please revise and make editing of this research paper.
A.A.M.T
theseniorworkresearch.docxTOPIC: Cultural challenges encountered by international Saudi students studying in U.S universities
By Amal Tubaigi
Marymount University Arlington,
Virginia, United State
2016
The number of international students attending universities in the United States has increased over the years. The high quality of education available continues to bring in more and more international students. The number of international students in the United States has been increasing since the 1970. Saudi Arabia began sending students to the US increasingly since the 1970s according to the, with the estimated that the number of students from Saudi Arabia in the 2014/2015 school year being 59,945 students (Institute of International Education date - where is this source in your citations?). This number represents an 11.2% increase from the previous year. The contribution to the US economy that year was $1.7 billion. The majority of students are undergraduates which make up 51.5% of the total student population ( Institute for International Relations 2015 Where is this source in your citations?).
At this point in your paper you need to present the focus of your research -- tell the reader what is this paper is about? When you present information from an article, pull out the main point and explain how that main point supports your research question/focus. So in this case -- your point might be that there are a number of Saudi students studying in the United States, because it has become a preferred destination --- you still haven’t told us about your research focus.
The first article in Arab News talks about the increasing number of Saudi students in the United States reaching 111,000. The article talks about the effect of increasing number of students on the US economy around $22.7 billion according the the Department of Commerce. In 2011, the number of students increased by 50%. The article shows the demand for services by Saudi students. While students have the opportunity to go to other countries such as the United Kingdom or Australia, most students prefer the United States. The Saudi government spends around 10 billion Saudi Riyals just for international students in the United States (Arab News 2014 ).
The number of Saudi students in the US continues to increase. The number of scholarships available has doubled to 150,000 in over 30 countries opening up even more opportunities to students. The aim of this program is to develop the country technologically and to make it competitive in the global community. But adopting American culture is also something that is an important part of the experience and one of the main reason students are sent abroad. So far 55,000 students have graduated from the scholarship program sponsored by King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz. Over 200 billion dollars have been committed for the education of students which makes up 25% of the budget of the country. As well as 10% of the education budget goes to international students. The number of scholarships initially began at 5,000 more than nine years ago and the program only continues to grow especially in the United States which has the highest concentration of Saudi students more than any other country (Dr. Angari 2014 ).
Most of this information is really background information if I understand correctly, have you left this note for a reason??---[NOTE: Maybe you can use data from the Open Doors Report [http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors] which is published by the Institute of International Education. They track the total number of international students, and break this down by country of origin. That will enable you to have a independent count for students who are coming from Saudi Arabia [http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/Fact-Sheets-by-Country/2015] Outside the classroom however, many international students are facing important issues that affect their educational. Many students are having trouble getting used a new way of life away from their families and their usual environments. As an international student I wanted to explore this topic because I have faced many of these difficulties. NOTE: In this type of writing you don’t want to include “I” statements….Most colleges and universities offer International student services and have clubs specifically for international students. But many international students still feel isolated from the university community.
For my research I want to understand what are the best practices used by universities and colleges to help their international students adjust to their new environment, specifically Saudi Arabian students. How can colleges and universities work to improve the quality of life for international students? The first place to look at is the international student services. How can it be improved or does it need to be improved? Do international students actually use these services and what kinds of services are available? You don’t have the data to evaluate these questions - they are beyond the scope of your project. It’s important to look at this specifically because this is the first place where international students come to when they begin their education. Second, it’s important to see the major issues international students are facing through their experiences. Issues like language barriers and cultural misunderstanding can have an effect on the experience of international students and can change the way they behave with their classmates. It’s important to hear from students who have had positive experiences and those with negative experiences to understand what works best. In the last draft, I commented that this is likely beyond the scope of your research for this semester…… This draft doesn’t seem to have revisions?
This issue is important because it affects a great number of students and it can also influence the success of those students who come to study in the United States. More than 100,000 are in the United States alone. If students don’t feel welcome and comfortable it will not be a positive learning experience for them. Students are spread over the 50 states so the experience from state to state will be different. For instance students in areas like the DC and New York City might have a different experience from those living in the mid-west. It’s important to look at both personal and academic experience of Saudi students to see what can be improved. For example the English language programs available to students can be improved or changed so that they can be more beneficial. Also the type of instruction from professors and teacher’s assistants specifically for Saudi students is important to consider. Maybe more universities can think about introducing a class on American culture and society so there won’t be a lot of culture shock for students. Many international students have different faiths and they have certain things in their diets they cannot have. The overall experience of Saudi international is what the research aims to understand. There are many parts to this issue that the research has to take into account. While interesting questions --- how might you investigate with data -- I have a feeling they may be beyond the scope of your project.
[NOTE: In case it would be helpful, The Open Doors Report gives the field of study by Place of Origin http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/International-Students/Fields-of-Study-Place-of-Origin/2014-15] The Open Door Report indicates that the three states where most international students study are California, New York and Texas -- now if we can find out which universities are receiving the majority of those students we’ll be able to look at how the organizational structures set up to support the students.
The transition of Saudi students into University life has also been an issue. Many students find difficulty because they have to learn a new language. English language proficiency is tied to success of students in any field. Personal issues also affect the ability of students to adjust to University life. The best predictor for lack of success in adjusting to university life is homesickness. The issues of culture shock is also important. The culture shock students experience results in many problems such as depression and emotional difficulties. It is clear that many students require help both inside and outside the classroom. The availability of resources to students is important but it's also important to understand the individual culture from which they come and take that into consideration (Heyn 2013).Did you access this source directly or was this study cited in another article? Make sure your citations are accurate.
Apart from the different services provided to international students to adjust well at US universities, there are hundreds of best practices programs at other universities that are helping international students adjust at these universities. These programs are not only helping the students to overcome the cultural challenges but also helping these universities to improve their dealing on international students.
Best Practices
Many universities in the US have developed different strategies that help international students get the necessary help they need in respect to their studies and cultural adjustment. Next tell us what these strategies are, and then describe the universities that use each strategy. These programs have enabled these universities to retain their international students in a profound manner. For example Binghamton University and State University of New York have developed a Mid Semester “Student at Risk” Review Program that identifies international student who are facing problems in their studies. They are then provided tutoring facility to be able to learn their course material and get good grades ("Binghamton University - Getting Good Grades,’).Does this information come directly from the university’s website or is this information that was reported in another report?
The Michigan State University focuses on Campus and Community Integration to help international students and the local community experience a global environment. The university provides academic and social support from its Tutoring Services and Engagement Center to help international students get acquainted to the new environment ("Office for International Students and Scholars | Michigan State University," 2016).
The Carnegie Mellon University recognizes and addressee cultural variation in the classroom. For this purpose they have developed a guide to help both students and teachers alike. The guide is available for a free download at the Center for Global Education website ("Innovations in Faculty Support for International Students - Innovative International Student Support Programming - Center for Global Education,").
International students come from a diverse cultural background. It is a tricky job to help them adjust at US universities due to cultural differences. Eastern Illinois University has developed a guide specifically for its faculty members to understand to provide meaningful advising to international students whenever these students reach out to them ("Innovations in Faculty Support for International Students - Innovative International Student Support Programming - Center for Global Education,").
In the last draft, we mentioned that this theory isn’t all that helpful….The research topic relates to the rational choice theory. The theory states that people are motivated by profiting by calculating the cost and benefits of a decision. In the research we see the number of Saudi students increasing in the US and the financial contribution they make to the economy. It makes sense for institutions going through budget cuts to increase the number of international students but how does that affect in-state students? The US economy has benefitted a lot from the international students but is there a downside. At the University of Washington for example the school is required to keep a minimum quota of in-state students but can increase the number of out of state (international) students. There is a conflict between taking away opportunities from American students and keeping the school system profitable (Crossman 2014).
The research also relates to the social learning theory. It deals with personal development as it relates to society which is relevant to the topic of international students. Because the theory talks about the formation of the person and we discussed before that students have many difficulties adjusting to university life. Students don't feel like they're adjusting to to their new life and they feel isolated it will be more difficult for them to succeed. Part of socialization in feeling connected to the community around you and the issues international students face such as language barrier and cultural differences can make it difficult for them to adjust as well. The concept of society or community is really important to understanding the life of international students here and critical to the research (Crossman 2014).
References
Crossman. Ashley. 2014.“Sociological Theories”A List Of Sociological Theories And
Frameworks.(http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociology101/tp/Major-Sociological-
Frameworks.htm).
Dr. Angari. Khalid. 2014. The Number of Scholarships Has Doubled to 150 Thousand
during the Nine Years.”(http://www.moe.gov.sa/ar/news/Pages/25_1_2014.aspx).
Heyn, Molly Elizabeth, "Experiences of Male Saudi Arabian International Students in the
United States" (2013). Dissertations. Paper 167.
IBRAHIM NAFFEE. 2014. Arab news. “Number of Saudi students in US reaches
111,000.”
Open doors fact sheet: Saudi Arabia. 2015. “Institute for International Relations.”
These are links to get you started….
Here are links to presentations given at conferences. What I notice from looking at them, is that they use key words in addition to best practices that may be helpful when you search for additional research in the databases (for example, retention):
http://www.nafsa.org/_/file/_/mr_best_practices.pdf
http://www.aieaworld.org/assets/docs/Conference_Materials/2014/docstoupload2/di%20maria%20kwai%20presentation.pdf On the slide “International student retention formula” there is a reference to a model by Seidman (2005) that might be helpful.
2. Links to what some universities consider to be “best practices.” As you look at the individual links, you need to evaluate how representative that information might be as well as the authority or credibility of the university when it comes to serving international students:
Center for Global Education http://globaled.us/internationalization/faculty-support-for-international-students.asp
One thought for a project would be to do a content analysis of the programs featured on these websites. So based on your previous research, you would identify the features of programs that should be in place to support international students -- and then look to see if these institutions offer some service in those areas.
Educational Advisory Board https://www.eab.com/research-and-insights/student-affairs-forum/studies/2014/supporting-international-students-on-campus
A sample study conducted by the University of Minnesota. Take a look at this report to see how they they examined what universities do for their international students:
https://global.umn.edu/icc/documents/14_integration_best_practices_overall.pdf
Information on a specific topic – orientation
http://www.nafsa.org/uploadedFiles/Chez_NAFSA/Find_Resources/Supporting_International_Students_And_Scholars/Network_Resources/International_Student_and_Scholar_Services/International%20Student%20Orientation%20Models_Common%20Thread.pdf
