International Students on Campus: Rich Opportunities Plus Complex Cultural Issues

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Recently, Harvard University instituted a controversial new policy that prohibited men from visiting one of its on-campus gyms during certain hours to accommodate women who have cultural objections to exercising in mixed-gender environments.

Some label the policy preferential treatment because it mostly benefits Muslim women, most of whom are from other countries. Others applaud Harvard for its open-mindedness and sensitivity to other cultures.

This is exactly the type of scenario a University of Arkansas professor and his co-author hope their new book will help put in perspective as administrators and policymakers tackle issues like these that are created by the presence of international students on America’s college and university campuses.

International Students in American Colleges and Universities: A History was co-authored by Teresa Brawner Bevis, who earned her doctorate at the University of Arkansas, and education professor Christopher J. Lucas. The book highlights the history and experiences of international students at American colleges and universities.

“The main point I would want to register is that the presence of international students on our college campuses is delicate, substantial and carries with it political, economic, social and cultural complications,” Lucas said. “There are wonderful opportunities for us to learn from international students even as they learn about our culture, society and people. There’s just a great deal to learn.”

This book is the first of its kind in 30 years, and its historical overview runs the gamut from foreign students in antiquity to the opening years of the 21^st century. It covers topics as diverse as international students and terrorism, enrollment decline after Sept. 11, increasing competition among college and universities in recruiting international students, McCarthyism and the cold war, and immigration policy.

“There are momentous and significant policy implications to all of this,” Lucas explained. “Are large research-focused universities more likely to attract proportionately large numbers of foreign students, or is it the case that perhaps two-year community colleges can do a better job of accommodating the needs of international students?

“Once they get here, what kind of support system are we prepared to supply? Typically, international students are candidates for advanced degrees, but how do we meet the needs of undergraduates who are studying here?

“And there are cultural differences that need to be reflected in our policies. For example, in one country that sends a lot of students to the United States, the students work very hard in elementary and secondary schools, but there’s a tendency for students not to work all that hard in the college years. So they come over here, and they’re at a disadvantage. Their liabilities are cultural.”

Lucas points out that the benefits of international students are not only cultural, they are also financial, and colleges and universities should step up their efforts to support them once they’re here.

“I think that the single most important thing is there are the regular students and then there are the international students, and we don’t pay as much attention to them,” Lucas said. “We might have an office on a college campus, but that’s it.

“What a lot of people don’t appreciate is that hosting international students on the campuses of our colleges and universities across this country amounts to a multibillion dollar enterprise, and that’s more than pocket change. So the question is, how do we do it, and how do we do it well. That has a big impact. If students decide to stay home or go elsewhere, we lose out. We lose out on the cultural benefits of having them here and on their tuition monies as well.”

But this book is not just for policymakers or those familiar with higher education. It offers a plethora of fascinating narratives and anecdotes about international students’ experiences in the United States.

“I think the stories the students told of both warm hospitality and of being virtually ignored are very poignant,” Lucas said. “They say something about our culture and our people, both positive and negative.

“I think the stories of the clash of cultures when Chinese students first began coming to the United States in the 19^th century were especially interesting and important. And I think the question of ‘strangers in our midst,’ as some people put it, in the aftermath of 9/11 is a very interesting story.”

Lucas said the topic of international exchange and students is a thread that’s run through his academic and professional careers since the 1960s. He has directed centers and programs dedicated to international study and advised students interested in study abroad opportunities.

“The opportunity to collaborate with Teresa on this book was just too good an opportunity to turn down,” Lucas reflected. “We found out we were a pretty good writing team, and we felt that there were a lot of stories in here that just needed to be told.”

Lucas is a professor of education in the College of Education and Health Professions. He is the co-author of New Faculty: A Practical Guide for Academic Beginners, with John Murry, and several other books addressing higher education and teacher preparation. Bevis, who has worked with international students, global education and education exchange, teaches at Crowder College.  She is co-author with Kent Farnsworth of A Fieldbook for Community College Online Instructors.