TITLE:
International Students: What’s Missing and What Matters
AUTHORS:
Pallavi Singh, Kimberley Williams, Ratnaditya Jonnalagadda, Avinash Gogineni, Roopesh Reddy Sadashiva Reddy
KEYWORDS:
International Graduate Student, Graduate Housing, Sense of Community
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.10 No.2,
February
25,
2022
ABSTRACT: With a growing number of international graduate
students pursuing degrees in the United States, it is essential that
universities understand the unique challenges this population faces. In this
study, we researched the role that university’s international graduate student
housing plays in building a sense of community among international students.
This qualitative study explored 17 international graduate students lived
experience in the United States regarding sense of community within the
graduate housing complex. Findings suggest that international student residents
faced several issues; these included satisfaction with their accommodation, the
way their fellow neighbors conducted themselves in university housing and
preferring to reach out to other international students from their home
country. However, they were able to find support within other departments and
smaller communities within university. Recommendations are presented to
practitioners and future researchers so that they can effectively develop
support for international graduate students.