The University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus has changed; in 2006, about two percent of our undergraduate population enrolled here as an international student. In Fall 2019, over eight percent of the undergraduate student population enrolled as international students. International Student and Scholar Services has joined with other departments on campus to do in-depth data-collection and research on the international student experience.
The items below show a summary of each of these studies and links to where you can read the full reports. You can also read a summary of the projects on the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance's website.
International Student Experiences in Online Learning During COVID-19
This report summarizes data results from a survey exploring international undergraduate students' online learning experience during the pandemic, highlighting successes and also identifying challenges and needs.
Synthesis of International Undergraduate Student Needs
This report highlights the 10 topic areas that international students identified as needs and challenges.
Rites of Passage: Academic Impact of Military Duty on Korean International Students
Presented By Jun Seok (Nick) Lee, Anny Lin, and Xi Yu
This presentation, given at the 2016 Tate Conference, reviews a student-driven study on the academic impact of compulsory military service on South Korean students at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, and it attempts to explore various ways to advise their academic planning prior to the service and to help their post-service readjustment to campus life.
Seeking Best Practices for Integrating International and Domestic Students
Research conducted by Nancy Young, commissioned by ISSS, 2014
Integration of international and domestic students has long been recognized in International Education as a critical part of all students’ intercultural and academic experience. This study explores innovative integration practices at other U.S. higher education institutions.
International Student Barometer
Analysis conducted by Xi Yu
The survey, administered at 178 institutions in 13 countries in 2013, asks students to rank their satisfaction with a variety of categories related to their arrival, learning, living, support, challenges, and choice of institution.
Listening Sessions with University Departments
Conducted by Xi Yu
Over the past year, more than 10 service units and Colleges on 12 projects requested Listening Sessions to better understand the experiences of international students. The data from the sessions have provided first-hand information directly collected from students, and it assisted professionals on campus to prioritize next action steps for creating a more inclusive environment, enhancing student academic success or increasing their satisfaction.
Office of Student Affairs Domestic and International Listening Sessions
By Amelious N. Whyte and Marjorie Savage
Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Survey – 2014 Comparisons Between International Students & Domestic Students
Compiled by Xi Yu & Beth Isensee
The Study of the Educational Impact of International Students in Campus Internationalization at the University of Minnesota: Phase 1
Report by Diana Yefanova, Linnae Baird and Mary Lynn Montgomery
Principal Investigators: Diana Yefanova, Gayle Woodruff, Barbara Kappler, and Christopher Johnstone
South Korean Undergraduate International Students’ Experiences
By Soo Kyoung Lee, Alisa Eland, and Drew Smith
This study explores Korean students’ motivation, experiences, challenges and support-finding patterns in order to identify and address sub-group international students’ unique needs.
Seeking Best Practices for Career Services for Undergraduate International Students
By Soo Kyoung Lee, Alisa Eland, and Drew Smith
ISSS conducted four studies to explore best practices in serving the career needs of undergraduate international students: 1) General international student survey of career experiences/expectations, 2) Internship focus groups and 3) Interviews of international alumni who found jobs, and 4) Interviews with other institutions about best practices.
Student Voices: A Survey of International Undergraduate Students’ First-Year Challenges
By Mike Anderson, Beth Isensee, Kate Martin, LeeAnne Godfrey, and Mary Katherine O’Brien
