationalities in my flat, which is not an issue. However I have noticed in other friends flats some minority nationalities at Lancaster seem to only socialize with people of their own nationality. Lancaster should encourage the mixing of students more in order for everyone to benefit.

A communal area with sofas to socialize with flat mates.

Integration

IssuesStudent Issue

Lack of of initiative by the Chinese students to socialize outside of their nationality

When they are housed in en-suite accommodations they are more likely to spend a majority of their time inside of their suite

Even when invited don’t participate

Staff Issue

International students not

voicing their concerns with

their accommodations

Students are weary that

voicing opinions may

have negative

repercussions in general

Accommodation

Issues

Student Issues

Communal spaces in the living

facilities

Prevent integration

Some people, especially

in the en-suite style living

facilities would isolate

themselves by not leaving

their rooms

Staff Issues

Assignments and Placements

Find the balance of international and home students

Gender issue

UK students aren’t concerned opposite sex accommodations

International students (Chinese and Indian) are the ones who request to live in the single sex accommodations but, they are also the ones who contradict the most about cooking together because of dietary preferences and restrictions

Recommendations for

Integration and

Accommodation Issues with

International Students

By Takeshia Brown

Recommendations

Placement of students with consideration of student’s

personality

Include personality questions on housing application

Include a question asking whether students want to live

with international students

Student Personality Survey

Student Personality Survey

Example #2

Recommendations

Global Village Community

Purpose

Proposal

Anticipated results

Examples

Cultural Exchange Community – Clemson University

International House at Maxcy College –University of South Carolina

Future Implications

International Student Task Force

Assess the effectiveness of the Global Village Community Program

Reassess the needs of international students

Representatives from various offices and student groups

Effects of new policy no longer guaranteeing housing to international students for 3 years

How will this affect the number of international students attending Lancaster? How does this affect the institution’s strategic plan? How does the institution plan to meet the needs of the students who are no longer on campus? How are students included in the integration?

Future Implications

Establishing an international student contact in LUSU

to aid with off campus accommodation

International Student

House-Hunting Checklist

A critical challenge for every college and university is

to educate its diverse student population so that they

are multicultural competent and can successfully

functions in America’s pluralistic society. It therefore

becomes incumbent that the various activities under

the umbrella of student affairs join to assume their

responsibility in supporting, facilitating and enhancing

this multicultural mission faced by institutions of higher

learning (Grieger, 1996).

Q & A

Thank You For Your Time

References

Bailey, C. (2006). Supporting international students in UK higher education: Key issues and recommendations for further research. Retrieved on June 14, 2012 from

http://wlv.openrepository.com/wlv/bitstream/2436/7590/1/Supporting%20International%20Students.pdf

Rushall, M. (2010). Managing accommodation for international students: A handbook for practitioners.UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA). Retrieved on June 14, 2012 from

http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/files/pdf/about/material _media/accommodation_guide.pdf

Shideh, H. and Tidwell, R. International students in higher education: Identification of needs and implications for policy and practice. Journal of Studies in International Education. (2002) 6: 305

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2012). International students studying in the UK –Guidance for UK higher education providers. Retrieved on June 1, 2012 from www.qaa.ac.uk

www.ukcisa.org.uk

www.clemson.edu/campus-life/international-programs/cec.html

www.iss.sc.edu