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Understanding International Student Enrollment at a Research One Public Land-Grant Institution in Appalachia

Williams, Kristen A. (2024) Understanding International Student Enrollment at a Research One Public Land-Grant Institution in Appalachia. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

U.S. higher education institutions (HEIs) are experiencing decreasing student enrollment. HEIs have cited decreasing birth rates, which began in 2008 following the Great Recession, as a main factor for the decline. Student enrollment in some mid-Atlantic states specifically is forecasted to drop by as much as 7.5% by 2029 (Kline, 2019). Like domestic student enrollment, international student enrollment has seen decline since before the COVID-19 global pandemic (Widener, 2020). This fact has added another blow to U.S. HEIs that have relied on international students as both a revenue source (Najar & Saul, 2016) and a means to meeting institutional strategic goals of diversity, global engagement, and talent from this population (Altbach & de Wit, 2020).
Because international student enrollment at Frederick Union University (FUU) (pseudonym) has declined over the past several years, this dissertation in practice addressed how the English Language Institute (pseudonym) made a change to its application and enrollment processes in an attempt to increase international student enrollment in its programs. Utilizing improvement science, a Zoom orientation session and supplementary on-demand chatting on WhatsApp were made available to applicants after they have received the IEP admission letter and before they arrived in a small mid-Atlantic city in a mid-Atlantic state. The purpose of this a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle was to see if additional communication with applicants made them more likely to matriculate after being accepted. Mixed methods instruments were used to gauge the effectiveness of the intervention. Results from surveys and interviews led to subsequent adjustments to the Zoom orientation session throughout the period of inquiry. Although an innovative idea was implemented, the university was not able to handle the change due to the state of flux produced by ongoing “academic transformation” at the institution.


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Details

Item Type: University of Pittsburgh ETD
Status: Unpublished
Creators/Authors:
CreatorsEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Williams, Kristen A.krw98@pitt.edukrw980009-0005-8635-9595
ETD Committee:
TitleMemberEmail AddressPitt UsernameORCID
Committee ChairPerry, Jill A.jperry@pitt.edujperry
Committee MemberSchuster, Maximilian T.schustermt@pitt.eduschustermt
Committee MemberEgnor, Clarkclark.egnor@wvhepc.edu
Date: 9 July 2024
Date Type: Publication
Defense Date: 9 May 2024
Approval Date: 9 July 2024
Submission Date: 18 June 2024
Access Restriction: No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Number of Pages: 106
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs: School of Education > Administrative and Policy Studies
Degree: EdD - Doctor of Education
Thesis Type: Doctoral Dissertation
Refereed: Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords: international student enrollment, recruitment, ESL, Intensive English Program, pathway program, orientation, advocacy, sense of belonging, improvement science, PDSA
Date Deposited: 09 Jul 2024 14:19
Last Modified: 09 Jul 2024 14:19
URI: http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/46572

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