Making Campus More International-Inclusive

 

Getting involved on campus is one of the main ways that college students choose to spend their time. Despite the time commitment, participating in clubs and organizations can be beneficial to students’ well-being and growth as individuals. Based on interviews I conducted with international students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, I noticed that a critical factor that contributes to the feeling of belonging was being part of a campus organization. Specifically, instances of meeting new people, which is not always as easy for international students as it is for domestic students, were mentioned when asked about a time the participants felt included as part of UC Santa Barbara. This is unfortunate since the internationalization of universities and colleges can be not only beneficial for international students but also for domestic students, faculty, and staff (Chapdelaine & Alexitch 167). This post is inspired by the International Education Week which will take place on November 15-19, 2021, and celebrates the importance of cultural diversity and cultural exchange in education.

         Student 1 said the time they felt most included on campus was when they joined a professional fraternity where people seemed interested in getting to know them. Student one’s response demonstrates the importance of the feeling of community involvement. Getting involved with on campus societies and organizations is a great way not only to meet new people but to also develop meaningful relationships and feel a sense of belonging. Additionally, student 2 said the time they felt most included on campus was when they were part of UCSB’s freshmen ice cream social. The two answers had in common the factor of interaction. As I have mentioned in another post for this blog (How Self-Perception of One’s English Skills Influence Interaction with Domestic Students), student interaction can be greatly beneficial for international students (and domestic students) but also more challenging due to the language barrier. 

After looking at many publications (journals, databases, etc), I came across a Literature Review published in the Journal of International Students that I found interesting. It approaches the topic of international and domestic student interaction from a different light. As studies have found different ways of implementing programs to improve the interaction through the promotion of the assimilation of the “dominant” culture, the text takes an approach to the same topic through common grounds (Thomas et al. 1388). According to the publication, examples of ways to improve the domestic-international student interaction in a more equal way were: putting together cultural events and celebrations, providing and promoting different religious beliefs groups, and proposing common challenges for both groups (Thomas et al. 1392-1396). This way, students would be encouraged to discuss the cultures that international students can relate to and be able to find a common ground. 

Therefore, international students are a valuable resource of cultural diversity and knowledge for universities and colleges. There shouldn't be only incentives for them to join clubs and only focus on the dominant culture but there should also be programs and activities that promote those students’ cultures and common grounds allowing them to feel included. 

Works Cited 

Chapdelaine, R. F., & Alexitch, L. R. (2004). Social skills difficulty: Model of culture shock for interna- tional graduate students. Journal of College Student Development, 45(2), 167.

Thomas, Victor F., et al. “Leveraging Common Ground: Improving International and Domestic Students’ Interaction Through Mutual Engagement.” Journal of International Students, vol. 8, no. 3, July 2018, pp. 1386–1397. EBSCOhost, doi:10.32674/jis.v8i3.61.