DISSERTATION INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES: HOW ARE THEIR NEEDS BEING MET? Submitted by Bernadette Anayah School of Education In partial fulfillment of requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Summer 2012 Doctoral Committee: Advisor: Linda Kuk Timothy Davies Nathalie Kees Deborah Young Copyright by Bernadette Anayah 2012 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES: HOW ARE THEIR NEEDS BEING MET? An emerging trend today is the increased enrollment of international students at community colleges. International students look to American community colleges as a stepping stone to achieving an education that might otherwise be beyond their reach. They are attracted to the community college by the lower tuition costs, opportunities for guaranteed transfer to a four- year university, and the opportunity to study at a variety of geographical locations throughout the United States. California is one of the most popular destinations for international students in the United States. In 2011, more than 23,000 international students were enrolled in California’s 112 community colleges. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experience of international students at selected California community colleges and explore how they perceive their needs and expectations are being met. Twenty nine international students from 19 countries were interviewed at seven California community colleges with small, medium, and large international student programs. The phenomenological interview was used as the primary method of data collection. The interview questions were open-ended and allowed the participants to discuss the wide and varied nature of their experience as international students at community colleges. Through the use of an interpretive phenomenological approach to qualitative research, five thematic structures were identified: Reasons, Academic Experience, Social Experience, Cultural Experience, and Problems and Solutions. The essence of the phenomenon of the international student experience at the community college is identified as: The Stepping Stone. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This has been a wonderful life changing experience for which I am so very grateful. It would not have been possible without the kindness and generosity of several people. I thank my committee, Dr. Linda Kuk, Dr. Tim Davies, Dr. Nathalie Kees, and Dr. Deborah Young for their support for me in this endeavor. I especially want to thank Dr. Linda Kuk, my advisor and committee chair, for her patience and her guidance over the past five years. And, I am eternally grateful to Dr. Tim Davies, my methodologist, for his wisdom and guidance and for his confidence in my ability to complete this journey. I am grateful to the districts, colleges, and international student programs throughout California who assisted me in so many ways. I thank the gatekeepers at each of the seven colleges. I especially thank the twenty nine participants who welcomed me into their lives and whose stories have become part of my life. I also thank Brazilian international student Mariana Lobo for sharing her insights into the life and experience of the international student. I appreciate the encouragement and support of my Folsom Lake College colleagues. In particular, I would like to thank Monica Pactol, Evelyn Retter, Cristina Aldrich, and Thelma Scott-Skillman. I would also like to thank Rosalind Raby, Lynda Kemp, and Josephine O’Brien for their expertise and assistance in the various stages of completing this dissertation. I am eternally grateful to my mother for instilling a drive and passion in me to do my best in life and my father for showing me how to step back and let life happen. I thank my husband, my sons, and my family and friends at home and abroad for their unconditional love and support, their trust in my ability to do this, and their enduring patience. iii DEDICATION For Sean and Ash These things, I warmly wish for you— Someone to love, some work to do, A bit of o’ sun, a bit o’ cheer. And a guardian angel always near. (An Irish blessing) iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 Background ...................................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................... 5 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................ 8 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 8 Significance of the Study ................................................................................................. 8 Researcher Perspective .................................................................................................. 11 Delimitations ................................................................................................................. 11 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 13 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 13 Historical Background ................................................................................................... 13 Importance of International Education to Higher Education ......................................... 20 The Student Experience ................................................................................................. 26 Criteria that Influence Students’ Choice of Institution .............................................. 26 Challenges .................................................................................................................. 30 Recent Research Studies about the International Student Experience ....................... 35 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 39 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY .......................................................................... 40 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 40 Research Methodology .................................................................................................. 41 Population and Site Selection ........................................................................................ 41 Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 46 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 48 Trustworthiness of the Process .................................................................................. 49 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 50 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS .......................................................................................... 51 v Introduction ................................................................................................................... 51 Institutions and Participants ........................................................................................... 51 Institutions .................................................................................................................. 51 Large International Student Programs ....................................................................... 52 Medium International Student Programs ................................................................... 54 Small International Student Programs ....................................................................... 55 Participants ................................................................................................................. 56 Thematic Structures ....................................................................................................... 67 The Structure of Reasons ........................................................................................... 67 The Structure of Education ........................................................................................ 91 The Structure of the Social Experience.................................................................... 131 The Structure of the Cultural Experience ................................................................ 179 The Structure of Problems and Solutions ................................................................ 213 Textural Structural Synthesis ....................................................................................... 248 The Structure of Reasons ......................................................................................... 248 The Structure of the Educational Experience .......................................................... 249 The Structure of the Social Experience...................................................................