The First Year International Students at the University of Windsor: Perspectives, Expectations, and

Experiences

G. Zhou, Z. Zhang, G. Liu, & E. Chacon University of Windsor, Canada

This project was funded by

CTL/UW Centred on Learning Innovation Fund (CLIF)

The purposes of the study

• To understand perspectives, expectations, and experiences of the first year international students studying at the university.

• Particularly on the challenges these students faced in the process of adjustment and strategies they employed to deal with the challenges.

3

Tinto’s Model of Retention

• Academic integration– GPA– Academic goals

• Social integration– Contact with staff– Sense of community

Data Collection• Survey (online and hardcopy)

• Focus groups

5

Sample

• Surveys– 64 valid surveys returned– Approximately 18% return rate (out of 350

students)

• Focus groups– 5 focus groups (4 students)

International Students by Origin 2008/09

Demographics: Gender

Demographics: Age range

Demographics: High school

International High School or not

Whether have English-speaking friends

Housing

Roommates

Home Communication

Study place

Weekend

Event Attendance

Personal Contact with Instructors

Contact with Staff

First Resource for Help

Plan after Graduation

Levels of satisfaction with study experience at U Windsor

2008 National Survey of Student Engagement –Summary of NSSE 2008 Results

Feeling about study experience at U Windsor

Confidence for successfully completing program

Recommend UW?

UW as First Choice?

2008 National Survey of Student Engagement –Summary of NSSE 2008 Results

Reasons for coming to Windsor

• U Windsor has relationship with their schools

• Close to USA

• Parents’ choice

• Having friends studying at U Windsor

• Interesting programs

Initial difficulties at arrival

• Finding directions

• Paper work

• Food

• Transportation

Residence issues

• Noisiness

• Compulsory meal plan

• Roommates and neighbors

Perspectives of life in Windsor

• Boring spare time

• Reasonable living costs

• Inconvenient transportation system

Challenges

• Language– Oral communication– Paper writing

• Culture– Friend making– Spare time

• Relationship with other ethnic groups– In group work– With professors and TAs

Learning differences

• Group work

• Course demands– More labs in science and engineering– More essay writing in social sciences

• High school preparation– Not enough training in essay writing– Not enough experiences in group work

International high schools vs. public high schools

• More comfortable in terms of social life

• Fewer challenges with adjustment

Suggestions

• University level– Security– Residence

• ISC– More practical orientations– Event scheduling

Researchers Contact info

• Guoqiang (George) Zhou gzhou@uwindsor.ca• Zuochen Zhang zuochen@uwindsor.ca • Guoying (Grace) Liu gliu@uwindsor.ca • Enrique Chacon echacon@uwindsor.ca

www.uwindsor.ca/isc