INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES WITH ACADEMIC ADVISING AT A MID-WESTERN

216 Pages·2017·1.27 MB·English

by  Saha, Neete

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES
WITH ACADEMIC ADVISING AT A MID-WESTERN
PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY

A dissertation submitted to the
Kent State University College
of Education, Health, and Human Services
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

By

Neete Saha

May 2018
© Copyright, 2018 by Neete Saha
All Rights Reserved

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A dissertation written by
Neete Saha
B.A., Temple University, 2006
M.A., Columbia University, 2008
Ph.D., Kent State University, 2018

Approved by

____________________________, Co-director, Doctoral Dissertation Committee
Mark A. Kretovics

____________________________, Co-director, Doctoral Dissertation Committee
Martha C. Merrill

____________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee
Alicia R. Crowe

Accepted by

____________________________, Director, School of Foundations, Leadership
Kimberly Schimmel and Administration

____________________________, Dean, College of Education, Health and Human
James C. Hannon Services
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SAHA, NEETE, Ph.D., May 2018 HIGHER EDUCATION
ADMINISTRATION

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH ACADEMIC ADVISING AT
A MID-WESTERN PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY (201 pp.)

Co-Chairs of Dissertation: Mark A. Kretovics, Ph.D.
Martha C. Merrill, Ph.D.

International students’ experiences with academic advising is worth studying
because the number of international students is growing significantly in the United States
of America (USA) even though studies show that, upon arrival, international students
experience cultural, social, academic, and psychological issues including homesickness,
anxiety, depression, and loneliness (Saha & Karpinski, 2016; Tseng & Newton, 2002). In
2016/2017, 1,078,822 international students enrolled in American colleges and
universities to pursue higher education (Institute of International Education [IIE], 2017).
Despite the growing number of international students in the USA, research has been
limited in the areas of academic advising and international students. Thus, with the
increasing number of international students coming to study in the USA, it is imperative
for American colleges and universities to be aware of their issues and needs.
The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to understand and describe
undergraduate international students’ experiences with academic advising. My primary
research question was: What are undergraduate international students’ experiences with
academic advising? Thirteen students from Asia, the Middle East, South America, and
Africa participated in this study, and their country of origins included India, China,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Tanzania, and
Somalia. The data analysis for this exploratory study was guided by the constant
comparative method of analysis. Although a couple of the participants expressed
dissatisfaction with advising, the majority of the participants were satisfied with
academic advising. Overall, most participants appreciated the service and saw a need for
academic advisors for international students.

Key Words: Academic Advising, International Students, Higher Education
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Learning has been my passion throughout life; I believe that a learned individual is
capable of motivating others and making a difference in their lives. With this conviction
in mind, I have chosen to become a fellow in the field of higher education administration
and began my journey as a PhD student. However, this journey would not have been
possible without God’s willing and the guidance, support and assistance from my family,
professors, mentors, friends and colleagues. I am very fortunate to have these individuals
in my life who have not only motivated me to complete my dissertation but also
supported me along the way to produce a quality project. Thank you to all!
To my participants:
Thank you for sharing your perspectives with me. Your courage to move across
the world for higher education, your motivation to aim higher, and your
determination to achieve your goals were inspirational.
To my dissertation chairs and members, Dr. Kretovics, Dr. Merrill, Dr. Crowe and Dr.
Niesz:
Thank you for supporting me in completing this project. I appreciate the time that
you have spent reading my many drafts and providing me with valuable feedback
to bring this lengthy project to fruition. Because of your guidance, this is a
finished product.
To Dr. Kretovics, my dissertation chair, mentor and advisor:
Throughout my entire academic journey at Kent State University, you have
helped me to believe in myself, my skills and talents. When I needed advice, you
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listened to my many complaints and frustrations time and time again and always
managed to encourage me to persevere. Irrespective of my many unannounced
visits to your office, thank you for your willingness to hear me out, even though
you may have been very busy. Please accept my sincerest gratitude. It is an honor
to have you as my mentor.
To Dr. Merrill, my dissertation co-chair and mentor:
Your intellectual rigor always inspires me to challenge my thought process. Your
assignments have provided me with an outlet to explore my boundaries in higher
education. Thank you for continuously guiding me to explore more options and
teaching me to think and review critically to enrich my dissertation. Your advice,
suggestions, ideas and support improved my dissertation significantly. It’s been a
privilege to have the opportunity to learn from you and I am thankful for your
guidance.
To Dr. Iverson, Dr. Niesz, and Dr. Crowe:
Thank you—your help was instrumental, particularly, in the beginning of my
dissertation process. I thank you for challenging my understanding of the research
process and questioning me along the way to improve the quality of this project.
To Dr. McAnulty, my mentor:
Thank you for providing me with many opportunities that not only gave me a
platform to develop my skills and interests, but also helped me to grow as a
professional in the field of higher education. You have been an exemplary role
model. Thank you for motivating me to push forward.
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To my professors and colleagues:
Thank you, Dr. Goldschmidt at Penn State University and Dr. Bista at University
of Louisiana at Monroe, for your guidance. Thank you Dr. Thomas, Dr. Lara, and
Dr. Bedesem for your support throughout my tenure in the HIED program. Thank
you to all my colleagues from Vacca Office of Student Services at Kent State
University for encouragement. Thank you Dr. Judge, Mr. Antalvari, Ms. Stevens,
Mr. Minichillo, Ms. Corrigan, Mr. Agbor-Baiyee, Ms. Bilali, Ms. Foot, and Dr.
Mckenzie for your guidance and conversations during the recruitment phase of
my participants.
Lastly, my profound thanks to Vanessa Earp at the University Libraries for
guidance with APA guidelines, Ms. Sharon Smith for invaluable help with KSU
EHHS guidelines and overall edits, and Mr. Reynolds at the Graduate Studies for
an opportunity to work on my dissertation during dissertation boot camp.
To Ms. Zarges:
Thank you for your support, guidance and conversations. Thank you for sharing
the resources that added greatly to my research.
To Margo Davis, Jyoti Kaur, Jacob Roope, Zach Nyangue, Keya Jennings, and Maghan
Maloy:
I can’t thank you enough for your friendship, encouragement and advice. Thank
you for your many pep talks during the tough times when everything else in life
seemed more important than working toward my dissertation. Thank you so very
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much Jacob, Maghan, and Zach for taking the time to read my dissertation. Your
input was vital.
To my caring sisters (Ponkey and Chumkey) and my extended family:
Thank you for your genuine interests in my study and constant reminders to finish
writing my dissertation and graduate. I appreciate your interests in my study and
your support during this time.

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DEDICATION
I dedicate this dissertation to my mom and dad and my husband.
To my loving parents, Babul and Lipi Saha:
Thank you for your hard work and countless sacrifices so my sisters and I could
have good educational opportunities. Your strong values toward education,
steadfast expectations for us to do well in school, encouragement for me to pursue
a terminal degree, and lifelong support for learning were instrumental in our
success. Without you, I would not have come this far in my academic journey. I
am forever indebted to you for your endless support.
To my dearest husband, Sam Chowdhury:
Thank you for always believing in me and reminding me of my strengths so I can
persevere amidst of all struggles. You have taught me to be positive and strong
during tough times. Thank you for continuously encouraging me to finish what I
started and for your unwavering trust in my capabilities to succeed. Without your
relentless support and encouragement, I would not have been able to finish my
PhD. I am forever grateful.

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