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TO AVOID FINES return on or before date due. WE DUE ‘6 I DATE DUE DATE DUE {.56 2 z, 201 2/17 20: Blue FORMS/DateDueFormsJOIZindd - 09.5 A STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS FACING FOREIGN STUDENTS ATTENDING MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY IN 1988 By Hani A. Barakat A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Educational Administration 1988 ABSTRACT A STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS FACING FOREIGN.STUDENTS ATTENDING MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY IN 1988 By Hani A. Barakat The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the concerns and difficulties of foreign students attending Michigan State Univer- sity (MSU) in 1988 with regard to the following student personnel services: orientation, social/personal, living/dining, health serv— ices, student activities, financial aid, placement, and international student office services. Further purposes were to determine whether the those problems were related to students’ age, gender, marital status, academic classification, area of origin, and length of stay at MSU and whether problems perceived by MSU foreign students in the late 19805 differed significantly from those encountered in the early 19605 (Porter study). The sample comprised 246 foreign students attending MSU spring term 1988. Instruments were a revised form of Porter’s Michigan International Student Problem Inventory and an interview. The questionnaire contained 96 statements regarding eight student personnel service areas; students indicated the degree of difficulty of each item. Twenty students were interviewed. Hani A. Barakat Frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were computed to measure the extent and variability of problems faced by foreign students. ANOVA was used to determine significant differences in means of perceived problems according to demographic characteristics. Chi-square was used to examine the relationship between the extent of each specific problem and demographic characteristics. Major findings were as follows: Financial aid was the area with which foreign students were most concerned, followed by placement and health services. Students reported moderate problems in the social/ personal, living/dining, and orientation areas and minor problems with student activities and international student office services. Middle Eastern, African, and South East Asian students perceived the greatest difficulty with most areas, whereas European, North American, and Oceanic students perceived the least difficulty. Length of stay at MSU was not related to degree or extent of diffi- culty students encountered with student personnel services. Under- graduates perceived more problems than graduate students in all areas. Few differences were found between problems encountered by MSU foreign students in the early 19605 and those perceived by their counterparts in the late 19805. To the memory of my father, to my mother, to Susan, and to Hoda. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to acknowledge the people who have both directly and indirectly helped me along the path to completing my doctoral studies. My sincere appreciation is extended to Dr. Max Raines, my major professor and doctoral committee chairman, whose encouragement, guidance, and direction enabled me to complete this educational venture. I also am thankful to my committee members: Dr. Kenneth Harding for his guidance and thoughtful suggestions, Dr. Eldon Nonnamaker for his valuable support and service throughout my doctoral program, and Dr. David Horner for his guidance, suggestions, encouragement, and concern throughout this investiga- tion. Sincere gratitude is expressed to my physician, Dr. Ronald Swenson, for his care and friendship. Special thanks is extended to the staff‘ of the Office of Foreign Students and Scholars for their interest in and assistance with this study. Also, a sincere thank-you to Dr. Lou Anna Simon, Associate Provost, for her help in distributing the questionnaires. I also appreciate the contribution of ‘the foreign students who participated in this study. Finally, I express sincere gratitude to my brothers and sisters for their support and encouragement during my graduate studies. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY .............. Statement of the Problem ............. Purposes of the Study ............... Research Questions ................ Hypotheses .................... Importance of the Study .............. Assumptions .................... Delimitations of the Study ............ Definition of Terms ................ Overview ..................... II. REVIEH OF RELATED LITERATURE ............ Introduction ................... Historical Background ............... Cross-Cultural Education ............ Cross-Cultural Research ............. Evaluation and Need Assessment .......... Evaluation ................... Need Assessment ................. Foreign Students and Student Personnel Services . . Orientation ................... Social/Personal Relations ............ Living and Dining ......... ‘ ....... Health Services ................. Student Activities ............... Financial Aid .................. Placement Services ............... International Student Office Services ...... The Michigan International Student Problem Inventory (MISPI) ................ Summary ...................... 1 i ‘ vi —I 000006 co \IU’IMU'I-hwwN—I Page III. DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ............... 53 Introduction ................... 53 Purposes of the Study ............... 53 Population and Sample ............... 54 The Data-Gathering Instruments .......... 57 The Questionnaire ................ 57 The Interview .................. 62 Data-Collection Procedures ............ 63 Analysis of the Data ............... 64 Summary ...................... 68 IV. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE DATA ........ 69 Demographic Characteristics of the Sample ..... 69 Results of the Statistical Analyses .. ....... 72 Relationship Between Age and Student Personnel Services ................... 78 Relationship Between Gender and Student Personnel Services .............. 80 Relationship Between Area of Origin and Student Personnel Services .............. 83 Relationship Between Marital Status and Student Personnel Services .............. 90 Relationship Between Length of Stay at MSU and Student Personnel Services .......... 93 Relationship Between Academic Classification and Student Personnel Services ........ 95 Responses to Open-Ended Questions ......... 98 Comments About the Interviews ........... 100 Findings of the Porter (1962) Study ........ 108 Summary ...................... 109 V. SUMMARY, MAJOR FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................. 111 Summary ...................... 111 Major Findings .................. 112 Conclusions .................... 119 Recommendations ........... ' ....... 120 APPENDICES ......................... 126 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................ 148 vii Table 10. 11. 12. 13. LIST OF TABLES Distribution of Respondents According to Demographic Characteristics ................... Mean and Rank Order of Problems Encountered by Foreign ’ Students in Eight Areas of Student Services at MSU Means Indicating the Extent of Problems Encountered by Foreign Students at MSU ............. Means of Perceived Problems and ANOVA Results According to Age .................. Percentage of Respondents Who Had Moderate or Major Problems and Chi-Square Results by Age ....... Means of Perceived Problems and ANOVA Results According to Gender ................. Percentage of Respondents Who Had Moderate or Major Problems and Chi-Square Results by Gender ...... Means of Perceived Problems and ANOVA Results According to the Area of Origin ........... Means of Perceived Problems and ANOVA Results According to Specific Geographical Area of Origin . . Percentage of Respondents Who Had Moderate or Major Problems and Chi-Square Results by Geographical Location ...................... Means of Perceived Problems and ANOVA Results According to Marital Status ............. Percentage of Respondents Rho Had Moderate or Major Problems and Chi-Square Results by Marital Status . . Means of Perceived Problems and ANOVA Results According to Length of Stay at MSU ......... viii Page 71 73 74 78 79 81 82 83 84 86 91 92 94 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Percentage of Respondents Who Had Moderate or Major Problems and Chi-Square Results by Length of Stay at MSU ....................... Means of Perceived Problems and ANOVA Results According to Academic Classification ........ Percentage of Respondents Who Had Moderate or Major Problems and Chi-Square Results by Academic Classification ................... Responses to the Question: "Do You Feel That the Statements Nhich You Have Marked Provide a Fairly Complete Picture of the Problem Areas Currently Troubling You?" ................... Responses to the Question: "Which of the Services Cause the Most Problem for Foreign Students?" . . . . Responses to Items 2 and 7 on the Interview ...... ix Page 94 96 97 99 99 101 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix Page A. THE MOONEY PROBLEM CHECK LIST ..... ' ....... 126 B. THE MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROBLEM INVENTORY ...................... 130 C. LETTER OF PERMISSION FROM OR. PORTER TO USE THE MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROBLEM INVENTORY . . 134 D. REVISED VERSION OF THE MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROBLEM INVENTORY .............. 135 E. LETTER TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADVISORS ...... 140 F. LETTER TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS .......... 141 G. INTERVIEH QUESTIONS ................. 142 H. APPROVAL LETTER FROM UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS .......... 144 1. COVER LETTER .................... 145 J. INTERVIEW PARTICIPATION CARD ..... ' ....... 146 K. FOLLOH-UP LETTER .................. 147 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY Statement of the Problem Since World War II, the number of foreign students seeking educational opportunities in American institutions of higher education has increased significantly. Open Doors: Report on International Education (1985) reported that the total number of foreign students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities increased from 48,486 in 1960 to 342,113 in 1985. The majority of these students come from third-world countries and have unique problems adjusting to American society. Research has indicated that for all students, both foreign and national, satisfaction with college and university enrollment has an important influence on their success. However, little research has been conducted on the subject of foreign students’ problems, particularly' with reference to student personnel services. As a result, at many colleges and universities, services for international students have been developed on the basis of staff and faculty members’ assumptions regarding the adjustment needs of international students, rather than on the basis of a structured assessment of their needs. Also, because most international students share certain common concerns, institutional services are often designed with the notion that needs and concerns of all international students are the same. Also, many college and university officials place the foreign student low on their list of priorities (Goodwin & Nacht, 1983). Few recent in-depth studies have been done at Michigan State University (MSU) concerning foreign students’ problems. To address this -problem, this writer investigated the major concerns and difficulties foreign students have regarding selected student personnel services on the MSU campus. Purposes of the Study The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the concerns and difficulties of foreign students attending Michigan State University during the 1987-88 academic year. More specifically, the purposes of the study were: - 1. To identify the problems perceived by foreign students attending Michigan State University regarding the following student personnel services: (a) orientation, (b) social/personal, (c) living/dining, (d) health services, (e) student activities, (f) financial aid, (9) placement, and (h) international student office services. 2. To determine whether there are significant differences in the nature and distribution of the problems as they are related to students’ age, gender, marital status, academic classification, area of origin, and length of stay at Michigan State University. 3. To determine whether the nature and distribution of diffi- culties perceived by the student population in the late 19805 differ significantly from those perceived by foreign students who partici— pated in a study conducted at Michigan State University in the early 19605. 4. To develop possible strategies to improve the existing stu- dent personnel services at Michigan State University. Researgh Questions The study was designed to answer the following questions: 1. Nhat are the major difficulties of the foreign student attending Michigan State University? 2. What is the relationship between the problems encountered and the variables of age, gender, marital status, academic classifi- cation, area of origin, and length of time at Michigan State Univer- sity. 3. What are the similarities and differences between the problems perceived by foreign students at Michigan State University in the early 19605 and their counterparts in the late 19805? 31mm The following hypotheses were formulated to test the data gathered in this study: Hypothesis 1: There are no significant differences in the degree of difficulty and the numbers of problems reported by foreign students in their interaction with each of the student personnel services among students of different ages, genders, marital status, areas of origin, academic classifications, and lengths of time at Michigan State University. Hypothesis 2: There are no significant differences in the types and the numbers of difficulties encountered by foreign students at Michigan State University in the early 19605 and the late 19805, as related to their age, gender, marital status, area of origin, academic classification, and length of time at Michigan State University. rt n The literature contained little information about the problems encountered by foreign students who attend MSU. Therefore, it was important to investigate the various factors that might disturb foreign students attending the university. Such information can serve as a foundation for the administrators of the student services under investigation and could lead to the development of strategies to improve those services. For example, the study could help the International Student Office conduct its orientation programs and other related services. In addition, the study might provide the counseling center with information that could help in dealing with special problems of international students. The study findings might also help foreign students themselves and their related organizations in dealing with the students’ adjustment problems. The results of the study might help foreign students’ sponsoring governments and agencies plan their pre-arrival orientation, which could familiarize students with the difficulties and problems they might encounter. Finally, the study will contribute to the present body of literature on foreign students in the United States, and specifically in Michigan. A u io In conducting this study, the writer assumed that: l. The survey questionnaire was a comprehensive instrument to investigate the nature and the distribution of problems encountered by foreign students regarding some of the student personnel services offered at Michigan State University. 2. The participants were able to read and understand the statements in the questionnaire and responded honestly to each statement. Delimitations ofsthe Study The research was delimited as follows: 1. The study was limited geographically to the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing. 2. The subjects of this study were limited to a sample of for- eign students currently enrolled at Michigan State University during spring term 1988. 3. The time period of the study was limited to spring term 1988. Qefinjtjpn pf Iepms The following terms are defined in the context in which they are used in this dissertation. Foreignlinternatjpne! students. Those students attending Michigan State University who had their citizenship in a country other than the United States and held a nonimmigrant visa. In this study, the terms "international student” and foreign student" were considered to be synonymous and were used interchangeably. Formn student fiadvisor. A staff member at Michigan State University who had been appointed to fulfill the university’s legal responsibilities to the Immigration and Naturalization Services and its general responsibilities to foreign students and their families by coordinating special services for them. Michigan International Student Problem Inventory (MISPI). A set of 132 items derived from the Mooney Problem Checklist (College Form) and constructed by John H. Porter (1963). The instrument has been modified by Breunder (1972), Hart (1974), and Arubay (1980) and was also modified for the present study. Office for International Students and Schplers. .A university unit that. provides various types of' assistance to international students at Michigan State University. The office is located in the International Center. Stpgent personnel seyytees. Services, exclusive of classroom teaching, that are provided for college and university students in an attempt to facilitate their academic progress and personal development. These services are within the areas of (a) admissions, (b) records and reports, (c) orientation, (d) counseling and guidance, (e) living and Idining, (f) health, (9) religion, (h) financial aid, (i) student activities, (j) placement, and (k) student discipline. QVEY‘V )ew The dissertation is organized as follows: Chapter I contained a statement of the problem under investigation, purposes of the study, research questions and hypotheses, a discussion of the importance of the study, assumptions and delimitations, and definitions of important terms. Chapter II contains a review of research and literature related to the current study. In Chapter III, the design of the study is explained. Included are sections on the study design, population and sample, instrumentation, and data- collection and data-analysis procedures. Results of the data analyses are reported in Chapter IV. Chapter V contains a summary of the study, major findings, conclusions based (”1 the findings, and recommendations. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Mignon Since Horld Var II much systematic research and many national conferences have been devoted to the concerns and difficulties encountered by foreign students. To give a thorough overview of these concerns and problems, the review of the literature has been organized into four major parts. The first part introduces the reader to the area of cross-cultural education and research. The next part covers theoretical aspects of evaluation and need assess- ment. The third part is devoted to difficulties related to student personnel services encountered by foreign students in the United States. The fourth part focuses on the Michigan International * Student Problem Inventory (MISPI). Historieel Bectgrpgng Cross-Cultural Education Metroux (1952) defined cross-cultural education as "the social process of acquiring knowledge of an intellectual or technical nature, under institutionalized conditions, outside one’s own social and cultural environment" (p. 1). According to Metroux, Study abroad, or cross-cultural education, has had a long ~history in western society; it has played a prominent role in the development of the western world, and the ideals and beliefs that have sanctioned it have changed substantially over time. (p. 3) Vhile traveling for education began as early as the sixth century' B.C. when Confucius traveled through .Asia, students and teachers from many lands traveled to Greek universities in the third and fourth centuries B.C. For example, Plato studied in Egypt, and Aristotle journeyed from Macedonia to Athens. However, travel for education was not common until the rise of the European universities in the twelfth century A.D. From 'that time to the sixteenth century, students went abroad to receive training not accessible to them at home. The availability of universities, the rise of national interests, and the emergence of national systems of education in the sixteenth century reduced the prevalence of educational travel. In the sixteenth century, new trends developed in educational travel. Montaigne, a pioneer of the liberal“ education concept, claimed that a sojourn in foreign countries gave young people an opportunity to match their abilities to those of other people and to return to their own countries with a knowledge of the living patterns of other nations. Also, in the same century, cross- cultural education was introduced as a culmination of formal academic training. Travel for education became extremely popular during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (Scanlon, 1965). Students continued to travel outside their own countries, despite the rise of national interests and the emergence of national systems of 10 education. In the nineteenth century, international student migration increased significantly. The popular concept of educational travel as a complement to liberal education increased in popularity and developed into the "Grand Tour." Students from countries such as Germany, Great Britain, and France, who had achieved a high degree of scientific, philosophical, and literary development, participated extensively in the Grand Tour. The promotion of the Grand Tour continued into the twentieth century. Reflecting this idea, immediately after World War 1, England established the Association for the International Interchange of Students. The "junior year abroad" and other current programs of student travel had their roots in the same concept. A favorable climate for educational travel developed during the first decade of the twentieth century. The gap in science and technology between developed and developing nations increased, which resulted in an extreme need for students in developing nations to seek knowledge in developed countries. According to Dubois (1956), the history of cross-cultural education on the academic level has shown that such education has been used to attain the fellowing cultural and social objectives: (a) to acquire and diffuse knowledge, (b) to complement the process of higher education, (c) to develop mutual understanding and good will on the international level, and (d) to implement certain aspects of foreign policy. Since the 19205, student migration to the United States has greatly increased (Kandle, 1949). This increase can be accounted 11 for in a number of ways. First, it might be because many German universities were closed to foreign students during World Var 11. Second, every country in the world began to look to the United States as a center, not only for the study of education but also for advanced study in other fields. Third, the Unitéd States government and some large private foundations have granted thousands of scholarships to students from many countries to study in the United States. After an extensive review of the literature, Spaulding and Flack (1976) gave the following reasons why foreign students come to the United States: (a) to receive an advanced education or training that is not available at home, (b) to acquire prestige through a degree from an American institution, (c) to take advantage of available scholarship funds, (d) to escape unsettled political or economic conditions in their home countries, and (e) to learn more about the United States. Cross-Cultural Research Cross-cultural research is a helpful tool for identifying and explaining the changes and problems sojourners experience in a foreign environment. Jacobson (1963) defined sojourn research as developmental research that is concerned with what happens to the individual over time. Systematic research regarding foreign students dates back to the period after World War II, when the United States government and numerous private agencies adopted foreign-student exchange programs 12 as a technique for achieving sociopolitical goals. Since that time, many' national conferences have been devoted to the concerns of foreign students, and many articles and research reports have been focused on foreign students and their problems. Spaulding and Flacks (1976) categorized the questions that are often asked in research dealing with foreign students as follows: (a) quantitative statistics about foreign students in the United States; (b) reasons foreign students have for Coming to the United States; (c) what happens to foreign students while they are in the United States; (d) *what happens to foreign students after they return home; (e) the effects of foreign students on the United States; (f) the structure, administration, and financing of foreign- student. programs; (9) talent. migration and brain drain; and (h) different ways of preparing human resources for development. A considerable number of studies have been done on the adjustment of foreign students to the American campus environment. However, the term "adjustment" has been given various meanings, according to the views of the individuals using it. The so-called 'U-curve' hypothesis is one model that deals with foreign students’ adjustment from the social scientist’s point of view. This model, which was developed by Dubois (1956) and other researchers, breaks down foreign students’ adjustment into the following four phases: spectator, adaptive, ”coming-to-terms,” and pre-departure. Ford (1969) summarized Dubois’s phases as follows: 13 l. The Spectetor Phase. This phase is characterized by psy- chological detachment from the new experience. The student is protected from serious distress or major influence since he or she is not yet personally involved in the new scene. This period may last until the first task or the first role as a participant in the American scene is undertaken. 2. The Adeptiye Phase. This is characterized by active involvement in the problem of adjustment to the life of the host country. It is the phase of the most acute strain and stress, consisting of unresolved conflicts when the so- called culture shock may be most acute. This is the period when the student begins to participate in American culture and when he or she becomes emotionally engaged in the network of values, customs, and habits prevalent in this country. 3. The Coming-to-Terms Phase. This stage sets 'hi when the adaptive issues raised for the individual during the preceding phase are brought into an equilibrium. During this period the student may be characterized by either positive or negative attitudes or by objective judgments of the host country. Regardless of whether or not attitudes toward the host culture and the self are positive, negative, or objective, this stage is characterized by relative stability. 4. The Pre-departure Phase. This phase starts shortly before the individual leaves the host country. At this stage the expectations of returning to the home country dominate the student’s feelings and attitudes. The tenor of this period again may be negative or positive, depending on the nature)of the adjustment and life expectations upon return. p. 29 Another' model, which deals with the .foreign students’ adjustment and is considered an extension of the ”U-curve," is the "N-curve.” Gullahorn (1973) noted that many foreign students experience a second low point in morale and an increase in psychiatric symptoms at the end of their stay. This phenomenon is attributed to the anticipated stresses of readjustment by the student, as described by Dubois in the pre-departure and l4 readjustment phases; consequently, another "U" was added to make a "H" curve. Evaluation and Need Assessment Matteo Differences in the purposes and goals of evaluation are reflected in the variety of ways educators have defined evaluation and the different schools of thought that have grown up around these definitions. Pace (1978) classified these schools from the educational perspective as follows: 1. In the "educational psychology” model, as a result of the influence of the measurement movement in education in the 19205 and 19305, evaluation was defined as being roughly synonymous with educational measurement. Ebel (1965), an advocate of this model, defined evaluation as ”a judgment of merit, sometimes based solely on measurements such as those provided by test scores but more frequently involving the synthesis of various measurements, critical incidents, subjective impressions, and other kinds of evidence" (p. 450). 2. The "professional judgment" model appeared through the for- malization of school and university accreditation procedures. This approach defined evaluation as the exercise of professional judgment. At this point it is important to mention the concept of evaluation that emerged with the work of Ralph Taylor and others in the Eight-Year Study of the 19305 (Smith & Taylor, 1942). Taylor 15 defined evaluation as the process of comparing performance data with clearly specified objectives. This view has had a great influence on several schools of evaluation. 3. The ”educational decision" model has been associated with the work of Alkin (1969), who viewed evaluation as a process of identifying and collecting information to help decision makers choose among available alternatives. 4. The "educational science" model of evaluation was derived from research methods for' measuring the differential effect of educational programs on students’ development. This model, which is intended to explain the causes of whatever results are observed, is identified with the work of Astin and Panos (1971). 5. The "educational change" approach emphasizes the uses of evaluation for individual learning and institutional self-study for institutional improvement. It must be emphasized that most models or approaches acknowledge that evaluation, in the final analysis, is concerned with judgments of worth or merit, but they differ in the means they advocate for making those judgments. Need Assesspept The conceptual framework of this study was need assessment and its application to student services. Therefore, the concepts of need and need assessment are considered in this section, along with a relevant classification of need that might be useful in planning student affairs need assessment. 16 The literature on evaluation generally acknowledged the importance of assessing needs as a part of a systematic evaluation process. However, the procedures for such assessment are rarely explicated. It is almost as if" need assessment were a self- explanatory and perhaps elementary process. The same conclusion can be drawn about need assessment in student affairs. Lenning (1979) concluded, Student affairs [personnel] are generally quite knowledgeable and proficient in identifying and assessing important needs of individual clients. When designing programs for groups, however, the identification and assessment of group needs tend to be subjective, unsystematic, overly simplistic, and as a result, often ineffective. Even when the student affairs literature discusses needs assessment as a prerequisite to or part of evaluation it is dealt with in an introductory fashion. (pp. 185-86) Anderson (1981) defined need assessment as "the process by which one identifies needs and decides upon priorities among them." He defined need as "a condition in which there is a discrepancy between an acceptable state of affairs and an observed state of affairs" (p. 254). Some discussion has centered on whether or not a discrepancy concept of need is adequate or necessary for an effective and productive need study. One of the problems Lenning (1979) mentioned is that the discrepancy concept of need has led many assessors to equate wants or demands with needs. He added that wants may very well be indicators of the presence of need, particularly if wants develop into demands or expressions of anguish. Nevertheless, an authentic need may not exist. Therefore, it is important to identify and analyze wants and demands in the assessment of need. 17 Lenning concluded that a need is considered to be a combination of discrepancy and level of necessity. The degree to which elements of both components exist should be judged by a. relevant person or group, using objective criteria and methodologies that have been mutually agreed on by the assessors and the target group. The relevant person or group to determine when the combination of necessity and discrepancy constitutes need, and the point at which needs are partially or fully met, depends on the situation and context. However, it is important to remember that the amount of need varies directly with both the level of necessity and the amount of discrepancy. Conducting a need assessment is an important prerequisite for effectively improving student affairs programs. It is important to identify and assess the needs of specific grdups in the student population. All students may have some needs in conmon that a program could help meet. However, different subgroups of students are likely to have different types and patterns of needs. The question that could be raised at this time is: Hith what types of needs should a student-affairs professional be concerned? In reviewing the literature on needs and need assessment in student affairs, Lenning (1979) identified a number of need schemas. Many of these categorizations are pertinent to the concern of student- affairs professionals and can stimulate thinking about the process of determining which needs should be assessed for various target groups. 18 The earliest classification of needs was developed by Murray (1983) in a study conducted at Harvard University. Murray introduced the need for achievement and the need for affiliation scales. Another schema that has greatly influenced student affairs professionals is Maslow’s (1954) hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow, needs at a particular level cannot be met until those at lower levels in the hierarchy have been satisfied. Beatty (1976) classified needs into two 'types, in terms of goals: Perspective needs are determined by societal norms, whereas motivational needs are determined by the individual’s goals. Another type of need study has focused on needs in terms of outcomes or results. Chickering (1969) identified seven develop- mental vectors for college students, each of which had two or more subcategories of outcomes. Needs can also be related to problems, as in the case of the present study. The Mooney Problem Check List (Mooney & Gordon, 1950) is an example of this typology of need. For example, each of the following 11 problem areas considered in the college student form of the checklist can imply particular needs: (a) health and physical development; (b) finances, living conditions, and employment; (c) social and recreational activities; (d) personal/psychological relations, (e) courtship, sex, and marriage; (f) home and family; (9) morals and religion; (h) adjustment to school and work; (i) the future--vocational and educational; and (j) curriculum and teaching procedures. The present writer adapted the 19 Michigan International Student Problem Inventory (MISPI), which was created by Porter (1963) as an identical form of the Mooney Problem Check List. In addition, the Mooney Problem Check List (College Form) was used as a model for developing the MISPI. Bradshaw (1972) and Merril (1977) introduced another typology of needs that could be useful in student affairs programming. The categories in this typology are: (a) normative needs, (b) felt needs, (c) expressed needs, (d) comparative needs, and (e) anticipated or projected needs. Foreign Students and Student Personnel Services This section of the literature review covers the concerns of foreign students regarding a number of student personnel services. Orientation The first formal orientation program in the United States was conducted in 1888 at Boston University (Darnells & Kuh, 1977). Orientation courses at that time ranged in length from two weeks to a full academic year. Emphasis was usually on study and library skills, along with information about the school’s purpose and campus activities. Another form of orientation program, first used by the University of Maine in 1923, was called “Freshman Heek” (Darnells & Kuh, 1977). Most often this program had the same goals as the orientation course, but it was usually conducted in the week immediately preceding the fall semester. 20 During the second and third decades of the twentieth century, the number of orientation courses and freshman-week programs greatly increased (Darnells & Kuh, 1977). Precollege or summer clinics, first introduced by Michigan State University in 1949, took the place of formal courses. The freshman week and/or summer clinics were the preferred orientation formats in the mid-19605. At that time, orientation courses did not exist, although renewed interest in them has been noted in recent years. Snider (1970) defined orientation as "mass meetings where college authorities and selected members of the student body impart rules, regulations, and general information to the new students" (p. 138). Morstain (1972) stated that the major purpose of orientation is to inform new students that the college experience is most appropriately one of self-direction and intellectual stimulation. Shuffer (1962) concluded that orientation ”contributes to the student’s understanding of the relevance of higher education to his/her life problems" (p. 274). Higent (1971) described orientation in philosophical terms, as either microcosm or macrocosm in scope and depth of purpose. Hhereas microcosm programs are concerned with the student’s immediate relationship with the institution, macrocosm programs attempt to help the new student understand the mission and purpose of higher education. Orientation for foreign students is considered to be a continuous process that begins when the student is still in his/her own country and ends on the day he/she returns home after completing 21 the course of study. Three stages of an orientation program have been proposed: 1. At the pre-arrival stage, the student needs much information concerning his/her sojourn. This information should include selection and planning of the educational program, general facts about life in the host country, major cultural differences, travel instructions, and a long-range financial plan to cover the entireperiod of study. Thus, an effective pre-arrival orientation program might help the foreign student eliminate many pre-arrival and arrival problems. This type of orientation has been organized by the American University Alumni Association in Bangkok for its students who are leaving for further education in the United States. Bridges and Hall (1971) conducted research for the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs and concluded that students sponsored by the American government generally received adequate pre-arrival orientation. However, students sponsored by foreign governments or private agencies may or may not receive adequate pre- arrival orientation, depending on the degree of concern for the grantee’s needs and the resources available; privately sponsored students may receive no pre-departure orientation at all. Spaulding and Flacks (1976) suggested that the pre-arrival orientation for foreign students should be a concern of sponsors, as well as of universities and colleges. 2. The post-arrival stage includes two kinds of orientations. The first consists of an introduction to the campus, the academic programs, registration procedures, and housing arrangements. The 22 second kind introduces the student to the culture of ‘the host country--its mores, customs, and social-political institutions. The latter type of orientation continues for the entire period of study. 3. The departure stage should take place before the student’s return home. This stage includes an evaluation of experiences and a discussion of their application in the student’s home situation, as well as adjustment problems the student is likely to face when he/she returns home. Many’ colleges and universities that have a sizable foreign student enrollment use the on-arrival or post-arrival campus orientation. Ideally, the orientation program at these institutions should provide an overall awareness of the way of life of the host country, as well as the services offered by the institution. The importance of this function has encouraged many studies on the perceptions of foreign students regarding orientation programs. Shepard (1970) conducted a survey of 38 colleges and universities in the southern United States. In that survey, 40% of the foreign students said they felt unwelcome, lonely, and isolated. Many of them complained of inadequate pre-departure information and poor on-campus orientation. Shepard also found that many of the colleges and universities he surveyed had no orientation programs for foreign students. Pruitt (1978) conducted a ten-year research project (1966 to 1976) at the State University of New York on the orientation of foreign students. He concluded that foreign students had more 23 positive impressions of American culture if they came from prominent families, attended orientation programs, and visited the foreign student office. Pruitt recommended that foreign students should be encouraged to make as many inquiries as possible before coming to America. He also suggested that the foreign student advisor should encourage administrators to be sensitive to foreign students’ problems and should match foreign students with American families to facilitate their adjustment. Another study on the orientation of foreign students was conducted by Pfau (1983) at the University of Connecticut. The researcher found that most of the students did not attend orientation activities, and many were not aware of the existence of the program. The Office of International Students found that the welcoming letters sent to new students were not sufficient to inform students of the available orientation activities and other services. Based on these findings, Pfau recommended that: (a) the orientation for foreign students should be widely publicized, (b) an article about the orientation program and activities should be printed in the university newspaper at the beginning of the semester, and (c) the university should be more active in sending students details about the orientation program before they arrive on campus. Pfau also summarized students’ suggestions about the content of the orientation program as follows: (a) foreign student pamphlets should be more comprehensive; (b) students should be given a name and telephone number to call when they arrive; (c) students should be introduced to persons who could help them in emergencies; (d) 24 orientation sessions should entail some kind of informal discussion instead of lectures; (e) a booklet should be printed that contains the names of foreign students, their countries, addresses, and fields of study; (f) there should be a transportation service to pick up new students from their points of arrival; and (9) foreign students should be involved in planning and implementing the orientation activities. Tayeb (1980) conducted a study of 292 students enrolled during fall semester 1980 at the University of Alabama. The instrument used in the study was the Michigan International Student Problem Inventory (MISPI). The main purpose of the study was to determine what kinds of difficulties foreign students experienced during their sojourn in the United States. Tayeb observed that the student organization that represented foreign students on the university campus was not active enough to draw recognition and help from its own body of students and other campus and community groups. According to Tayeb, the success of such an orientation depends on recruiting a group of students who will serve as peer advisors on a part-time basis during the academic year. He also recommended that the university’s counseling services be centrally involved in developing an orientation program that unfolds in phases spread over the semester to coincide with orientation difficulties identified on the MISPI. Tayeb indicated that several well-designed and comprehensive orientation programs had been developed for new foreign students 25 enrolling at the University of Alabama. However, because some students arrive in the middle or at the end of the program, they do not benefit from it. He recommended that the Division of Student Affairs consider experimenting with a required semester—long course of orientation for all new foreign students. 'The course content would cover the topics of cross-cultural adjustment, academic advising, study skills, personal counseling, student activities, and placement. Social/Personal Relations A great deal of research has been conducted in the social/ personal area as a result of administrators’ and counselors’ preoccupation with what happens to foreign students’ social lives while they are in the United States. Researchers have used different approaches in describing and explaining students’ adjustment and have developed such new concepts as the curve of adjustment, culture shock, and the U-curve hypothesis. Yeung (1980) reported that the personal and social life of many foreign students is often marked by a sense of social isolation and feelings of loneliness and homesickness. Although many educators believe that cross-cultural education will prompt international understanding, that assumption cannot be taken for granted. The mere presence of foreign students does not necessarily mean frequent contact and communication between American and foreign students. As a matter of fact, social interaction between foreign and American students is infrequent, if not rare. Because of the differences 26 between home and host-country values and expectations, and' the considerable variance in degrees of social distance in different cultures, foreign students do not have a clear idea of what is expected of them and are unsure of how to relate to others. Losada (1970) conducted a study of 476 foreign students at Purdue University. He concluded that about one-fourth of those students felt disassociated from the mainstream of American life. Kelin and her associates (1971) reported that at least half of the surveyed foreign students had not established any close friendships with Americans. They concluded that social isolation from Americans is a fact of life for many Asian students. Das (1976) conducted a study at the University of Minnesota (Duluth) and found that as many as 82% of the foreign students there believed little social contact took place between foreign and American students. Whereas the social contact between foreign and American students on campus is not as frequent or satisfying as expected, the relationships between foreign students and people in the local community are possibly even less so. In a study they conducted at Hestern Michigan University, Bournazos and Leany (1974) found that about half’ of ‘the 102 foreign students in the sample reported feeling that community members were superficially cordial but basically indifferent and aloof. Gabriel (1973) summarized some of the reasons that prevented foreign students from social interaction: (a) the lack of culturally appropriate social skills, (b) the pressure to study, and (c) the tendency of many foreign students to stay within their / 27 national groups. Gabriel added that even those who did have American friends expressed a general dissatisfaction with the strength and nature of those friendships. Another type of social and cultural problem that was indicated in the literature was prejudice and discriminatory practices against foreign students because of their culture, national origin, skin color, and/or religious beliefs. Moofe (1970) reported that foreign students experienced (a) receipt of lower hourly wages than American students; (b) unwillingness of recruiters for American firms to interview foreign students for summer jobs ¢n~ for practical training; (c) higher automobile insurance rates; and (d) unequal treatment in consideration for admission, financial aid, and services that were available to other students. Yeung (1980) compared the anticipated adjustment problems with the problems that. were actually' experienced by 67 international students enrolled at North Texas State University. He developed a questionnaire that contained 182 problem items related to the following student personnel services: (a) communication and language; (b) academic; (c) social-culture; (d) psychological- personal; (e) financial; (f) health, housing, and food; and (9) international student advising. Yeung reported that the problem areas, foreign students experienced (ranked in order from most to least serious) were as follows: (a) financial, (b) communication and language, (c) social- culture, (d) housing and food, (e) psychological-personal, (f) 28 health, (9) academic, and (h) international student advising. ‘The researcher also found that the 12 adjustment problems that showed the greatest discrepancy were (ranked in order from greatest to least discrepancy): (a) getting sufficient academic advising from an academic advisor, (b) feeling homesick, (c) feeling lonely and isolated, (d) finding satisfactory housing at a reasonable price, (e) competing with American students for higher grades, (f) finding a group to join, (9) finding time for recreational activities, and (h) racial discrimination. In addition, the social-cultural problem area was the first in rank order of the problem areas according to their discrepancy means (from greatest to least). Another study, conducted by K00 (1962) at Michigan State University on 212 American students (140 freshmen and 72 graduate students), examined the attitudes of American students toward foreign students and the extent of their contact with those students. The instrument used in the study was a questionnaire. Koo concluded that the American students at Michigan State University did not avoid foreign students and sought the Opportunity to know them. The reasons given that could prevent such contact included American students’ attitude of indifference toward foreign students and the possibility that students in either group were too busy. ‘The degree of' American students’ contact with foreign students was positively related to their attitudes toward foreign students. American students usually became more interested in a specific country after knowing students from that country. University level and major had a significant effect on the 29 relationship with foreign students. It appeared that graduate . students had more contact with foreign students than did undergraduate students. In addition, American students majoring in education, home economics, agriculture, and science had more contact with foreign students than did students majoring in fine arts, language, business, communication, and social science. Koo also found that American students did not prefer contact with European students over contact with students from other areas. Lack of contact was not a result of language difficulty, and extracurricular activities did not lead to more contact. Finally, residence proximity had a positive effect on the contact between American and foreign students. In conclusion, it has been assumed that foreign students’ adjustment to a new culture is highly dependent on their achievement of effective interpersonal relationships with people from the host country and on the host’s understanding and awareness of different cultures. Because this goal is not easily achieved, foreign students experience problems in their social and personal adjustment. Porter (1962) reported some of these problem areas as follows: (a) personal relationships with students; (b) personal relationships with faculty; (c) withdrawal from the American cultural setting; (d) behavioral alienation from their home country; (e) personal inconvenience and embarrassment; (f) feeling basically inferior; (9) hearing remarks about personal traits of people from their home country; (h) low social position in America; (i) parental 3O ties at home; (j) home identification threatened by accepting the American system; (k) cultural background; (1) racial issues; (m) having to shift educational goals; (n) having to shift life goals; (0) accepting Americans as equals; (p) speaking before service clubs and groups; (q) discrimination because of color; (r) discrimination when traveling; (s) escape from home country; (t) cities of the United States being a certain shock; (u) Americans’ touchiness and their insincerity in inviting criticism; (v) Americans’ superficial friendliness; (w) experiencing anti-Semitism; (x) playing the role of student, tourist, and unofficial ambassador; (y) the classroom not seeing the world view; (2) American professors’ ignorance of the rudiments of foreign culture; (aa) Americans’ lack of respect for the aged; (bb) .Americans’ pretense of knowledge about the home country; (cc) study abroad too short; (dd) hearing remarks about the division of their home country; (ee) hearing remarks about the social structure of their home country; (ff) hearing remarks about their ”inhuman" and "unenlightened" home country; (99) hearing critical remarks that their home country is undemocratic; (hh) Americans claiming that their home country does not live up to its moral principles; (ii) remarks about population increases in their home country; (jj) assessing their country’s world status; (kk) changes in international relations; (11) changes in their home government; (mm) remarks about their home country’s political system; (no) conflicts with their home country’s ideology; (oo) chivalry; (pp) losing identity with people at home; (qq) understanding American jokes and humor; (rr) parental control; (55) 31 low national status; (tt) international marriage; and (uu) different sexual roles. Living and Dining Raging. The earliest form of student housing at American colleges and universities. was the traditional dormitory of the colonial private colleges. In that form of housing the colleges provided students with facilities for such basic physical needs as eating and sleeping. The sharp increase in student enrollments after World War 11 led to two innovations in the housing system: Apartment—style housing was constructed to handle the large number of married students who entered on the G.I. Bill, and thousands of single undergraduate students entering public colleges were housed in residential halls. By the 19505 and 19605, these large units, standardized in appearance, managed by professionals, and organized to provide service and to control students, had become the dominant mode of housing. One of the first problems foreign students encounter is finding proper housing accommodations. This problem is greater for students who arrive late in a country where there is a housing shortage. Even when housing is available, foreign students face the difficulties of making a wise choice, finding suitable roomates, understanding what is and is not covered by the rental charge, and coping with the rules and regulations of housing, the provisions and obligations of the rental agreement, and the use and care of appliances. 32 A study conducted at North Carolina State University included 747 foreign students from 71 countries. The purpose of this study was to obtain information about these students’ adjustment to the university environment. The findings showed that the second most difficult area for foreign students (out of 17 areas covered in the survey) was obtaining housing. Porter (1962) indicated that a number of problems with housing facilities often face foreign students. These problems include the distance to college from residence, transportation, discrimination by home owners, discrimination by other students, unnaturalness of the dormitory, high rent, lack of privacy, not being able to live with fellow countrymen, theft, policies of fraternities and sororities, international houses, and noise and horseplay. Kajornsin (1979), too, mentioned a number of housing problems confronting many international students. He cited a lack of available housing when students arrive on campus, noisiness, a lack of' privacy, high rent, roommate or neighbor problems, landlord difficulties, loneliness, and a childish environment. Several writers have observed that foreign students like to room with their own countrymen. Older foreign students, especially, prefer to live with students of the same nationality in private off— campus housing, forming their own "cultUral ghettos." Yeung (1980) reported that despite the disadvantages of forming such ”ghettos' or "little national enclaves," there are some advantages, and sometimes the co-national group is even considered to be an adaptive agency 33 that performs the following functions for new foreign students: (a) it provides a place where a foreign student can feel at home with his/her countrymen; (b) it maintains the identity of the student’s own home culture; (c) it provides a sense of social security and relief from the stresses of coping with a new life; (d) it provides mutual approval from within a familiar frame of reference, when academic stresses are at an all-time peak; and (e) it provides structure inia world where values, manners, and morals are different from those at home. fippg. Not much has been written on food and the international student. However, the following food-service problems for the foreign student were reported: (a) lack of variety, (b) tastelessness of American food, (c) high cost of food, and (d) inability to adjust to American food. Another food-related issue facing some foreign students is certain dietary restrictions based on religious customs (Knowles, 1970). For example, many Hindu students from India do not eat beef, and orthodox Muslims and Jews do not eat pork. Also, some foreign students have difficulty obtaining native food and ingredients; they also face the problem of neighbor complaints about unusual cooking odors. Actually, international students often cite the problem of food as a justification of their need for off-campus housing. W Hillington (1976) summarized the purpose of having health services in colleges and universities: 34 Health service is a supporting and facilitating resource through which the welfare of [the] individual and the goal of the [university] community may be promoted. . . . In order for students to reap the harvest of successful intellectual pursuits, the student must maintain quality of health. . . . If a student is in poor health, incapacitated by illness or accident, he/she will be unable to study, attend classes and learn as effectively as he/she otherwise might. (pp. 327-28) Kajornsin (1979) summarized some of the factors that affect the physical and mental health of international students: adjustment to the new physical environment, a new culture, a new diet, and new sleeping and working habits; a shortage of money; the difficulty of maintaining proper academic and immigration status; national emergencies; and worry about the family back home. A number of health problems reported by foreign students were mentioned in the literature. Included were poor eyesight, recurrent headaches, poor hearing, a bad knee or leg, nervousness, mental health, and poor health in general. In terms of mental and emotional problems, a number of studies revealed that foreign students suffer from varying degrees of recurrent anxiety, depression, and paranoid psychotic reactions. Nikelly and his associates (1964) reported that foreign students required more psychiatric assistance than American students and that foreign students’ complaints were predominantly of a somatic nature (headaches, insomnia, fatigue, tension and worry, nervousness, muscular pains, and gastro-intestinal disorders). Rouben (1967) reported that some of the foreign students’ disturbances could be attributed to language difficulties, interpersonal communication, family ties, academic failure, economic problems, social behavior, religious conflicts, and legal difficulties. 35 Ichikawa (1966) and Nikelly (1964) concluded that foreign students are reluctant to admit they have an underlying emotional problem. Therefore, they often seek medical attention for physical symptoms. The researchers suggested that one reason for such behavior is that the majority of foreign students are from less- developed countries where they have had little exposure to extensive psychiatric services; therefore, counseling and psychotherapy are unfamiliar. Also, for some foreign students it is not culturally acceptable to seek personal counseling or psychiatric help because these services are considered to be only for overt psychotic problems. Some foreign students fear having such records kept about them, and others are hesitant to seek help because they fear appearing stupid because of their language deficiencies. In addition, some foreign students may be unaware of such services because of their low profile. Foreign students also have different counseling needs, and American counselors may not understand those needs because most counselors are not trained to provide effective support for clients in a cross-cultural situation. In fact, because of differences in values, attitudes, and life styles, traditional counseling services for foreign students may be ineffective and counterproductive. Finally, the literature recommended that health insurance should be emphasized and made available to foreign students, a variety of health plans should be offered and their policies clarified, and foreign students should be given more precise advice on general medical problems. 36 Stagent Activities Miller (1984) reported that, from its inception, American higher education has been concerned with more than intellectual development” Colleges and universities have offered more than merely the curriculum. The mission of the college has been education, but education can come in many forms--outside the classroom as well as inside. Miller also indicated that out-of—class .experiences have a major influence on college students emotionally, socially, morally, and physically, as well as mentally. It is relatively easy to see why this is true. Even students who are enrolled full time spend only a few hours a week in the classroom, while spending the majority of their time in other pursuits. Miller added that out-of- class activities cannot be viewed merely as a supplement to the curriculum in carrying out the educational mission of the American college. Rather, such activities must be seen as an integral part of the college’s educational program. He said that these activities should reflect changes in the student population, such as the increase of part-time, older, and community. students. Miller concluded that out-of—class activities can aid students’ development in the following areas: self-direction--career planning, social relationships, leadership, volunteer services, cultural participa-' tion, recreation, and athletics. Schmidt (1977) reported that organized student activities have different forms of leadership, patterns of organization, group programs and activities, sizes, and member compositions. He 37 classified organized student activities in the following way: fraternities and student government, political action groups, student publications, religious clubs, intellectual discussion groups, volunteer and service activities, and women’s groups. As mentioned earlier, loneliness and isolation are prevalent among foreign students. Despite having all the rights and privileges of other students, they are often hesitant to claim these rights. Instead, a large percentage of foreign students join their national associations and associate only with their fellow countrymen. Yeung (1980) discussed some of the reasons that might prevent foreign students from participating in student activities. To begin with, most student activities are designed to meet the needs of American students; consequently, they ignore the needs of the foreign student population. Also, the necessity for foreign students to work. in order ‘to finance their education could be another reason for their lack of participation in student activities. The pressure of studying and the fear of failure could also be reasons. In addition, poor language acquisition could directly or indirectly isolate them from supportive American contacts on both personal and academic levels. Klein (1971) concluded that what appears on the surface to be a foreign student’s l'ideal" adaptation- (a student’s making steady progress toward a degree) is sometimes misleading because such progress may be made at the expense of personal happiness. 38 Financial Aid Moon (1959) defined American student financial aid as "any direct, material effort made by a segment of society, other than the family, which serves either to reduce the student’s expense of col- lege attendance or to minimize the pressure of such expense on the student while in college” (p. 342). Van Dusen and O’Hearne (1973) defined financial aid more specifically as ”any [direct] means available to offset or to diminish the expenses normally incurred by an individual who lacks the resources needed to cover his expense while he is in college" (p. 8). Student financial aid is typically divided into grants, loans, and employment. Grants can take many forms, such as gift aid, which is based on need. Honor grants (scholarships) are given on the basis of academic-performance criteria. Fellowships are given on the basis of high intellectual ability. Tuition remission and service awards are based on the recognition of a special ability and require performance of a service, such as playing football. Van Dusen and O’Hearne defined loans as "sums of money offered with the requirement that they be repaid in full or in part, with or without the payment of interest" (p. 13). Loans may be short term, for emergency or petty-cash purposes, and usually small in amount, or they may be long term, in which case they are typically repaid when the borrower graduates or leaves school. Student employment refers to jobs held by students to meet their expenses; these jobs are funded by the institution or by outside employers. _39 Money for foreign students has always been a major concern. The literature revealed some of the causes of foreign students’ financial difficulties: (a) the dollar shortage in some countries and unstable currency exchange rates (Blegen, 1950), (b) inflation of the dollar and foreign currencies (Blegen, 1950), (c) increases in housing and food costs (Yeung, 1980), (d) national emergencies as in the cases of many Nigerian students in 1978 and Iranian students in 1979 (Chronicleaof Higher Edgeatjpp, 1978-79), (e) family emergencies affecting the source of students’ funds (Blegen, 1950), (f) personal emergencies such as illness (Blegen, 1950), (9) American laws that severely restrict foreign students’ ability to have a job (Eddy, 1978), (h) the limited number of graduate assistantships and fellowships for foreign students (Yeung, 1980), (i) the limited number of scholarships and grants for foreign students (Yeung, 1980), and (j) foreign students’ lack of experience in budgeting and money management (Klinger, 1967). In a study he conducted in Florida,-Breuder (1973) pointed out the problems of foreign students regarding the issue of financial aid. The results of this study indicated that foreign students were unable to secure loans and perceived financial aid as their chief problem. Junior college males had more problems receiving financial aid than did their female counterparts. Mukolu (1984) investigated the problems of 374 international students who were studying in Texas. The students were asked to indicate the degree of difficulty they had in 11 areas. The results indicated that the students perceived problems in the following 40 order of magnitude: (a) financial aid, (b) placement services, (c) social-personal, (d) academic advising and records, (e) living- dining, and (f) student activities. Regarding financial aid, Mokolu found that younger students had fewer problems than did older students. Also, females had more financial problems than males. Both single and married students reported that financial problems were a major source of difficulty. Students of all nationalities indicated they had major problems with financial aid, with the exception of students from South-East Asia, who reported financial aid was a minor problem or no problem at all. Plaeement Services Blaska (1977) viewed placement activities as involving a three- pronged approach to vocational guidance: self-understanding or self-analysis, job analysis, and knowledge of the work world. Brewer (1942) stated that the task of the vocational bureau (as it was called then) was to ”aid young people in choosing an occupation, preparing themselves for it, and building a career of efficiency and success.” Stephens (1970) stated that increasing attention has been paid to the first of these objectives as placement services move away from the limited role of matching students to jobs. Counseling, guidance, and advising beginning with freshman orientation and extending through graduation (and often after) are key concerns of the placement service. Placement means counseling students to know themselves, their interests, abilities, values, and needs; guiding them to a determination of their vocational goals and life-long objectives; and advising them of 41 educational and training requirements, job-market trends, and employment openings. Mohs (1962) defined the following tasks that placement services typically include: job solicitation, student-applicant recruitment and registration, applicant interviewing and referrals, accumulation of records and recommendations, scheduling of student-recruiter interviews, record keeping of applicants’. referrals and job placements, and reports and studies of working students. McEneaney (1973) added the following additional programs that could be offered by placement services: testing, part-time and summer employment, educational and alumni activities, and financial aid. Samli (1979) stated that foreign students rarely are provided with pr0per information and guidance in career development. He added that this problem results from several factors: (a) lack of adequate information regarding employment opportunities in the home country, (b) difficulty in determining the academic advisor’s sensitivity to international concerns, (c) lack of congruence between course work and desired work experience, (d) difficulty of expressing one’s self in an unfamiliar culture, and (e) lack of professionally trained career counselors. Samli developed a model for a career-counseling program for international students. The model comprised the following five stages: sensitization, consultation, redirection, evaluation, and preparation. Samli concluded that, to sensitize the counselor who assists international students, the following were important prerequisites for effective cross-cultural career counseling: 42 (a) having a general knowledge of the social, political, and economic conditions in the home country to assess the student’s particular cultural realm of career planning; (6) possessing familiarity with the academic curriculum and identification of internationally oriented academic advisors; (c) developing skills that will enable the counselor to initiate and evaluate mid-academic career review; (d) conducting re-entry transition counseling; and (e) developing feedback and follow-up systems. In. 51) Like Samli and his colleagues, MacArthur (1980) expressed concern about the usefulness of career guidance for foreign students. He wrote, The current unpredictable worldwide economic situation and ever-changing employment trends have created a more challenging job market for international students attending American universities. To ‘further2 complicate the job hunt for the foreign students, the desired job market for any particular student is often thousands of miles away and fairly inacces- sible. Yet, comparatively little has been done to assess the career needs of the numerous international students on our American college and university campuses to develop appropriate assistance programs for them. (p. 179) MacArthur summarized a study that was conducted at Brigham Young University' to assess the career needs of its 1,300 international students. The results of the assessment indicated that foreign students seemed basically to have decided their career goals and, as such, did not need the kind of career-decision-making assistance that American students required. However, foreign students expressed a strong need for assistance with job placement upon completion of 'their educational programs. Therefore, the university established a mutual arrangement with foreign. consular offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as with alumni of the university in foreign countries, to assist in placement services. The study concluded, 43 This effort is now providing our international students with specific, personal ways of receiving employment assistance in their home countries that cut through much bureaucracy and "red-tape” and give them readily accessible means of helping themselves in this important aspect of their lives. (p. 81) Kajorsin (1979) investigated foreign graduate students’ awareness and use of and attitudes toward selected student personnel services at Michigan State University. He used a questionnaire to collect data from 200 students. Regarding awareness of placement services, Kajorsin found that 19.3% of the sample were aware of some services (such as hints on resume writing, interviewing, job campaigns, and information on job vacancies) and knew how those services functioned. Another 41.38% were aware of these services but did not know much about them, and 39.31% did not know about the services at all. Results of the same study indicated that foreign graduate students were not well informed about part-time and summer jobs. Only 0.69% were aware of the services and knew how they functioned, 57.24% were aware of them but did not know much about them, and 42.07% did not know about the services at all. Regarding the use of placement services, Kajorsin found that fewforeign graduate students used the services at the placement office. Approximately 16% of the sample had used the services one to three times, 1% had used the services four to six times, and about 2% had used the services more than six times. The researcher concluded that the Placement Services Office should improve its conmunications with foreign students. 44 International Student Offiee Serviees Spaulding (1976) reported that several studies have been con- ducted on the effectiveness of international student office services in an attempt to improve the services they provided in the areas of planning, management, and goal attainment. Higbee (1961) conducted a study in the late 19505 on the range and scope of services provided by 697 foreign student advisors. At that time, according to Higbee, obstacles to the development of foreign student advising as a profession were as follows: (a) lack of a specialized curriculum to train foreign student advisors, (b) lack of systematic research concerning foreign student advisors, (c) newness of the foreign student advisor position as a special function, (d) lack. of' agreement among university administrators concerning the qualifications and functions of foreign student advisors, and (e) little knowledge of international student advising among foreign student advisors. According to Higbee, only about 50% of the foreign student advisors in his sample had complete responsibility in the areas of immigration and visa services, information and correspondence, and community contacts. For other services, a majority of these advisors said they either had shared responsibility or had no responsibility in these areas. Therefore, the role and functions of the foreign student advisor were not clearly defined. Morris (1960), an early advocate of professionalization of the position of foreign student advisor, stated that such advisors generally perform three functions: (a) they try to solve a variety 45 of technical problems related to academic life, transfer of credit, institutional ground rules, program tutoring, examinations, and the like; (b) they assist in carrying out the institutional policies regarding visas, work permits, transfers of funds, and dealing with immigration and other government officials, both-at home and abroad; and (c) they help the students understand and get the most out of their social experience in the United States. Focusing on the role and functions of the foreign student advisor, March (1972) concluded that the major functions performed by most such advisors are: (a) admission (information and correspondence, evaluation of foreign credentials, issuance of pertinent forms); (b) academic advising; (c) personal counseling; (d) immigrant assistance (extension of' stay, work permits); (e) community activities; (f) financial aid (loans, scholarships); (9) housing; (h) the orientation program; (i) social activities; and (j) employment. The preceding descriptions indicate that foreign student advisors must assume many roles. They need to be able to communicate with immigration officials; work in partnership with the offices of admissions, registration, career planning and placement, and housing/food services; and work with faculty members and any other persons who provide services to foreign students. One would assume that the foreign student advisor plays an important part in a student’s total adjustment by meeting his/her unique needs and helping solve his/her problems. However, there is 46 a lack of research on foreign students’ perceptions of this important role. One of the few studies that dealt with this topic was conducted by Lomak (1984) at Ohio University. He examined the extent to which 292 randomly selected foreign students were aware of, used, and were satisfied with selected student personnel services and programs at the university. He found that more than 50% of the students were unaware of some services and programs, such as leadership and cultural workshops, student code of conduct, and practical training programs offered by the universityu More than 40% of the sample were unaware of the following services 'and programs: health education, cross-cultural and personal adjustment, and travel construction. More than 70% of the subjects had used the services and programs of the registrar’s office;.the foreign student office dealt with immigration and visa matters. Regarding ratings of satisfaction with student personnel services, Lomak found that more than 30%. of the subjects were dissatisfied with the part-time-job program and all aspects of the housing and food programs. Furthermore, under the heading of student organizations, 25% of the subjects were dissatisfied with all facets of the university judiciary and with practical training. More than 50% of the sample were satisfied with the services and programs of registration, health, orientation, immigration and visa matters, student loans, and directing students to advisors. The services and programs with which respondents were least satisfied included assistance to student organizations, variety of food in the cafeteria, counseling on study habits and examination fears, 47 personal and interpersonal counseling, practical training, and adequacy of housing facilities. Respondents rated the Office of Health Services as being the most satisfactory, second was the International Student Office, and third was the Registrar’s Office. As a result of his study on foreign graduate students’ awareness and use of and attitudes toward selected student personnel services, Kajorsin (1979) discovered that 90% of the sample knew about the following services offered by the Foreign Student Office: orientation programs for new students, counseling and advising, and imigration services. However, approximately 29% of the subjects did not know about the availability of financial advice concerning loans, part-time jobs, scholarships, and assistantships. Twenty-two percent did not know about foreign student advisors working with the nationality-club groups, and 27% did not know the function of the office to coordinate efforts to solve emergency situations involving foreign students. Kajorsin also found that approximately 60% of the foreign students were satisfied, 35% were somewhat satisfied, and 6% were not satisfied with the services they received from the Foreign Student Office. The Michigan Interpatipnal Student Prpplem Inventory (MISPI) Porter (1962) conducted a study to investigate the major concerns of a sample of foreign students at Michigan State University. The study had three main objectives: (a) to develop an inventory that would enable the investigator to determine whether the problems of foreign students could be generalized from the 48 problems of foreign students as reported in the literature, (b) to determine if these problems and concerns were different from those encountered by American students, and (c) to determine whether there were significant differences among selected groups of foreign students in terms of the problems they experienced. In his study, Porter sought to answer the following questions: 1. Can the problems of foreign students, as reported in the literature and elsewhere, be generalized for the foreign student population at Michigan State University? 2. Hhat is the nature and extent of the problems and concerns of a sample of foreign students at Michigan State Univer- sity? 3. Are the problems and concerns of the sample of foreign stu- dents different in any' way from those of' a sample of students who are residents of the United States and studying at Michigan State University? 4. Are there any differences in the problems and concerns of the sample of foreign students as to sex, age, marital status, grade level, months at MSU, language, and area of origin? To achieve his goal, Porter used two’ kinds of problem checklists. The MISPI was the principal instrument used, but Porter also used the Mooney Problem Check List (College Form). The primary reason for using the Mooney Problem Check List (College Form) was that the instrument is similar to the MISPI. The Mooney Problem Check List (College Form) (see Appendix A) was developed during the early 19405 to help college students express their personal problems. In using the Mooney instrument, the student reads through the checklist, underlines the problems 49 that are of concern to him/her, circles the ones of most concern, and writes a summary statement regarding his/her problems. The Mooney Problem Check List is not a test. It does not measure the scope of intensity of a student’s problems in such a way as to yield a test score. The form is divided into 11 problem areas: (a) health and physical development; (b) finances, living conditions, and employment; (c) social and recreational activities; (d) social-psychological relations; (e) personal-psychological relations; (f) courting, sex, and marriage; (9) home and family; (h) morals and religion; (i) adjustment to college work; (j) the future: vocational and educational; and (k) curriculum and teaching procedures. Porter developed the MISPI as an instrument that would help foreign students identify their concerns (see Appendix B). The procedure for using the instrument is similar to that of the Mooney Problem Check List (College Form). The student is asked to read through the items and circle the numbers of those items that identify areas of concern. Space is provided on the last page for students to express their individual problems and concerns. Like the Mooney Problem Check List, the MISPI is not a test. It does not measure the scope or intensity of a problem in such a way as to yield a test score. The MISPI was designed to present problems that confront foreign students according to 11 recognized areas of student personnel services: (a) admissions and selection, (b) orientation, (c) academic advising and records, (d) counseling and guidance, (e) 50 room and board, (f) health services, (9) religious services, (h) remedial reading program, (i) student activities, (j) financial aid, and (k) placement. The MISPI contains 12 statements in each of these 11 areas. Porter administered the MISPI to 108 foreign students and 50 American students. Then he gave the Mooney-Problem Check List (College Form) to 46 foreign students and 47 American students. In 1963, Porter conducted a pilot study in which he established the concurrent validity of the MISPI by comparing results from the Mooney Problem Check List (College Form) and the MISPI. On the Mooney Problem Check List (College Form), the mean scores for American and foreign students were 44.97 and 21.24, respectively; this difference was significant at the .05 level. Likewise, mean scores of 11.26 and 15.06 on the MISPI were significantly different at the .05 level. These results tended to confirm that the Mooney instrument is more appropriate for testing American students and that the MISPI is better at measuring difficulties encountered by international students. Regarding the internal consistency reliability of the MISPI, Porter (1962) stated: A reliability estimate of .58 was found for the MISPI Inventory by use of the Kuder-Richardson Formula for the total scale, and a total scale reliability estimate of .67 was found by using the SpearmamBrown split-half method. Sub-scale reliability estimates ranged from .47 to .76 using the Kuder-Richardson Formula. (p. 7) Results of t-tests on the sample of 108 foreign students showed that females checked more problems than males, undergraduates 51 checked more problems than graduates, and foreign students who had been on campus for 13 months or longer checked more problems than those who had been on campus one year or less. In addition, students who did not speak English as a first language checked more problems than those who did, students who were identified as 'nonwestern" checked more problems than those identified as "western," single students checked more problems than married students, and younger students checked more problems than older ones. Porter reported that the financial aid subscale had the most discriminating items and the religious services subscale had the fewest discriminating items. Measures of central tendency for the 108 foreign students showed an average of 15.06 MISPI items checked. In addition, in answering the concluding questions of the MISPI, 76% of the students indicated they thought the checklist provided a complete picture of the problems troubling them at that time. Eighty-five percent thought the procedure was worthwhile. umm r This chapter contained a review of literature related to the problems and needs encountered by international students in American colleges and universities. Included were (a) a discussion of cross- cultural education and research; (b) an introduction to evaluation and need assessment; (c) a discussion of the problems and concerns of foreign students regarding orientation, social/personal relations, living and dining arrangements, health services, student 52 activities, financial aid, placement, and services provided by the international student office; and (d) background information on the MISPI and the Porter study. From the review of literature one can conclude that students from other countries studying in the United States experience a broad range of difficulties related to the above-mentioned services. CHAPTER III DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY Introduction The research design and methodology fOr this study are described in the following five sections: (a) a review of the purposes of the study, (b) a discussion of the procedure for selecting the sample, (c) a description of the data-gathering instruments, (d) an outline of the data-collection procedures, and (e) an explanation of the treatment of the data. Purposes of the Study The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the concerns and difficulties of foreign students attending Michigan State University during the 1987-88 academic year. More I specifically, the purposes of the study were: . 1. To identify the problems perceived by foreign students attending Michigan State University regarding the following student personnel services: (a) orientation, (b) social/personal, (c) living/dining, (d) health services, (e) student activities, (f) financial aid, (9) placement, and (h) international student office services. 2. To determine whether there are significant differences in the nature and distribution of the problems as they are related to 53 54 students’ age, gender, marital status, academic classification, area of origin, and length of stay at Michigan State University. 3. To determine whether the nature and distribution of diffi- culties perceived by the student population in the late 19805 differ significantly from those perceived by foreign students who partici- pated in a study conducted at Michigan State University in the early 19605. 4. To develop possible strategies to improve the existing stu- dent personnel services at Michigan State University. Po ulation and am 1 The total population of foreign students at Michigan State University for Spring Term 1988 was 2,036 students from 105 countries. The distribution of these students by geographic areas was as follows: —-I 0 North America: 93 students Central America: 15 students South America: 76 students 2 3 4. Europe: 103 students 5 Africa: 222 students 6 Asia: 1,516 students (Near and Middle East: 247; Far East: 1,209) 7. Oceania: 11 students The distribution of foreign students according to their academic classification was as follows: 1. Undergraduate: 1,587 students 2. Graduate: 449 students 55 The distribution of foreign students according to their gender was: 1. Male: 1,430 students 2. Female: 606 students Based on the total Hinter Term 1988 enrollment of 38,189 students, foreign students constituted 5.3% of the total student population at Michigan State University. The stratified random sampling technique was used to insure that the following six geographical regions were equally represented: 1. North America, Europe, and Oceania Central and South America and Caribbean Middle East and North Africa waw Africa 5. South or East Asia A sample size of 495 students, representing approximately 25% of the total foreign student population, was randomly selected by the assistant to the provost in the Provost’s Office. Distribution of the sample according to geographic regions was as follows: 1. Asia: 156 students (124 graduate and 32 undergraduate) 2. Middle East and North Africa: 103 students (74 graduate and 20 undergraduate) 3. Central and South America and Caribbean: 65 students (45 graduate and 20 undergraduate) 4. North America, Europe, and Oceania: 95 students (65 gradu- ate and 30 undergraduate) 5. Sub-Saharan Africa: 76 students (61 graduate and 15 under- graduate) 56 The first stratum was chosen randomly from the following Asian countries: Bangladesh, Burma, China, Hong King, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The second stratum was chosen randomly from the following Middle East and North African countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The third stratum was chosen randomly from the following Central and South .American and Caribbean countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, British Nest Indies, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Trinidad/ Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The fourth stratum was chosen randomly from the following North American, European, and Oceanic countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Fiji, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Rest Germany, and Yugoslavia. The fifth stratum was chosen randomly from the following Sub- Saharan African countries: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra 57 Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania-Zanzibar, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Data-Gathering,Instruments Two types of instruments were used to gather the necessary data with which to test the hypotheses: a questionnaire and an interview. Wire A modified version of the Michigan International Student Problem Inventory (MISPI) was used to identify the problems perceived by foreign students in this study. The MISPI was developed by Porter (1962) to assist international students in identifying problems and concerns they experienced in adapting to a new environment. The MISPI is a l34-item self-administered instrument (see Appendix B). The items are statements about situations that occasionally trouble foreign students 'hi American colleges. The MISPI was modified by Breuder (1972), Hart (1974), and Arubayi (1980). Porter granted the researcher permission to use the MISPI (see Appendix C). The MISPI was further modified to fit this study. Some items were reconstructed and others eliminated; several items were added. (The final version of the'MISPI used in this study may be found in Appendix D.) The following procedures were used in modifying and reconstructing the questionnaire and individual items: 58 l. The researcher reviewed the literature concerning the major problems or difficulties foreign students face regarding student personnel services in the United States. 2. The researcher conducted a pilot study in which he distrib- uted the questionnaire in its initial form to 20 foreign students, all of the foreign student advisors at the Office of International Students and Scholars, and members of his doctoral dissertation comittee. Suggestions for clarifying particular items and for omitting and adding statements were used in revising the questionnaire. (See Appendix E for the letter to international student advisors seeking their recommendations regarding the questionnaire, and Appendix F for the letter to international students asking for their recommendations regarding the questionnaire.) The first part of the questionnaire sought demographic information, such as the respondent’s age, gender, geographic area of origin, marital status, years at the university, and academic classification. The second part contained statements related to the student personnel services under investigation. The third part of the instrument contained two open-ended questions. The first requested information about the foreign student’s concerns and , problems that he/she might like to discuss. The second open-ended question asked about the student’s concerns and problems regarding the eight student personnel services under investigation and his/her reasons for that perception. 59 The second part of the MISPI used in this study contained 96 items related to eight areas of student services. Each area had 12 statements. Eighty-four items representing seven areas (orienta- tion, social/personal, living/dining, health services, student activities, financial aid, and placement) were taken from the origi- nal MISPI. As noted above, some of the items were reconstructed or modified. Four areas (admission and selection, academic records, religious services, and English language) that appeared in the original MISPI were omitted from this study. Another area (international student office services) was added to the instrument for this study. The specific changes made. in each area are explained in the following paragraphs. Orientation. "Treatment received at orientation meetings" was changed to "The treatment that I received at orientation meetings was not up to my expectation." "Relationship with the foreign student advisor” was changed to "Relationship with the people at the orientation meetings." ”Campus size" was changed to ”The campus size is too big for me.” ”The U.S. emphasis on time and promptness" was changed to "U.S. emphasis on time and promptness is different to me.” "Understanding how to use the library” was changed to 'I find the library to be a confusing place." ”College orientation program was insufficient" was changed to "The information I received at orientation was not helpful." Finally, "Attitude of some students toward a foreign student“ was changed to ”Attitude of some students toward ’foreign’ students makes me uncomfortable.” 60 Sociallpersonal. "Sexual customs in the United States" was changed to "Understanding sexual customs in the United States." 'Homesickness” was changed to ”Feeling homesick." "Feeling superior to others" was changed to ”Feeling distant from others." Finally, "U.S. emphasis on personal habits of cleanliness" was changed to "Differences in the habits of cleanliness." Livingldinipg. "Insufficient clothing" was changed to ”Differences in clothing styles." "Distances to classes from residence" was changed to ”Distances from residence to classes." Finally, ”Relationship with roommate” was changed to "Relationship with roommate or roommates." Health services. "Poor eyesight" was changed to "Getting help to improve my eyesight." "My physical height and physique" was changed to "My physical height and physical appearance." "Finding adequate health services" was changed to "Finding adequate health services for my particular difficulty." "Worried about mental health" was changed to "Vorried about some thoughts I keep having." Also, ”Services received at health center" was changed to "Inadequate service received at health center." The researcher omitted the following statements in this area: “Recurrent headaches, I'Hard to hear," 'Nervousness," and "Feeling under tension." Four statements were added to this area: "Concern about the adequacy of student health insurance,” "Feeling uncomfortable in seeking help from health services,” ”Confusion about my rights and privileges in health insurance," and ”Confusion about my ambiguity of health insurance." 61 Stageht activities. The statement ”Regulation in student activities” was changed to 'Unrealistic regulations on student activities." ”Treatment received at social functions" was changed to "Discomfort with treatment at social functions.” ”Relationship of men and women in U.S." was changed to "Confusion about male/ female relationship in the U.S.” "Dating practices of American people" was changed to ”The differences in dating practices of U.S. people." ”Being accepted in social groups" was changed to "Feeling accepted in social groups." "Not being able to find dates" was changed to "Not being able to find suitable ’dates.’" "Activities of International Houses” was changed to "Discomfort with the activities of international clubs." “Lack of opportunities to meet more American people" was changed to ”Lack of opportunities to meet more Americans." financial aid. "Lack of money to meet expenses" was changed to "Lack of money to meet my expenses." ”Saving enough money for social events" was changed to "Having enough money for social events." "Immigration work restrictions" was changed to "Unable to work because of work restrictions for foreign students.” "Money for clothing" was changed to "Not having enough money for clothing.” "Costs of an automobile” was changed to "Costs and convenience of transportation." Elaeepept. "Changes in home government” was changed to ”Fear of changes in home government.“ "U.S. education not what was expected" was changed to I'U.S. education not what I was expecting." 62 International student offioe services. The following statements were added to the eighth area: "Not having a qualified advisor ‘hi the» international student. office," "Not getting individual help from the international student advisor," "Not enough chances to talk to the international student advisor,” I'International student advisor lacks interest in me," ”International student advisor not considerate of my feelings,” ”International student advisor is too theoretical in the solutions suggested for my problems," "Difficulty 'hi getting an appointment with the international student advisor,” "International student advisor lacking personality to motivate me to talk about my concerns," "International student advisor lacking grasp of subject matter," "International student advisor is not available in emergency situations," ”The international student office receptionist is not helpful," and "Difficulty in seeing an advisor without an appointment (walk-in).“ The rating scale from Hart’s (1974) version of the MISPI was used in this study, where l - no problem, 2 - minor problem, 3 = moderate problem, and 4 - major problem. The numbers 1 through 4 were placed after each statement, and respondents were asked to circle one number to indicate their perception of the degree of difficulty of that statement. T e n erv' w The interviewer used open-ended questions that elaborated on the statements found in the questionnaire. In addition, the 63 critical-incident technique was employed to discuss the most important experiences (good or bad) that the student had had with any of the student personnel services being examined (see Appendix G for the interview questions). Interviewees were given the opportunity to express their concerns and problems, as well as the reasons behind the difficulties they had been facing. In general, the interview served as an instrument to aid in assessing the reliability of the study findings. Data-Collection Proeedpres After the instruments had been developed, the researcher obtained from-the Michigan State University Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects to conduct the study (see Appendix H). After the potential subjects were identified, the researcher sent a letter to the associate provost of Michigan State University, outlining the sampling specifications. Hith this information, the personnel in the Provost’s Office used MSU’s database of student records and randomly selected the proper ratio of subjects from each region. The researcher gave the Provost’s Office 495 questionnaires, cover letters, and stamped, pre-addressed envelopes. The cover let- ter explained the purpose and importance of study, informed the sub- ject that his/her responses would be anonymous, and was signed by the researcher and the doctoral comittee chair (see Appendix I). In addition, a stamped, pre-addressed interview participation card (see Appendix J) was sent with each packet, asking the subject if 64 he/she would be willing to participate in a follow-up interview and/ or would like a summary of the study findings. The Provost’s Office mailed these packets to the subjects. This procedure prevented the researcher from being able to identify any of the participants. After two weeks, a follow-up letter was sent to all of the subjects, thanking those who had returned the questionnaire and encouraging those who had not yet done so to return them soon (see Appendix K). In addition to sending the follow-up letters, the researcher informally contacted some student. organization leaders and asked for their help in encouraging individuals, through announcements at group meetings, informal get-togethers, and so on, to return the packets. In total, 256 questionnaires were returned, of which 246 were usable as the database for this research. The postal service returned 18_ packets because of incorrect addresses. Of the 294 cards that were returned, 66 indicated participants’ willingness to be interviewed; of that number, 20 students were chosen as a representative sample for the interview portion of the research. MW Various statistical methods were employed in analyzing the data for this study. Characteristics of the respondents were described using frequency and percentage distributions. Means and standard deviations were used to measure the extent and variability of the problems faced by foreign students at MSU. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were differences in the 65 means of the perceived problems according to the demographic characteristics of the students. Finally, a chi-square test was used to examine the relationship between the extent of the problem and the demographic characteristics for each of the specific problems. For analysis purposes, the 96 items in the instrument used to gather students’ perceptions of problems were grouped into eight areas: (a) orientation, (b) social/personal, (c) living/dining, (d) health services, (e) student activities, (f) .financial aid, (9) placement, and (h) international student office services. The statements in each of the areas were as follows: W 1. The treatment that I received at orientation meetings was not up to my expectation. 2. Unfavorable remarks about home country. 3. Concept of being a ”foreign" student. 25. Relationship with the people at the orientation meetings. 26. Leisure time activities of U.S. students. 27. Law enforcement practices in the U.S. 49. The campus size is too big for me. 50. U.S. emphasis on time and promptness is different to me. 51. I find the library to be a confusing place. 73. The information I received at orientation was not helpful. 74. Trying to be student, tourist and ”ambassador." 75. Attitude of some students toward "foreign” students makes me uncomfortable. W 4. Concern about becoming too 'westernized.” 5. Insufficient personal-social counseling. 6. Being in love with someone. 28. Being lonely. 29. Trying to make friends. 52. Understanding sexual customs in United States. 53. Feeling homesick. 54. Feeling distant from others. 66 76. Differences in the habits of cleanliness. 77. Not feeling at ease in public. 78. Attitude of some U.S. people to skin color. 'vin in'n 7. Taste of food in United States. 8. Problems regarding housing. 9. Being told where one must live. 31. Costs of buying food. 32. Differences in clothing styles. 33. Not being able to room with U.S. student. 55. Bathroom facilities cause problems. 56. Distances from residence to classes. 57. Relationship with roommate or roommates. 79. Finding a place to live between terms. 80. Changes in weather conditions. 81. Lack of invitations to visit in U.S. homes. Health Serviees 10. Getting help to improve my eye sight. 11. My physical height and physical appearance. 12. Finding adequate health services for my particular difficulty. 34: Dietary problems. 351 Need more time to rest. 36. Horried about some thoughts I keep having. 58. Inadequate service received at health center. 59. Health suffering due to academic pace. 60. Concern about the adequacy of student health insurance. 82. Feeling uncomfortable in seeking help from health services. 83. Confusion about my rights and privileges in health insurance. 84. Confusion about my ambiguity of health insurance. Student Activities 13. Unrealistic regulations on student activities. 14. Discomfort with treatment at social functions. 15. Confusion about male/female relationship in the U.S. 37. The differences in dating practices of U.S. people. 38. Feeling accepted in social groups. 39. Not being able to find suitable “dates.” 61. Discomfort with the activities of International clubs. 62. U.S. emphasis on sports. 63. Problems when shopping in U.S. 85. Activities of foreign student organizations. 86. Lack of opportunities to meet more Americans. 87. Concern about political discussions. 67 Finaneial Aid 16. Lack of money to meet my expenses. 17. Not receiving enough money from home. 18. Having to do manual labor (work with hands). 40. Having enough money for social events. 41. Unable to work because of work restrictions for foreign students. 42. Limited amount U.S. dollar will purchase. 64. Unexpected financial needs. 66. Not having enough money for clothing. 88. Costs and convenience of transportation. 89. Finding employment between terms. 90. Finding jobs that pay well. Easement 19. Finding a job upon returning home. 20. Not enough time in U.S. for study. 21. Trying to extend stay in United States. 43. Becoming a citizen of the United States. 44. Fear of changes in home government. 45. Desire not to return to home country. 67. Uncertainties in the world today. 68. Desire enrolling at another college. 69. U.S. education not what I was expecting. 91. Insufficient help from placement office. 92. Staying in U.S. and getting a job. 93. Honder if U.S. education is useful for job at home. 22. 23. 24. 46. 47. 70. 71. 72. 94. 95. 96. r tional tudent f i e rvi Ngt having a qualified advisor in the international student 0 fice. Not getting individual help from the international student advisor. _ Not enough chances to talk to the international student advisor. International student advisor lacks interest in me. International student advisor is too theoretical in the solutions suggested for my problem. Difficulty in getting an appointment with the international student advisor. International student advisor lacking personality to motivate me to talk about my concerns. International student advisor lacking grasp of subject matter. International student advisor is not available in emergency situation. The international student office receptionist is not helpful. Difficulty in seeing an advisor without an appointment (walk-in). 68 All statements in the questionnaire were scored from 1 to 4, indicating the extent of the problem: 1 - no problem, 2 a moderate problem, 3 = minor problem, and 4 - major problem. In interpreting the mean scores, the following three categories were used: High problem 3.00-4.00 Moderate problem 2.00-2.99 Low problem 1.00-1.99 This scoring method is different from the one used by the author of the MISPI. He gave one point for any item, whether it was of some concern or of great concern to the respondent. It is hoped the modified coding system used in this study will yield more accurate information regarding the intensity of difficulties perceived by foreign students. mmar This chapter contained a description of the population and sample, the instruments employed to collect the data, data- collection procedures, and the statistical treatments used in analyzing the data. The results of the data analyses are presented in Chapter IV. CHAPTER IV PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE DATA The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and extent of the problems encountered by foreign students at Michigan State University in the areas of orientation services, social/ personal, living/dining, health services, student activities, financial aid, placement, and international student office services. The data were coded and analyzed according to the following six variables: age, gender, geographical area of origin, marital status, length of stay at MSU, and academic classification. This chapter presents the results of the investigation, based on analyses of data obtained from 246 questionnaires and 20 interviews. Ihi the first section, demographic characteristics of the sample are described. Next, results of the statistical analyses performed in the study are discussed. Responses to the open-ended questions and the interview results are then presented. Finally, the findings of Porter’s (1962) study are noted. m ra hic ra ris ‘cs f th Sam le Of the 495 questionnaires sent to potential participants, 246 usable instruments were returned. This represents a return rate of 69 70 49.6%. For some items, the total number of responses did not equal 246 because some subjects did not answer all of the items. Table 1 presents the distribution of respondents according to the demographic characteristics included in the study. In terms of age, 35.5% (87) of the respondents were between 18 and 25 years old, 46.7% (115) were between 26 and 35, and 13.8% (34) were between 36 and 53 years old. Males accounted for 70.6% (168) and females 29.4% (70) of the sample. The sample consisted of 58.8% (144) single students and 41.2% (101) married students. Regarding academic level, 74.6% (183) of the respondents were graduate students, and 25.4% (63) were undergraduates. Concerning length of stay at MSU, 53.2% (131) of the students had been at the institution less than two years, 30.48% (75) had been at MSU from three to four years, and 14.63% (36) had been at MSU from five to eight years; four students did not respond to this question. Hith regard to: geographical area of origin, students were classified in two ways for analysis purposes. The first way was to divide the sample into six geographical locations. The largest group of students in the sample came from South East Asia (31.7% or 78), followed by Middle East and North Africa (19% or 48), Africa (17.5% or 43), Central and South America and Caribbean (13% or 32), Europe (11% or 27), and North America and Oceania (7.3% or 18). The sample was also classified by dividing the students into two groups: Western (North America, Oceania, and Europe) represented 18.3% (45) of the sample, and Nonwestern (Africa, Asia, Middle East, Central 71 Table 1.--Distribution of respondents according to demographic characteristics. Variable Number % 18-25 years 87 35.3 26-35 years 115 46.7 36-53 years St 13.8 Total 236 Gunter Male 168 70.6 Female 19 29.4 Total 238 Marital Status Single 144 58.8 Married 191 41.2 Total 245 Aeademic Level Graduate 183 74.6 Undergraduate S; 25.4 Total 246 W 1-2 years 131 53.25 3-4 years 75 30.48 5-8 years SS 14.63 Total 242 Area of Origin Africa . 43 17.5 North America and Oceania 18 7.3 Europe 27 11.0 Central/South America and Caribbean 32 13.0 Middle East and North Africa 48 19.0 South-East Asia 18 31.7 Total 246 rea i in Hestern (North America, Oceania, Europe) 45 18.3 Nonwestern (Africa, Central America, South America, Caribbean, Middle East, and Asia) 291 81.7 Total 246 72 America, South America, and Caribbean) represented 81.7% (201) of the sample. Results of the Statistical Analyses Several statistical procedures were used to analyze the data. Frequency and percentage distributions were used to describe the demographic characteristics of the sample. Means and standard deviations were used to measure the extent and variability' of problems encountered by foreign students in eight student personnel services at MSU. These areas were: orientation (ORN), social/ personal (SOP), living/dining (LID), health services (HES), student activities (STA), financial aid (FIA), placement (PLA), and international student office services (ISO). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were differences in the means of the perceived problems according to age, gender, marital status, academic level, length of stay at MSU, and area of origin. A chi-square test was used to examine the relationship between the extent of the problem in each item (statement) and the demographic characteristics of the sample. For purposes of analysis and discussion, the 96 questionnaire items were grouped into eight areas (see Appendix J). For each area, the item mean response was computed. The mean scores were interpreted as follows: a mean of 3.00 and above indicated a high problem, a mean of 2.00-2.99 indicated a moderate problem, and a mean of 1.00-l.99 indicated a low problem. The higher the mean score, the greater the problem, and vice versa. 73 Table 2 presents the overall perceptions of respondents regarding the eight student personnel service areas. The results indicated the following perceived levels of problems in theeight areas, from greatest to least problematic: financial aid (mean - 2.172), placement (mean - 1.965), health services (mean - 1.868), social/personal (mean - 1.813), living/dining (mean - 1.786), orientation (mean - 1.702), student activities (mean . 1.678), and international student office services (mean - 1.617). Table 2.--Mean and rank order of problems encountered by foreign students in eight areas of student services at MSU. Area of Service Mean S.D. Financial aid 2.172' .746 Placement 1.965 .615 Health services 1.868 .585 Social/personal 1.813 .555 Living/dining 1.786 .508 Orientation 1.702 .477 Student activities 1.678 .506 International student office services 1.617 .658 The interview responses showed that foreign students ranked the student services from most to least problematic as follows: financial aid, health services, living/dining, orientation, placement, social/personal, student activities, and international student office services. These results are consistent with the results obtained from the questionnaire. 74 Table 3 presents the questionnaire statements according to the degree of difficulty respondents experienced with the problem described in each statement. The results indicated that, of the 27 highest ranked statements (i.e., a mean of 2.00 or higher), 10 were in the financial aid area, 6 in placement, and 4 in health services. Table 3.--Means indicating the extent of problems encountered by foreign students at MSU. MISPI Item Statement Mean S.D. Area 41 Unable to work because of work restrictions for foreign students. 2:793 1.199 FIA 80 Changes in weather conditions. 2.457 1.114 LID 90 Finding jobs that pay well. 2.402 1.238 FIA 64 Finding part-time job. 2.346 1.212 FIA 16 Lack of money to meet my expenses. 2.341 1.124 FIA 83 Confusion about my rights and privi- . lege in the health insurance. 2.320 1.146 HES 65 Unexpected financial needs. 2.317 1.109 FIA 92 Staying in U.S. and getting a job. 2.314 1.249 PLA 84 Confusion about my ambiguity of health insurance. 2.306 1.159 HES 60 Concern about the adequacy of ' student health insurance. 2.293 1.193 HES 40 Having enough money for social events. 2.268 1.070 FIA 53 Feeling homesick. 2.252 1.081 FIA 42 Limited amount U.S. dollar will purchase. 2.159 1.067 FIA 78 Attitude of some U.S. people to skin color. 2.138 1.131 SOP 89 Finding employment between terms. 2.119 1.203 FIA 31 Costs of buying food. 2.118 1.076 FIA 35 Need more time to rest. 2.102 1.107 HES 43 Becoming a citizen of the United States. 2.102 1.256 PLA 88 Costs and convenience of transporta- tion. 2.082 1.055 FIA 91 Insufficient help from placement office. 2.070 1.174 PLA 21 Trying to extend stay in United ' States. 2.069 1.141 PLA 75 Table 3.--Continued. MISPI Item Statement Mean S.D. Area 8 Problem regarding housing. 2.061 1.062 LID 19 Finding a job upon returning home. 2.061 1.143 PLA 67 Uncertainties in the world today. 2.057 1.083 PLA 3 Concept of being a "foreign” student. 2.028 0.971 ORN 75 Attitude of some students toward "foreign" students makes me uncom- 2.028 1.016 ORN fortable. 28 Being lonely. 2.020 1.144 SOP 20 Not enough time in U.S. for study. 1.988 1.141 FIA 36 Horried about some thoughts I keep having. '1.972 1.044 SOP 81 Lack of invitations to visit in U.S. homes. 1.959 1.097 SOP 7 Taste of food in the United States. 1.931 1.022 LID 44 Fear of changes in home government. 1.923 1.113 PLA 93 Honder if U.S. education is useful for job at home. ' 1.921 1.088 PLA 5 Insufficient personal-social coun- seling. 1.919 1.027 SOP 66 Not having enough money for clothing. 1.915 1.056 FIA 96 Difficulty in seeing an advisor without an appointment (walk-in). 1.912 1.073 ISO 27 Law enforcement practices in the U.S. 1.890 1.040 ORN 54 Feeling distant from others. 1.882 0.955 SOP 26 Leisure time activities of U.S. students. 1.862 1.037 ORN 15 Confusion about male/female rela- tionships in the U.S. 1.829 1.024 STA 23 Not getting individual help from the international student advisor. 1.825 1.021 ISO 17 Not receiving enough money from home. 1.821 1.092 FIA 30 Trying to make friends. 1.813 0.963 SOP 69 Finding employment between terms. '1.813 0.976 PLA 82 Feeling uncomfortable in seeking 2 help from health services. 1.800 0.973 HES 86 Lack of opportunities to meet more Americans. 1.796 1.004 STA 37 The differences in dating practices of U.S. people. 1.760 1.024 STA 38 Feeling accepted in social groups. 1.752 0.934 STA 2 Unfavorable remarks about home country. 1.748 0.931 ORN 22 Not having a qualified advisor in the international student office. 1.748 1.019 ISO 76 Table 3.--Continued. MISPI Item Statement Mean S.D. Area 79 Finding a place to live between terms. 1.748 1.144 LID 6 Being in love with someone. 1.740 1.116 SOP 14 Discomfort with treatment at social functions. 1.732 0.891 STA 58 Inadequate service received at health center. -1.732 0.970 HES 87 Concern about political discussion. 1.713 0.956 STA 12 Finding adequate health services for my particular difficulty. 1.711 0.970 HES 24 Not enough chances to talk to the international student advisor. 1.711 0.978 ISO 39 Not being able to find suitable "dates." 1.703 1.017 STA 74 Trying to be student, tourist and ”ambassador." 1.703 0.902 ORN 85 Activities of foreign student organi- zation. 1.698 0.931 STA 13 Unrealistic regulations on student activities. 1.694 0.901 STA 9 Being told where one must live. 1.691 0.983 LID 52 Understanding sexual customs in United States. 1.691 0.957 SOP 59 Health suffering due to academic pace. 1.683 0.911 HES 1 The treatment that I received at the orientation meeting not up to 1.657 0.908 ORN my expectation. 48 International student advisor is too theoretical in the solutions sug- .1.650 0.969 ISO gested for my problem. 45 Desire not to return to home country. 1.642 1.023 PLA 56 Distances from residence to classes. 1.622 0.885 LID 68 Desire enrolling at another college. 1.618 0.939 PLA 76 Differences in the habits of clean- liness. 1.618 0.926 SOP 73 The information I received at orien- tation was not helpful. 1.602 0.869 ORN 25 Relationship with the people at the orientation meetings. 1.596 0.889 ORN 94 International student advisor is not available in emergency situations. 1.583 0.908 ISO 29 Feeling inferior to others. 1.577 0.913 SOP 47 International student advisor not considerate of my feeling. 1.577 0.908 ISO 77 Table 3.--Continued. MISPI Item Statement Mean S.D. Area 4 Concern about becoming too ”west- ernized.” -1.569 0.886 SOP .34 Dietary problems. 1.587 0.897 HES 10 Getting help for improving my eye sight. 1.553 0.986 MES 95 The international student office receptionist is not helpful. 1.550 0.874 ISO 61 Discomfort with the activities of international clubs. 1.545 0.855 STA 77 Not feeling at ease in public. 1.541 0.811 SOP 57 Relationship with roommate or roommates. 1.512 0.851 LID 33 Not being able to room with U.S. student. 1.504 0.870 LID 46 International student advisor lacks interest in me. 1.504 0.851 150 18 Having to do manual labor (work with hands). 1.500 0.911 FIA 50 U.S. emphasis on time and promptness is different to me. 1.496 0.832 ORN 62 U.S. emphasis on sports. 1.492 0.865 STA 71 International student advisor lacking personality to motivate me to talk 1.480 0.812 ISO about my concerns. . 72 International student advisor lacking grasp of subject matter. 1.463 0.786 ISO 32 Differences in clothing style. 1.435 0.757 LID 51 I find the library to be a confusing place. 1.435 0.746 ORN 63 Problems when shopping in U.S. 1.419 0.739 STA 55 Bathroom facilities cause problem. 1.402 0.841 LID 70 Difficulty in getting an appoint- ment with the international student 1.386 0.799 ISO advisor. 49 The campus size is too big for me. 1.378 0.745 ORN 11 My physical height and physical appearance. 1.370 0.754 HES 78 Relationship Between Age and d nt P 1 r i 5 Table 4 presents the means of the perceived problems encountered by foreign students at MSU and the ANOVA results using age as the independent variable. The results indicated there were no significant differences in the means of the perceived problems (in the various areas of student services) according to age. ‘ Table 4.--Means of perceived problems and ANOVA results according to age. Age ORN SOP _LID HES STA FIA PLA ISO 18-25 yrs. 1.703 1.862 1.774 1.828 1.675‘ 2.110_ 2.095 1.639 (n=87) 26-35 yrs. 1.685 1.762 1.757 1.895 1.645 2.167 1.921 1.623 ‘ (n=115) 36:53 yrs. 1.686 1.787 1.821 1.878 1.681 2.358 1.855 1.505 (n-34) Total 1.692 1.802 1.773 1.868 1.661 2.173 1.975 1.612 (n=236) ANOVA-P .959 .440 .811 .719 .884 .261 .063 .587 Table 5 presents the results of the chi-square analysis for the age variable. The results indicated there were significant differences among the three age groups. 79 Table 5. -—Percentage of respondents who had moderate or major problems and chi- ~square results by 3987“““~ Age Area Statement X2 P 18- 26- 36- 25 35 55 ORN 2. Unfavorable remarks about , * home country. 20%‘ 16% 9% 13.980 .007 49. The campus size is too big ' for me. 8% 11% 3% 10.081 .039 SOP 28. Being lonely. 41% 25% 35% 11.129 .025 L10 7. Taste of food in the U.S. 22% 26% 29% 9.912 .042 57. Relationship with room- mate or roommates. 12% 10% 23% 9.749 .045 HES 12. Finding adequate health ' services for my particu— 9% 25% 18% 23.107 .000 1ar difficulty. FIA 16. Lack of money to meet my expenses. 35% 41% 67% 10.781 .029 40. Having enough money for social events. 32% 34% 58% 13.050 .011 42. Limited amount U.S. dollar will purchase. 32% 33% .58% 9.586 .048 66. Not having enough money for clothing. 20% 29% 50% 11.251 .024 43. Becoming a citizen of the ' U.S. 46% 34% 23% 10.324 .035 92. Staying in U.S. and get- ting a job. 56% 45% 25% 11.671 .020 93. Honder if U.S. education is useful for job at home. 41% 22% 19% 11.404 .029 The following statements were considered to be the most problematic for respondents 18 to 25 years of age (percentages of respondents in this age group who perceived the problem as moderate or major, and the areas of services, are given in parentheses): 80 Unfavorable remarks about home country (20%, ORN). Being lonely (41%, SOP). Becoming a citizen of the U.S. (40%, PLA). Staying in U.S. and getting a job (56%, PLA). Honder if U.S. education is useful for job at home (41%, PLA). The results in Table 5 also showed that the following statements were considered to be of the most concern for respondents 26 to 35 years old: The campus size is too big for me (11%,\0RN). Finding adequate health services for my particular difficulty (25%, HES). Finally, the results in Table 5 indicated that the following statements were the most difficult areas for respondents 36 to 53 years of age: ~ Taste of food in the United States (29%, LID). Relationship with roommate or roommates (23%, L10). Lack of money to meet my expenses (67%, FIA). Having enough money for social events (58%, FIA). Limited amount U.S. dollar will purchase (58%, FIA). Not having enough money for clothing (50%, FIA). 1 ' sh' etw n Gen W Table 6 presents the means of the perceived problems encountered by foreign students at MSU and the ANOVA results using gender as the independent variable. The results suggested that there were no significant differences in the means of the perceived 81 problems according to gender in all areas of student services except for 'the international student office. 'The data indicated that female students perceived greater problems in the ISO services than did males. Table 6.--Means of perceived problems and ANOVA results according to gender. Gender ORN SOP LID HES STA FIA PLA ISO Male 1.664 1.768 1.759 1.836 1.660 2.157 1.960 1.558 (n=168) Female 1.784 1.900 1.817 1.951 1.683 2.207 1.999 1.748 (n=70) Total 1.664 1.807 1.777 1.867 1.667 2.207 1.971 1.613 (n=238) ANOVA-P .072 .096 .415 .165 .746 .637 .654 .042 Table 7 presents the results of the chi-square analysis for the gender variable. The results show that significant differences were found between male and female foreign students regarding some statements ““1 the questionnaire. The results indicated that the following statement was rated as the major concern for male foreign students: Limited amount U.S. dollar will purchase (38%, FIA). The following statements were rated as the major concerns for female foreign students: The campus size is too big for me (36%, ORN). Feeling homesick (51%, SOP). 82 Feeling distant from others (30%, SOP). Finding a place to live between terms (30%, LID). Health suffering due to academic pace (21%, HES). Desire enrolling at another college (26%, PLA). International student advisor lacking personality to motivate me to talk about my concern (18%, ISO). International student advisor lacking grasp of subject matter (18%, ISO). Table 7.--Percentage of respondents who had moderate or major problems and chi-square results by gender. Gender Area Statement X2 P Male Female ORN 49. The campus size is too big for me. 21% 36% 6.883 .032 SOP 28. Being lonely. 27% 41% 7.094 .029 53. Feeling homesick. 34%, 51% 6.360 .042 45. Feeling distant from others. 21% 36% 5.874 .053 LID 79. Finding a place to live between terms. 22% 36% 7.609 .022 HES 59. Health suffering due to aca- demic pace. 15% 21% 7.522 .023 FIA 42. Limited amount U.S. dollar will purchase. 38% 33% 6.134 .047 PLA 68. Desire enrolling at another . college. 17% 26% 6.147 .046 ISO 71. International student advisor needing personality to moti- vate me to talk about my 7% 18% 7.264 .026 concerns. 72. International student advisor lacking grasp of subject 7% 18% 7.830 .020 matter. 83 Relatienehjp Between Aree of Origin egd Stgdent Personnel Seryjees Table 8 presents the means of perceived problems faced by foreign students at MSU and ANOVA results using area of origin as the independent variable. The results indicated there was a significant difference among the means of the perceived problems in the following areas: orientation, social/personal, living/dining, health services, student activities, and international student office services. Nonwestern students encountered more difficulty than Western students in all areas of the student personnel services under investigation. Table 8.--Means of perceived problems and ANOVA results according to the area of origin. Area ORN SOP LID HES STA FIA PLA ISO Nonwestern 1.752 1.866 1.840 1.926 1.732 2.202 1.488 1.666 (n-201) Hestern 1.476 1.580 1.544 1.609 1.439 2.039 1.362 1.418 (n-45) ' Total 1.702 1.813 1.786 1.868 1.678 2.172 1.965 1.617 (n-246) ANOVA-P .000 .002 .000 .001 .000 .185 .215 .025 Table 9 shows the means of perceived problems and ANOVA results according to the specific geographic area of origin. The results indicate that significant differences were found among the means of the perceived problems in the following areas: orientation, 84 social/personal, living/dining, health services, student activities, placement services, and international student office services. Table 9. --Means of perceived problems and ANOVA results according to specific geographical area of origin. Area ORN SOP LID HES STA FIA PLA ISO Africa 1.766 1.912 1.829 1.950 1.792 2.339 1.853 1.538 (n23) . North Am./ Oceania 1.356 1.430 1.396 1.430 1.333 1.486 1.674 1.161 (nal9) Europe 1.555 1.679 1.645 1.778 1.509 2.074 1.987 1.589 (n=27) Cent./S.Am. & Carib. 1.563 1.612 1.693 1.984 1.552 2.266 1.809 1.628 (n=32) Middle East/ N. Africa 1.840 1.974 1.993 1.999 1.835 2.125 2.122 1.732 (n-48) South East Asia 1.167 1.877 1.813 1.871 1.708 2.147 2.035 1.700 (n-78) Total 1.701 1.813 1.786 1.868 1.678 2.172 1.965 1.617 (n-246) ANOVA-P .001 .001 .000 .009 .001 .477 .030 .032 In the area of orientation, the following groups of respondents ranked the extent of the difficulties from highest to lowest: Middle East and North Africa, Africa, Central/South America and Caribbean, Europe, North America/Oceania, and South East Asia. 85 In the area of social/personal, the following groups of respondents ranked the extent of difficulties from highest to lowest: Middle East and North Africa, Africa, South East Asia, Europe, Central/South America and Caribbean, and North America/ Oceania. In the area of living/dining, the following groups of respondents ranked the extent of difficulties from highest to lowest: Middle East and North Africa, Africa, South East Asia, Central/South America and Caribbean, Europe, and North America/Oceania. In the area of health services, the following groups of respondents ranked the extent of difficulties from highest to lowest: Middle East and North Africa, Africa, South East Asia, Central/South America and Caribbean, Europe, and North America/ Oceania. In the area of placement, the following groups of respondents ranked the extent of difficulties from highest to lowest: Middle East and North Africa, South East Asia, Europe, Africa, Central/ South America and Caribbean, and North America/Oceania. In the area of international student office services, the following groups of respondents ranked the extent of difficulties from highest to lowest: Middle East and North Africa, South East Asia, Central/South America and Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and North America/Oceania. Table 10 presents the results of chi-square analysis for the geographical location variable. The sample was divided into Hestern 86 ‘Table 10.--Percentage of respondents who had moderate or major problems and chi-square results by geographical location. Location 2 Area Statement X P Non- Hestern Hestern ORN l. The treatment that I re- ceived at orientation meetings was not up to 17.5% 8.9% 9.606 .008 my expectation. 3. Unfavorable remarks about home country. 34% 13% 8.382 .015 26. Leisure time activities of U.S. students. 26% 13% 8.297 .016 74. Trying to be student, tour- ist, and "ambassador." 19% 11% 8.607 .014 SOP 4. Concern about becoming too 'westernized." 15% 6.6% 13.004 .002 5. Insufficient personal- social counseling. 30% 13% 6.305 .043 29. Feeling inferior to others. 16% 6% 6.109 .047 52. Understanding sexual customs in U.S. 20% 8% 7.585 .023 54. Feeling distant from others. 26% 24% 6.606 .037 70. Differences in the habits of cleanliness. 19% 11% 12.019 .003 77. Not feeling at ease in public. 14% 2% 8.618 .013 78. Attitude of some U.S. people to skin color. 39% 31% 8.115 .017 L10 7. Taste of food in United States. 28% 15% 9.093 .011 32. Differences in clothing styles. 12% 7% 7.236 .027 33. Not being able to room with U.S. students. 18% 4% 7.767 .021 55. Bathroom facilities cause problems. 13% - 7.660 .022 57. Relationship with room- mate or roommates. 15% 8% 7.582 .023 80. Changes in weather condi- tions. 45% 40% 18.182 .000 81. Lack of invitation to visit in U.S. homes. 34% 18% 11.216 .004 87 Table 10.—-Continued. Location .Area Statement X2 P Non- Hestern Hestern HES 11. My physical height and physical appearance. 11% 4% 6.630 .036 12. Finding adequate health services for my par- 20% 15.5% 8.845 .012 ticular difficulty. 34. Dietary problems. 15.5% 6.6% 16.514 .000 58. Inadequate service re- ceived at health center. 22% 15.5% 9.653 .008 82. Feeling uncomfortable in seeking help from 24% 9% 16.277 .001 health services. 83. Confusion about my rights and privileges in the 42% 31.1% 6.199 .045 health insurance. 84. Confusion about my ambi- guity of health insurance. 43% 24% 7.668 .022 STA 14. Discomfort with treatment at social functions. 21% 11% 13.166 .001 15. Confusion about male/female relationships in the U.S. 27% 15.5% 10.156 .006 38. Feeling accepted in social groups. 20% 9% 9.205 .010 61. Discomfort with the activities of inter- 16% 9% 7.249 .027 national clubs. 85. Activities of foreign 22% 9% 8.505 .014 organizations. 86. Lack of opportunities to meet more Americans. 37% 20% 6.472 .039 87. Concern about political discussions. 26% 7% 13.019 .002 FIA 88. Costs and convenience of transportation. 34% 24% 7.580 .023 44. Fear of changes in home government. 32% 18% 8.373 .015 68. Desire enrolling at another college. 23% 2.2% 10.174 .006 ISO 96. Difficulty in seeing an advisor without an 28% 9% 7.304 .026 appointment (walk-in). 88 and Nonwestern. The results indicated that the Nonwestern group had more problems in all of the statements on which there were significant differences. The results indicated that one-third of the statements in the orientation area were checked by the Nonwestern group as a cause of moderate or major problems. The following statements were considered to be the most problematic for the Nonwestern group in the orientation area: The treatment that I received at the orientation meetings was not up to my expectations (17.5%). Unfavorable remarks about home country (34%). Leisure time activities of U.S. students (26%). Trying to be student, tourist, and "ambassador” (19%). The Nonwestern students indicated that they had difficulty in two-thirds of the statements related to the social/personal area. These statements were: Concern about becoming too "westernized" (15%). Insufficient personal/social counseling (30%). Feeling inferior to others (16%). Understanding sexual customs in U.S. (20%). Feeling distant from others (26%). Differences in the habits of cleanliness (19%). Not feeling at ease in public (14%). . Attitude of some U.S. people to skin color (19%). 89 The Nonwestern group indicated they had moderate or major difficulty' with about two-thirds of the statements in the living/dining area. These statements were: Taste of food in the United States (28%). Differences in clothing styles (12%). Not being able to room with U.S. students (18%). Relationship with roommate or roommates (15%). Bathroom facilities cause problem (13%). Changes in weather conditions (45%). Lack of invitation to visit in U.S. homes (34%). In the health services area, the Nonwestern group checked approximately two-thirds of the statements as being a moderate or major concern. These statements were: My physical height and physical appearance (11%). Finding adequate health services (20%). Dietary problems (18%). Inadequate services received at health center (22%). Feeling uncomfortable in seeking help from health service (24%). Confusion about my rights and privileges in health insurance (42%). Confusion about my ambiguity of health insurance (43%). In the student activities area, Nonwestern students checked seven statements as being moderate or major concerns. These statements were: Discomfort with treatment at social functions (21%). Confusion about male/female relationship in the U.S. (27%). 90 Feeling accepted in social groups (20%). Discomfort with the activities of the international clubs (16%). Activities of foreign student organization (22%). Lack of opportunities to meet more Americans (26%). Concern about political discussions (37%). In the financial aid, placement, and international student office service areas, Nonwestern students checked the following four statements as being moderate or major concerns: Cost and convenience of transportation (34%, FIA). Fear of changes in home government (32%, PLA). Desire enrolling at another college (23%, PLA). Difficulty in seeing an advisor without an appointment (walk-in) (28%, ISO) Belatienehjp Between Merital Status and Student Personnel Bervjces Table 11 presents the means of perceived problems encountered by foreign students at MSU and the ANOVA results using marital status as the independent variable. ‘The results indicated there were no significant differences in the means of perceived problems according to marital status in any of the areas of student services. 91 Table 11.--Means of perceived problems and ANOVA results according to marital status. Marital Status ORN SOP LID HES STA FIA PLA ISO Single 1.703 1.840 1.786 1.834 1.684 2.104 2.031 1.621 (n-144) ‘ Married 1.707 1.784 1.792 1.922 1.677 2.276 1.881 1.617 (n-lOl) Total 1.705 1.817 1.788 1.871 1.681 2.175 1.969 1.619 (n=245) ANOVA-P .953 .438 .927 .250 .912 .075 .059 .966 Table 12 presents the results of the chi-square analysis for the marital status variable. The results indicated significant differences in the questionnaire statements regarding this variable. Single students checked the following nine statements as moderate or major concerns for them: Unfavorable remarks about home country (20%, ORN). Concern about becoming too "westernized' (14.5%, SOP). Being in love with someone (32%, SOP). Finding a place to live between terms (31%, LID). Dietary problems (19%, HES). The differences in dating practices of U.S. people (26%, STA). Not being able to find suitable dates (25%, STA). Becoming a citizen of the U.S. (42%, PLA). Staying in U.S. and getting a job (56%, PLA). 92 Table 12.--Percentage of respondents who had moderate or major problems and chi-square results by marital status. Marital Status Area Statement X2 P Single Married ORN 2. Unfavorable remarks about home country. 20% 16% 8.002 .018 SOP 4. Concern about becoming too 'westernized.” 14.5% 13% 6.008 .050 6. Being in love with someone. 32% 11% 20.945 .000 L10 31. Costs of buying food. 30.5% 45.5% 10.791 .005 32. Differences in clothing styles. 8% 16% 6.646 .036 33. Not being able to room with U.S. student. 11% 22% 8.275 .010 79. Finding a place to live between terms. 31% 20% 8.273 .016 HES 34. Dietary problems. 19% 13% 6.661 .036 58. Inadequate service received at health center. 16% 28% 5.996 .050 82. Feeling uncomfortable in seeking help from health 16% 29% 8.404 .015 services. STA 13. Unrealistic regulations on student activities. 12.5% 27% 8.097 .018 37. The differences in dating practices of U.S. people. 24% 19% 9.301 .010 39. Not being able to find suitable dates. 25% 15% 8.513 .014 FIA 66. Not having enough money for clothing. 22% 38% 7.767 .020 PLA 43. Becoming a citizen of the U.S. 42% 28% 6.065 .048 2. Staying in U.S. and get- ting a job. 55.5% 33% 12.327 .002 ISO 22. Not having a qualified .advisor in the inter- 19% 20% 8.014 .014 national student office. 93 The results in Table 12 also show that married students indicated moderate to major problems on the following statements: Costs of buying food (46%, LID). Differences in clothing styles (16%, LID). Not being able to room with U.S. student (22%, L10). Inadequate services received at health center (28%, HES). Feeling uncomfortable in seeking help from health services (29%, HES). Unrealistic regulations on student activities (27%, STA). Not having enough money for clothing (38%, FIA). Reletionship Between Length of Stay at MSB and Student Personnel Services Table 13 presents the means of perceived problems encountered by foreign students at MSU and the ANOVA results using length of stay at MSU as the independent variable. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in the means of the perceived problems according to length of stay at MSU in any of the areas of student services. Table 14 presents the results of the chi-square analysis for the length of stay at MSU variable. For analysis purposes, respondents were divided into three groups: 1 to 2 years, 3 to 4 years, and 5 to 8 years. Students who had stayed at MSU for 1 to 2 years checked the following statements as being of moderate to major concern: Activities of foreign student organization (24%, STA). Uncertainties in the world today (38%, PLA). 94 Table 13.--Means of perceived problems and ANOVA results according to length of stay at MSU. Years ORN SOP LID HES STA FIA PLA ISO 1—2 yrs. 1.680 1.798 1.793 1.827 1.670 2.161 1.933 1.570 (n-131) 3-4 yrs. 1.692 1.810 1.740 1.885 1.657 2.122 2.033 1.674 (n-75) 5-8 yrs. 1.759 1.854 1.859 2.280 1.745 2.359 1.995 1.621 (n-36) Total 1.096 1.810 1.786 1.875 1.677 2.178 1.973 1.614 (n=242) ANOVA-P .677 .864 .508 .187 .673 . .268 .522 .600 Table 14.—-Percentage of respondents who had moderate or major problems and chi-square results by length of stay at MSU. Length of Stay Area Statement X2 P 1-2 3-4 5-8 Yrs. Yrs. Yrs. HES 58. Inadequate services re- ceived at the health 14.5% 25% 36% 14.034 .007 center. STA 13. Unrealistic regulations on student activities. 13% 29% 11% 12.229 .016 85. Activities of foreign student organization. 24% 17% . 11% 9.438 .050 FIA 18. Having to do manual labor (work with 11% 15% 30.5% 13.681 .008 hands). 66. Not having enough money for clothing. 30.5% 19% 44% 12.032 .017 PLA 67. Uncertainties in the world today. 38% 28% 28% 9.508 .050 95 Students who had stayed at MSU between 3 and 4 years checked the following statement as being a moderate or major concern for them: Unrealistic regulation on student activities (29%, STA). Students who had stayed at MSU between 5 and 8 years considered the following three statements to be moderate or major problems: Inadequate services received at the health center (38%, HES). Having to do manual labor (work with hands) (31%, FIA). Not having enough money for clothing (44%, FIA). Belationshio Between Academic Clessifi- cation end §tudent Personnel Serviees Table 15 presents the means of perceived problems faced by foreign students at MSU and ANOVA results using academic classification as the independent variable. 'The results indicated significant differences among the means of the perceived problems in the following areas: orientation, social/personal, living/dining, student activities,. placement, and international student office services. The results indicated that undergraduate students encountered more problems than graduate students in all areas of student services under investigation. 96 Table 15.--Means of perceived problems and ANOVA results according to academic classification. Academic Level ORN SOP LID HES STA FIA PLA ISO Undergrad. 1.851 1.946 1.893 1.926 1.788 2.181 2.205 1.767 (n-63) Graduate 1.650 1.768 1.750 1.848 1.640 2.169 1.883 1.565 (n-183) Total 1.702 1.813 1.786 1.868 1.678 2.172 1.965 1.617 (n=246) ANOVA-P .004 .026 .053 .365 .045 .911 .000 .035 Table 16 presents the results of the chi-square analysis f0r the academic classification variable. The results indicated significant differences in the questionnaire statements regarding this variable. Undergraduate students considered the following statements as being of moderate or major concern: Relationship with the people at the orientation meetings (24%, ORN). The campus size is too big for me (13%, ORN). Being in love with someone (36%, SOP). Being lonely (44%, SOP). ' Feeling homesick (52%, SOP). Feeling distant from others (37%, SOP). Distances from residence to classes (24%, LID). Relationship with roommate or roommates (16%, LID). Finding a place to live between terms (43%, L10). 97 Table 16.--Percentage of respondents who had moderate or major prob— lems and chi-square results by academic classification. Classification Area Statement X2 P Under- grad Grad. ORN 25. Relationship with the people at the orientation meetings. 24% 14% 9.752 .008 49. The campus size is too big for me. 13% 7% 6.929 .031 SOP 6. Being in love with someone. 36.5% 18.5% 10.929 .000 28. Being lonely. 44% 28% 5.976 .050 53. Feeling homesick. 52% 34% 9.061 .011 54. Feeling distant from others. 36.5%. 22% 8.322 .016 LID 56. Distances from residence to classes. 24% 12% 6.384 .041 52. Relationship with roommate or roommates. 16% 13% 7.540 .023 79. Finding a place to live between terms. 43% 21% 13.661 .001 HES 34. Dietary problems. 27% 13% 7.590 .023 36. Horried about some thoughts I keep having. 43% 21% 16.961 .000 STA l4. Discomfort with treatment at social functions. 27% 16% 6.384 .041 37. The differences in dating practices of U.S. people. 27% 20% 10.681 .005 39. Not being able to find suitable ”dates.” 28.5% 18% 7.492 .024 PLA 21. Trying to extend stay in U.S. 47.6% 27% 8.682 .013 43. Becoming a citizen of the U.S. 52% 31% 15.596 .000 91. Insufficient help from place- , ment office. 47.6% 27.7% 9.218 .010 92. Staying in U.S. and getting a job. 60% 41% 8.780 .012 ISO 47. International student advisor not considerate of my feeling. 27% 11% 9.460 .009 48. International student advisor is too theoretical in the 30% 15% 6.797 .033 solutions suggested for my problems. 98 Dietary problems (27%, HES). Horried about some thoughts I keep having (43%, HES). Discomfort with treatment at social functions (27%, STA). The differences in dating practices of U.S. people (27%, STA). Not being able to find suitable “dates" (29%, STA). Trying to extend stay in U.S. (48%, PLA). Becoming a citizen of the U.S. (52%, PLA). Staying in U.S. and getting a job (60%, PLA). International student advisor is too theoretical in the solu- tions suggested for my problem (30%, ISO). International student advisor not considerate of my feelings (27%, ISO). Res onses O n- n d ue ti n Tables 17 and 18 provide some clarification as to the adequacy of the questionnaire in helping students identify problem areas and in identifying the problem areas in general. As shown in Table 17, a sizable number of students (160 or 65%) thought that the MISPI statements about particular difficulties provided a fairly complete picture of the problem areas they encountered. However, 26.8% (66) of the respondents thought the questionnaire was not representative of those areas. Table 18 presents the frequency of responses for the most problematic areas students encountered at MSU, as indicated in the. second open-ended question at the end of the questionnaire. The results showed that financial aid was perceived as the most problematic area, followed by social/personal, health services, 99 living/dining, placement, international student office services, and student activities, in that order. These results indicated a high degree of consistency with the results shown in Table 2. Table 17.-~Responses to the question: 'Do you feel that the state- ments which you have marked provide a fairly complete picture of the problem areas currently troubling you?" Number % Yes 160 65.0 No 66 26.8 No response 20 8.1 Total 246 99.9a aPercentages do not equal 100% due to rounding. Table 18.--Responses to the question: "Hhich of the services cause the most problem for foreign students?" Rank Area Number 1 Financial aid 97 2 Social/personal 66 3 Health services 56 4 Living/dining 41 5 Placement 37 6 Orientation 30 7 International student office services 24 8 Student activities 12 100 Comments About the Interviews Of the 294 interview participation cards that were returned, 66 respondents indicated a willingness to be interviewed. A representative sample of 20 students was selected to be interviewed. Fourteen students in this sample were graduate students and six were undergraduates; ten were females and ten males. The interviews took place between May 10 and June 10, 1988, and usually lasted from 40 to 60 minutes. The interview was based on the seven open-ended questions found in Appendix G. A copy of the questionnaire was usually given to the subject at the beginning of the interview so that he/she could read the questions at the same time they were being read aloud, to minimize potential communication problems due to language and accent. Responses to Items 2 and 7 could be measured quantitatively; they were coded and are reported in Table 19. The second question concerned the subjects’ perceptions of each of the services under investigation. Subjects were asked to rate each service on the fol- lowing four-point scale: 1 - no problem, 2 - minor problem, 3 = moderate problem, and 4 - major problem. After the subjects’ rank— ings of each service were totaled, the following overall ranking of services was obtained (from most to least difficult): financial aid (63 points), health services (43 points), living/dining (41 points, orientation (41 points), placement (40 points, social/ personal (37 points), student activities (34 points), and international student office services (31 points). Eighty points was the highest possible 10] score. The responses to this question were highly consistent with the results obtained from the statistical analysis (see Table 2). Table 19.--Responses to Items 2 and 7 on the interview. Question 2 Question 7 Subject Rating Overall ORN SOP LID HES STA FIA PLA ISO Subject Rating l 2 3 1 1 1 4 1 l l 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 1 l 2 2 3 1 3 1 4 3 4 3 l 3 3 4 1 1 3 2 3 3 1 2 4 l 5 1 4 3 1 1 1 1 1 5 2 6 3 1 l 1 l 4 1 3 6 1 7 2 1 2 1 1 4 1 1 7 l 8 4 3 3 3 1 4 1 1 8 1 9 l 2 2 3 1 4 l 1 9 3 10 1 2 l 2 1 2 1 2 10 2 11 2 2 1 l 3 3 4 1 ll 2 12 4 1 3 3 2 2 4 1 12 3 13 2 1 4 l 1 >4 1 1 13 2 14 1 l 1 1 l 1 l 1 l4 1 15 4 3 3 3 2 3 3 4 15 3 l6 1 2 3 1 2 4 2 1 16 3 17 1 3 1 4 . 3 4 3 l 17 3 l8 4 2 1 2 1 3 3 3 18 2 l9 4 l 2 4 l 4 3 2 l9 2 20 4 2 2 3 2 4 4 2 20 2 Total 41 37 41 43 34 63 14 31 41 Ranking 4 6 3 2 7 1 5 8_ Mean - 2.1 Question 2: On a scale of 1-4 (1 . no problem, 2 - minor problem, 3 - moderate problem, 4 - major problem), how do you rate (evaluate) every one of the above-mentioned serv- ices? (80 is the highest possible score for any area.) Question 7: How would you rate your overall satisfaction with the student services at MSU?: (Hould you consider it satisfactory . 1, average . 2, or unsatisfactory - 3?) 102 In answering Question 7 (How' would you rate your overall satisfaction ‘with the student services at MSU?: satisfactory, average, or unsatisfactory), the students’ satisfaction was rated average. In addition, the researcher thought it would enrich the results of' this study if some of the students’ comments regarding the student personnel services under investigation were reported. Students’ positive remarks regarding the services provided are not included here because the study focused on the concerns and problems of foreign students, rather than their positive experiences. In the following pages, students’ comments are paraphrased and organized under the eight areas that were examined in the study. mm - Problems in understanding the information provided at the orientation due to the language barrier. - Problem due to misunderstanding the value of the program. - Too much information and overloaded schedules in a short period of time. - De-emphasis of the program for winter, spring, and summer quarters and emphasis on the fall quarter). — Lack of information about the program before arrival (shortage of pre-arrival information about the program). - Unfriendly treatment. - There is no orientation for students who come late (lack of help for late students, especially in social security matters and opening bank accounts). 103 - The program is not helpful in giving information about student loans. - Lack of information about transportation upon arrival and during the orientation period. . - Lack of orientation about the dormitory system. - Lack of information in the program about outside campus environment. Social Personal Difficulty in finding American friends. Some inferior remarks about home country and culture. Americans’ indication of superiority. Lack of interaction with Americans. Difficulty and discrimination due to skin color, accent, and appearance. - Lack of mixed-culture programs. - Difficulty in having and keeping a relationship with the opposite sex. - Lack of American student education and understanding about foreign students and cultures. Problem of loneliness. Difficulty in understanding American culture and behavior. Misunderstanding of politeness and quietness. Problem of adaptation. Lack of interaction due to language difficulty. Problem of superficial treatment. always 104 Problem of respect on and off campus. Problem of materialism and oppression. Problem or difficulty with the host-family program. Problem in initiating contacts with Americans; you should take the first step. Personal and social problems due to stress, sadness, and boredom. LivingZDining Small apartments (especially for married students). Bad food in the dorms. Expensive food in the dorms. Expensive food outside the dorms. Expensive rent (especially for Owen Hall). Buying food. Lack of variety in the food. Difficulty due to the apartment design. Difficulty in understanding the housing lease. Problem due to air—conditioning during summer and quality of water in the apartment. Fatty and greasy food. Beelth Servicee The health insurance is too expensive. Dental insurance is not included. Problem related to long waits in the health center. 105 - Doctors in the health center are careless and not very well qualified. - Difficulty in explaining my physical problem to the doctor. - Problem of understanding the health insurance. - Lack of female physicians to deal with women’s problems. - Problem of understaffing (especially doctors) at Olin Health Center. - Difficulty due to the wrong impression that students always have minor problems. - Problem due to understaffing at the foreign student health insurance office. - Problem due to lack of variety of insurance policies to choose from. - Careless nurses at Olin Health Center. - Difficulty due to the delays in insurance payment system. - Lack of health education for foreign students. Student Activitjes - Lack of information about student organizations. - Lack of involvement. - Difficulty due to political interference with student activities. - Difficulty in gaining access to the facilities. - The State News is biased. - The Btete New; does not cover any important issues. - No international section in the newspaper. 106 Lack of university emphasis on student activities. Lack of programs for foreign student activities. Biased treatment for different foreign student organizations. Emphasis on social activities such as parties. Lack of sorority and fraternity for international students. Finenciel Aid High tuition. Difficulty in having a part-time job on or off campus. Complicated procedures for obtaining a loan. Lack of long-term loans. Not enough scholarships for foreign students. Erroneous assumption that foreign students are rich. Lack of academic-achievement rewards. Assistantships do not pay enough. Having to pay a graduate tuition rate for undergraduate courses at the graduate level. Political involvement in distribution of assistantships and scholarships. Expensive traffic-violation tickets. High book prices. Lack of bus service after five o’clock on Saturday and all day Sunday. Elma: - Lack of knowledge about the placement program. The staff are not helpful. 107 - Doubt the seriousness of the program regarding foreign students. - Lack of separate service design to help foreign students. - Discrimination in services against foreign students. - Difficulty in being interviewed for jobs through the place- ment office. - Lack of up-to-date information about availability of jobs for foreign students. - Lack of communication to inform foreign students about jobs. - Lack of job variety on and off campus. - Low-paying jobs for foreign students. Internetionel Student Office Service; - Contradictory information from different advisors about the same issue. - Unfriendly treatment. - Lack of periodic evaluation of students’ satisfaction with services. Unqualified advisors. Lack of understanding of foreign students’ needs. Not enough advisors. Problem related to the host-family program (especially for foreign women). - No follow-up program for new students. - The office is always busy. - Need for continuous social security services. 108 - Complicated treatment and information regarding immigration issues. - Lack of emphasis on undergraduate students’ concerns. - Lack of volunteer or paid part-time jobs for some qualified foreign students in the program. - Cannot find help when needed. - Lack of knowledgeable receptionist. - Lack of services on weekends and holidays (especially for newly arrived students). Findings of the Porter (1962) Study Porter’s findings indicated the following rank order of the 11 subscales he used (from most serious/highest concern to least serious/lowest concern): academic records, English language, placement services, financial aid, living/dining, social/personal, health services, orientation, admission and selection, student activities, and religious service. Hhereas Porter used 11 subscales in his study, the present writer used only seven of Porter’s subscales and added a new one. In Porter’s study, an analysis of t-test scores of seven demographic variables of foreign students revealed that a significant difference in mean scores existed at the .05 level between females and males, undergraduates and graduate students, students with varying lengths of stay at MSU, students who preferred to speak English as compared to those who preferred another language, and students from Hestern or Nonwestern backgrounds. No 109 significant difference in mean scores was found at the .05 level according to marital status or age. ' Porter’s findings showed that female foreign students checked more problems than did males, and undergraduates checked more problems than graduates. He also found that foreign students who had been on campus for 13 months or longer checked more problems than those who had been on campus for a year or less and that students who did not speak English as a first preference checked more problems than those who did speak English as a first preference. In addition, foreign students who were classified as Nonwestern checked more problems than those classified as Hestern. These differences were all significant at the .05 level. Although not significant at the .05 level, it was found that single foreign students checked slightly more problems than married students and that younger students, age 25 or less, checked more problems than older students. Finally, more than 75% of the 108 foreign students who participated in Porter’s study said the statements in the instrument provided a fairly complete picture of the problem areas currently troubling them. umar Chapter IV contained the findings concerning the relationship of selected demographic variables to the types of difficulty and intensity of problems encountered by foreign students at Michigan State University. ANOVA analyses showed that some variables such as area of origin and academic classification appeared to affect 110 whether a student experienced a higher or lower level of difficulty in the areas of orientation, social/personal, living/dining, health services, student. activities, financial aid, placement, and international student office services. Age, gender, marital status, and length of stay at MSU seemed to have little or no effect on the type and degree of difficulty faced by foreign students. However, the chi-square analysis showed a sizable number of significant differences among independent variables in relationship to statements in the eight areas of student personnel services under investigation. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, MAJOR FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ummar The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the concerns and problems of fbreign students regarding student personnel services at Michigan State University. A total of 246 foreign students at Michigan State University participated in the study during spring term 1988. ' The instruments used were a modified version of the Michigan International Student Problem Inventory (MISPI) and interviews. Eight problem areas were included in the modified MISPI, namely: orientation, social/personal, living/dining, health services, student activities, financial aid, placement, and international student office services. The students were asked to indicate their perceptions regarding statements in each area according to the following scale: 1 = no problem, 2 = moderate problem, 3 - nfinor problem, and 4 - major problem. In interpreting the means, scores of 3.0 to 4.0 were considered to indicate a major concern, 2.0 to 2.99 a moderate concern, and 1.0 to 1.99 a minor concern. The independent variables examined in the study were students’ age, gender, area of origin, marital status, academic classifica- tion, and length of stay at Michigan State University. 111 112 The data were analyzed by computing frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations to measure the extent and variability of problems faced by foreign students. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were significant differences in means of the perceived problems according to the demographic characteristics of the sample. A chi-square test was also used to examine the relationship between the extent of the problem and the demographic characteristics for' each statement contained in the questionnaire. The .05 alpha level was the criterion for statistical significance. Mejor Findings The first purpose of the study was to identify the major concerns and difficulties of foreign students attending Michigan State University regarding selected student personnel services. The results indicated that foreign students experienced problems in the following areas of student personnel services, in descending order of level of difficulty: financial aid, placement, health services, social/personal, living/dining, orientation, student activities, and international student office services. A list of items of most concern to the students was obtained by analyzing the means regarding the extent of the problems. Some of these items were: work restrictions, changes in weather conditions, finding a part-time or full-time job, lack of money, health insurance ambiguity, unexpected financial need, feeling homesick, value of the dollar, attitude of Americans toward foreign students, 113 finding jobs between terms, food costs, time to rest, immigration status, transportation, insufficient help from the placement office, housing problems, finding a job upon returning home, and being lonely. The analysis using problem statements showed that financial aid, placement office services, and health services were ranked, respectively, as the three areas of most concern to foreign students. The second purpose of the study was to investigate whether there were significant differences in the nature and distribution of problems as 'they are related to students’ age, gender, marital status, academic classification, area of origin, and length of stay at Michigan State University. The ANOVA results regarding age showed that there were no significant differences among students in the three age groups regarding any area of student personnel services. However, the chi- square results for individual problem statements indicated there were significant differences among students in the three age groups. Students age 18 to 25 were significantly more concerned with problems of loneliness, becoming a citizen of the United States, getting a job in the U.S., usefulness of U.S. education for a job at home, and negative remarks about their home country than were those in the other age groups. Students age 26 to 35 were significantly more concerned about big campus size and finding adequate health services for a particular difficulty than were those in the other two groups. Students age 36 to 53 indicated significantly more concern about taste of food, relationship with roommate(s), lack of 114 money for buying clothes, and other expenses than did their counterparts in the other age groups. Regarding gender, the ANOVA results indicated that the only significant difference between males and females was in the area of international student office services. Females encountered significantly more problems with such services than did males. Chi- square analysis showed that the following statements were rated as being of significantly more concern to female than to male foreign students: big campus size, loneliness, homesickness, feeling of distance from others, finding housing between terms, health suffering due to academic pace, desire to enroll at another college, international student advisor lacking personality to motivate student to talk about concerns, and international student advisor lacking a grasp of the subject matter. Male students were significantly more concerned than female students with the limited amount the dollar will purchase. ANOVA tests for the independent variable area of origin were conducted with two different geographical groupings. The first classification included two broad groups: Western and Nonwestern. The second classification was more specific, in which the following six groups were compared: Africa, North America and Oceania, Eur0pe, Central and South America and Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and South East Asia. Using the first grouping, the ANOVA results indicated there were significant differences between Western and Nonwestern students 115 regarding problems they encountered 'Hi the following areas: orientation, social/personal, living/dining, health services, student activities, and international student office services. Nonwestern students encountered significantly more difficulty than Western students in all eight areas of student personnel services under' investigation. The chi-square analysis also showed that Nonwestern students had significantly more problems than Western students with all of the statements on which the groups differed significantly. Using the setond geographical grouping, the ANOVA results indicated there were significant differences among (the various groups in all areas except financial aid.’ In the seven areas in which significant differences were found, the following groups of respondents ranked the extent of the difficulties from highest to lowest: 1. Orientation: Middle East and North Africa, Africa, Central and South America and Caribbean, Europe, North America and Oceania, and South East Asia. 2. Social/personal: Middle East and North Africa, Africa, South East Asia, Europe, Central and South America and Caribbean, and North America and Oceania. 3. Living/dining: Middle East and North Africa, Africa, South East Asia, Central and South America and Caribbean, Europe, and North America and Oceania. 116 4. Health services: Middle East and North Africa, Africa, South East Asia, Central and South America and Caribbean, Europe, and North America and Oceania. 5. Placement: Middle East and North Africa, South East Asia, Europe, Africa, Central and South America and Caribbean, and North America and Oceania. 6. International student office services: Middle East and North Africa, South East Asia, Central and South America and Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and North America and Oceania. The ANOVA results showed that single and married respondents did not differ significantly on any problem area. However, the chi- square analysis showed that single students were significantly more concerned than married students with the following items: unfavorable remarks about their home country, concern about becoming toot westernized, being in love, finding housing between terms, dietary problems, dating practices, finding dates, and getting a job in the U.S. Married students were significantly more concerned than single students with the following problems: food costs, differences in clothing styles, inadequate health services, student activity regulations, and not having enough money. According to the ANOVA results, no significant differences were found among groups in any area of student services according to length of stay at MSU. The results of the chi-square analysis showed that the groups with various lengths of stay at MSU differed significantly on very few of the items. 117 Concerning academic. classification, the results showed that undergraduate students encountered more problems than graduate students in all areas of student services. However, the only areas in which the two groups differed significantly were orientation, social/personnel, living/dining, and student activities. When chi- square analysis was used, the statements with which undergraduate students were found to be significantly more concerned than graduate students were: relationship with orientation personnel, large campus size, being in love, being lonely, homesickness, relationship with roommate(s), finding housing between terms, social functions, differences in dating practices in the U.S., finding a job, extending the stay in the U.S., and becoming a citizen of the U.S. The third purpose of the study was to compare the similarities and differences between the results of Porter’s (1962) study and those of the current investigation. In Porter’s study, the areas of services were ranked from most to least problematic for foreign students as follows: placement, financial aid, living/dining, social/personal, health services, orientation, and student activities. In the present study, these services were ranked from most to least problematic as follows: financial aid, placement, health services, social/personal, living/dining, orientation, and student activities. In both studies, social/personal, orientation, and student activities were ranked similarly (fourth, sixth, and seventh, respectively). Health services, however, was ranked differently in the two studies. In the present study it was ranked third, whereas in Porter’s study it was ranked fifth. Placement and 118 financial aid were considered the most problematic areas in both studies. The findings of both studies indicated that age and marital status were not related to the degree or number of problems foreign students. encountered. In Porter’s study, females reported more problems than males in most areas of student services. In the present study, the only area in which females reported more problems than males was international student office services. In both studies, Nonwestern students perceived more problems with all services than did Western students. Results of both studies showed that undergraduate students perceived more problems than did graduate students. In Porter’s study, length of stay at MSU was significantly related to the number of problems foreign students encountered (i.e., students who had been on campus for 13 months or more perceived more problems than those who had been on campus 12 months or less). In the present study, the results did not show such differences to exist. Finally, in Porter’s study, more than 75% of the students thought that the MISPI provided a fairly complete picture of the problem areas; in the present study, only 65% shared that perception. This difference might be due, in part, to the fact that the present study used only 7 of the 11 areas examined in Porter’s study. 119 Bonclusions Based on the findings of the data analyses and the interviews, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Foreign students encountered problems with the following student personnel areas (from most problematic to least proble- matic): financial aid, placement, health services, social/personal, living/dining, orientation, student activities, and international student office services. 2. Financial aid was the area with which foreign students were most concerned, perhaps because of work restrictions for.immigrants; shortages of loans, scholarships, and assistantships; and limited funds from home. 3. Placement was a major concern of foreign students. Insuf- ficient help and discrimination were emphasized as major problems of the placement office. 4. Health services was also an area of major concern. Confusion about rights, privileges, and adequacy of health insurance and inadequacy of services at Olin Health Center were two major complaints. 5. Students reported moderate problems in the social/personal, living/dining, and orientation areas. 6. Students reported minor problems in the areas of student activities and international student office services. 7. Groups from different geographic areas differed signifi- cantly with regard to the problems they perceived. In most areas, Middle Eastern, African, and South East Asian students perceived the 120 highest level of difficulty. Central and South American and Carib- bean students perceived moderate difficulty. European, North American, and Oceanic students perceived the least difficulty. 8. No significant relationship was found between length of stay at MSU and the degree and extent of difficulty students encountered with student personnel services. 9. Undergraduate students perceived more problems than gradu- ate students in all areas of student personnel services. 10. Few differences were found between the problems encountered by MSU foreign students in the early 19605 and those encountered by their counterparts in the late 19805. Recommendations Based on the review of related literature, the findings of the statistical analyses conducted in 'this study, and especially on insights gained from the interviews, the following recommendations are made for the purpose of improving and strengthening existing foreign student services and implementing new programs. Financial Aid 1. The financial aid office, in cooperation with other univer- sity and community programs, should consider improving financial aid services for foreign students. Specifically, the number of loans, scholarships, assistantships, and part-time jobs should be increased so that more foreign students can benefit from these resources. 121 2. Special programs should be expanded to meet the financial needs of foreign students in emergency situations. 3. The financial aid office should consider having a full- or part-time employee to deal with foreign students’ financial concerns. 4. Foreign students should be given a rough estimate of expected increases in tuition and other living expenses for the expected duration of their stay in the United States. 5. The financial aid office, in cooperation with the interna- tional student office, should give foreign students more instruction in appropriate personal budgeting and spending strategies. mm 1. The placement office should provide special programs and services that could fulfill foreign students’ basic needs for employment opportunities on and off campus and within and outside the United States. The career educator specialist employed by the university can work closely with the international student office to accomplish that task. 2. The placement office should encourage employers both within and outside the United States to hire foreign stUdents. 3. The placement office should more adequately publicize to foreign students the services it provides, such as job-search techniques, resume writing, and interview preparation. 122 _eelth Services 1. All appropriate university offices should give special attention to making foreign students aware of the health services, health insurance, and health education provided by the university. Students should be given specific information about insurance costs, options in coverage, and commensurate benefits. In addition, the university should hire a full-time insurance specialist to help foreign students with their insurance concerns. 2. Services provided at Olin Health Center should be improved. Doctors and nurses should be aware that foreign students may have difficulty explaining their physical symptoms. Greater sensitivity toward foreign students and their problems is essential. 3. Female physicians should be available for those female for- eign students who prefer to be attended by someone of the same gender. 4. Olin Health Center, in cooperation with the international student center, should present lectures to educate foreign students about important health issues. These two units should also publicize to foreign students all health services, especially counseling, that are provided by the university. W W l. The university should establish a system of direct communi- cation between foreign students and student personnel professionals, administrators, foreign student advisors, and .faculty' to enhance these students’ adjustment to the campus and to the American 123 environment. Also, as a part of orientation, the university should educate American students about foreign students. A student handbook might be used to help accomplish this purpose. 2. More social and cultural activities and events should be programmed for foreign students, and the students themselves should be more involved in planning these functions. Increased participation in planning might motivate more foreign students to become involved in campus activities. Livin inin 1. The international student office, in cooperation with the dormitories that house foreign students, should provide a special orientation program for foreign students about life in the dorms. 2. Dormitories that house foreign students should provide a variety of international dishes in their cafeterias. Qcieotatien 1. Foreign students’ home countries should be encouraged to provide them with pre-arrival orientation. In addition, international students should be strongly encouraged to arrive on campus one to two weeks before beginning their studies, to become better acquainted with their specific living environment and the community in general. 2. The current orientation program should be revised so that it reaches more foreign students, especially those arriving at various times throughout the year. It is highly recommended that 124 the orientation program be expanded to cover a full term, beginning whatever term the student arrives at MSU. New foreign students should be required to show evidence of attending the preliminary orientation sessions before they are issued registration materials. 3. Various existing brochures pertaining to such topics as housing, health, emergencies, transportation, and so on, should be combined into one handbook. This handbook should be issued to foreign students with their travel instructions before they leave their home countries. International Student Office Services 1. The international student office should employ additional advisors to meet the increasing needs and demands of foreign students. A systematic approach to need assessment, using as a basis Porter’s research and the current investigation, could help in identifying foreign students’ needs and concerns. 2. The international student office should improve the commu- nication and delivery of all of its services and encourage students to make known their needs and problems. 3. The international student office should increase its coop- eration with other offices, such as the placement center and the financial aid office, to better serve the needs of foreign students. 4. More conferences and workshops in cross-cultural education should be made available to foreign student advisors to help them serve the diverse needs of this unique population. 125 5. Counseling services should be added to the international student office, rather than having such services offered solely by the counseling center. APPENDICES APPENDIX A THE MOONEY PROBLEM CHECK LIST- PLEASE NOTE: Copyrighted materials in this document have not been filmed at the request of the author. They are available for consultation, however, in the author's university library. These consist of pages: 126-129, Appendix A U-M-I 126 MOONEY PROBLEM CHECK LIST 1950 Ross 1» MOONEY COLLEGE REVISION Assisted by Leouaao V. Goaoon mam Bureau of Eduatioaal Research Ohio State University Age ................ Date of birth ............................... . ...................................................................... Sex ................ Class in college Marital status .............................................................. (Freshman. Sophomore. etci (Single. married, ere.) Curriculum in which you are enrolled ........................................................................................................... (Electrical Engineering. Teacher Education. Liberal Arts. etc.) Name of the counselor, course or agency for whom you are marking this check list ................................................................................................... Your name or other identification, if desired. ..................................................................................................................... Date ...................... DIRECTIONS This is not a test. It is a list of troublesome problems which often face students in college—problems of health, money, social life, relations with people, religion, studying, selecting courses, and the like. You are to go through the list, pick out the particular problems which are of concern to you, indi- cate those which are of most concern, and make a summary interpretation in your own words More specifically, you are to take these three steps First Step: Read the list slowly, pause at each item, and if it suggests something which is trou- bling you, underline it, thus “34. Sickness in the famil.’ ’Go through the whole list, underlining the items which suggest troubles (difficulties, worries) of concern to you. Second Step: After completing the first step, look back over the items you have underlined and circle the number: in front of the items which are of most concern to you, thus, “ 1:; l Sickness in the familj." Third Step: After completing fie first and second steps, answer the summarizing questions on pages 5 and 6. Copyright 1950.Allridstar.-od. 'l'bel’sycbologieal Corporatio- “DIMSMMY'EI7.N.Y. 26. 27. 28. 30. 31. 32. 35. 38. 89. ,8 $331.8 fitfifi? 127 . Feeling tired much of the time Being undo-weight . Being overweight . . Not getting enough exercise Not getting enough sleep . Too little matey for clothes . Receiving too little help from home . Having less money than my friends . Managing my finances poorly . Needing a part-time job now . Not enough time for recreation . Too little chance to get into sports .Toolittleclnncetoenjoyartormusic . Too little chance to enjoy radio or television . Too little time to myself . Being timid or shy . Being too easily embarrassed .Beingillateasewithothapeople . Having no close friends in college . Missing someone back borne Taking things too seriously Worrying about unimportant things . Nervousness . Getting eacr’tedtoo easily ~ . Findingitthficulttorelax Too few dates Not meeting anyone I like to date No suitable places to go on dates . Deciding whether to go steady Going with someone my family won't accept Being criticized by my parents Mother . Father . Sickness in the family Parents sacrificing too much for me . Not going to church often enough . Dissatisfied with church services Having beliefs that difier from my church Losing my earlier religious faith Doubting the value of worship and prayer Not knowing how to study efiectively Easily distracted from my work Not planning my work ahead Having a poor background for some subjects Inadequate high school training Restless at delay in starting life work Doubting wisdom of my vocational choice Family Opposing my choice of vocation in going to college not clear Purpose Doubtingthevalueofacollegedeyee Hard to study in living quarters No suitable place to study on campus Teachers too hard to understand Textboolu too hard to understand . Dificulty In getting required books . Not as strong and healthy as I should be . Allergies (hay fever, asthma, hives, etc.) . Occasional pressure and pain in my head . Gradually losing weight . Not getting enough outdoor air and sunshine . Going in debt for college expenses . Going through school on too little money . Graduation threatened by lack of funds . Needing money for yaduate training . Too many financial problems . Not living a well-rounded life . Not using my leisure time well . Wanting to improve myself culturally . Wanting to improve my mind . Wanting more chance for self-expression . Wanting a more pleasing personality . Losing friends . Wanting to be more popular . Being left out of things . Having feelings of extreme loneliness . Moodiness, “having the blues” . Failing in so many things I try to do . Too easily discouraged . Having bad luck Sometimes wishingI’dneverbeenborn . Afraid of losing the one 1 love . Loving someone who doesn't love me . Too inhibited in sex matters . Afraid of close contact with the opposite sex . Wondering if I'll ever find a suitable mate . Parents separated or divorced . Parents having a hard time of it . Worried about a member of my family . Father or mother not living . Feeling I don't really have a borne . Diflering from my family in religious beliefs . Failing to see the relation of religion to life . Don't know what to believe about God . Science conflicting with my religion . Needing a philosophy of life . Forgetting things I've learned in school . Getting low yades . Weak in writing . Weak in spelling or grammar . Slow in reading . Unable to enter desired vocation . Enrolled in the wrong curriculum . Wanting to change to another college . Wanting part-time experience in my field . Doubting college prepares me for working .GoIlege too indifferent to student needs . Dull classes . Too many poor teachers . Teachers lacking grasp of subject matter . Teachers lacking personality 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. . Awkward in making a date . Slow in getting acquainted with people . 1n too few student activities . Boring weekends 141. 142. 143. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 165. 128 Poor posture Poor complexion or skin trouble Too short Too tall Not very attractive physically Needing money for better health care Needing to watch every penny I spend Family worried about finances Disliking financial dependence on others Financially unable to get married Awkward in meeting people . Feelings too easily hurt . Being talked about . Being watched by other people . Worrying how 1 impress people . Feeling inferior . Unhappy too much of the time . Having memories of an unhappy childhood . Daydreaming . Forgetting things . Having a certain nervous habit . Being in love . Deciding whether I'm in love . Deciding whether to become engaged . Wondering if 1 really know my prospective mate .Beinginlovewithsorneonelcan'tmarry Friends not welcomed at home Home life unhappy Family quarrels . Not getting along with a member of my family 145. Irritated by habits of a member of my family Parents oldofashioned in their ideas Missing spiritual elements in college life Troubled by lack of religion in others Afiected by racial or religious prejudice In love with someone of a difierent race or religion Not spending enough time in study Having too many outside interests Trouble organizing term papers Trouble in outlining or note-taking Trouble with oral reports Wonderingifl'llbesucoe‘ulinlife Needing to plan ahead for the future Not knowing what 1 really want Trying to combine marriage and a career Concerned about military service Not having a good college adviser Not getting individual help from teachers Not enough chances to talk to teachers Teachers lacking interest in students Teaches not considerate of students' feelings 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. 178. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. . Sexual needs unsatisfied 195. 196. 197. 198. 199. 200. 201. 202. 203. 205. Confused in some of my religious beliefs 211. 212. 213. 214. 215. 216. 217. 218. 219. 220. Frequent sore throat Frequent colds Nose or sinus trouble Speech handicap (stuttering. etc.) Weak eyes Working late at night on a job Living in an inconvenient location Transportation or commuting dificulty Lacking privacy in living quarters Having no place to entertain friends Wanting to learn how to dance Wanting to learn how to entertain Wanting to improve my appearance Wanting to improve my manners or etiquette Trouble in keeping a conversation going Being too envious or jealous Being stubborn or obstinate Getting into arguments Speaking or acn’ng without thinking Sometimes acting childish or immature Losing my temper Being careless Being lazy Tending to exaggerate too much Not taking things seriously enough Embarrassed by talk about sex Disturbed by ideas of sexual acts Needing information about sex matters Wondering how far to go with the'opposite sex Unable to discuss oetain problems at home Clash of opinion between me and parents Talking back to my parents Parents eepecting too much of me Carrying heavy home responsibilities Wandng more chances for religious worship Wanting to understand more about the Bible Wanting to feel close to God Confusedonsomemoralquestions 7. Not gettingstudiesdoneontime 20 . 208. . Vocabulary too limited 210. Unable to concentrate well Unable to express myself well in words Afraidtospeakupinclassdiscussions Wondering whether further education is worthwhile Not knowing where 1 belong in the world Needing to decide on an occupation Needing information about occupations Needing to know my vocational abilities Classes too large Not enough class discussion Classes run too much like high school Too much work required in some courses Teaches too theoretical 129 3. Whether you have or have not enjoyed filling out the list, do you think it has been worth doing? ............ Yes. .............No Could you explain your reaction? 4. 1f the opportunity were offered, would you like to talk over any of these problems with someone on the college staff? ............ Yes. ............ No. If so, do you know the particular person(s) with whom you would like to have these talks? ............ Yes. ............ No. APPENDIX B THE MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROBLEM INVENTORY 130 IIONIIAI IITIRIATIOIAL STIIIIT PROILIN IIVIITOIY John V. Porter -d A. O. Heller. Date of Birth Sea Today's Date Carrot" of Citiaenship Country of R-:" “ Class in College W m. Marital Status W— Preeeht College Course of Study mu.mmw_ Huber of run and W at preset" College. At a previous U.S. College W W? Number of ”m and 7.1... in the U.S. Language you speak most easily PLEASE READ THESE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY You are not being tested. There are no ridit or wrong answers. This is a list of statements about situations that occao sionelly trouble (comb, distress, grieve, annoy, or worry) students here other cantriea who are attending colleges in the United states. The statements are related to areas of obissions. academic warb, letguege, religion, aid so forth. PLEASE FOLLOW THESE THREE STEPS Step One Read the list of statements carefully, pause at each statement, and if it s to a situation which is troubling you, circle the number to the left of the statement. as follows, @wzciving Oral Reports in Class.” Continue ”trough the entire list in this wq. Step Two After'cerapleting Step One, go back over the numbers you have circled. and place on X in the circle of the statements which are of most concern to you, as follows,® “Giving Oral Reports in Class." SteeThree After completing Steps One and Two, please answer the questions on Page 4. Printed by International Programs Michigan State University East Lans‘iétégi Michigan 131 Step One Read the list of statements below carefully, if a statement suggests a situation which is troubling you, circle the number to the left of it, as follows Writing or typing term (semester) papers. 10. ll. 12. 16. 17. 18. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 8388 31. '32. 33. Evaluation of my former school credentials . Concern about value of a U.S. education . Choosing college subjects Treatment received at orientation meetings Unfavorable remarlrs about home country Concept of being a "foreign" student Frequent college examinations Compulsory class attendance Writing or typing term (semester) papers Concern about becoming too "westernized" Insufficient personal-social counseling Being in love with someone . Taste of food in United States 14. 15. Problems regarding housing Being told where one must live Poor eye sight Recurrent headaches My physical height and physique Religious practices in United States Attending church sociols Concern about my religious beliefs Speaking English Giving oral reports in class Ability to write English Regulations on student activities Treatment received at social functions Relationship of men and women in U.S. . Loci: of money to meet expenses . Not receiving enough money from home . Having to do manual labor (worli with hands) Finding a iob upon returning home Not enough time in U.S. for study Trying to extend stay in United States 34. 35. 36. 40. ll . 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. Getting admitted to U.S. college Registration for classes each term Not attending college of my first choice 37. Relationship with foreign student advisor 38. 39 . Law enforcement practices in the U.S. Leisure time activities of U.S. students Competitive college grading system Objective examinations (trumfolse, etc.) Insufficient advice from academic advisor Being lonely Feeling inferior to others Trying to make friends Costs of buying food Insufficient clothing 48. Not being able to room with U.S. student 49. 51. .3333 3.3.3 8.38 6i. 62. 63. 64. 65. Hard to hear Nervousness Finding adequate health services Finding worship group of own faith Christianity as a philosophy Variety of religious faiths in U.S. Reciting in class Understanding lectures in English Reading textbooks written in English Dating practices of U.S. people Being accepted in social groups Not being able to find ”dates" Saving enough money for social events Immigration work restrictions Limited amount U.S. dollar will purchase Becoming a citizen of the United States Changes in home government Desire to not return to home country 132 67. . lnunigration regulations 69. 70. 7I . 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. . Homesickness 78. 79. 80. BI. 82. 83. 85. . Spiritual versus materialistic values 87. 89. 9I. . U.S. emphasis on sports 93. 94. 95. . Money for clothing 333 Understanding college catalogs Lack of knowledge about U.S. Campus size U.S. emphasis on time and promptness Understanding how to use the library Too many interferences with studies Feel unprepared for U.S. college work Concerned about grades Sexual customs in United States Feeling superior to others Bathroom facilities cause problems Distances to classes from residence Relationship with roommate Dietary problems Need more time to rest Worried about mental health Having time to devote to own religion Doubting the value of any religion Understanding U.S. "slang" My limited English vocabulary My pronunciation not understood Activities of International Houses Problems when shopping in U.S. Finding part-time work Unexpected financial needs . Uncertainities in the world today . Desire enrolling at another college . U.S. education not what was expected I00. IOI. I02. 103. I04. I05. 106. I07. I08. I09. IIO. III. I12. II3. IId. IIS. I16. II7. IIB. II9. I20. I21. I22. I23. I24. I25. I26. I27. I28. I29. I30. I3I. I32. Differences in purposes among U.S. colleges Difference in U.S. aid home education systems Not being met on arrival at campus College orientation program insufficient Trying to be student, tourist and "ambassador" Attitude of some students toward "foreign" students Doing laboratory assignments Insufficient personal help from professors Relationship between U.S. students and faculty U.S. enphasis on personal habits of cleanliness Not feeling at ease in public Attitude of some U.S. people to skin color Finding a place to live between college terms Changes in weather conditions Lack of invitations to visit in U.S. homes Feeling under tension Service received at health center Health suffering due to academic pace Criticisms of home land religion Accepting differences in great religions Confusion about religion and morals in U.S. Insufficient remedial English services Having a non-English speaking roomtnate Holding a conversation with U.S. friends Activities of foreign student organizations Lack of opportunities to meet more U.S. people Concern about political discussions Costs of an automobile Finding employment between college terms Finding iobs fiat pay well Insufficient help from placement office Staying in U.S. and getting a iob Wonder if U.S. education useful for iob at home Step Two Now go back over the numbers you have circled, and place an X in the circle of statements which are of most concern to you, as follows ® Writing or typing term (semester) papers. 133 Step Three Please answer the following questions. I. Do you feel that the statements which you have marked on Pages 2 and 3 provide a fairly complete picture of the problem areas currently troubling you? Yes No If there are additional problems which trouble you, and they are not specifically listed on Pages 2 and 3, please indicate what they are in the space below. 2. Do you feel that this procedure of helping you identify problem areas is worthwhile, even though you might not have eniayed checking the statements? Yes No Can you explain the reason for your answer? 3. To whom do you most frequently go for help in resolving problems which have confronted you? For example, counselors, foreign student advisor, fellow students from your home country, faculty, etc. Please list in order of preference (I) (2) (3) 4. Would you like to discuss your concerns with someone? Yes No If “Yes”, please write your name here APPENDIX C LETTER OF PERMISSION FROM DR. PORTER TO USE THE MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROBLEM INVENTORY 134 at EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY Onnarorrnxlhmumnu- January 8, 1988 Dr. Bani Barakat 1436 K Spartan Village East Lansing, MI 48823 Dear Dr. Barakat: This letter will serve as permission for you to use the Michigan International Student Problem Inventory in your research project. Good luck on your project. n w. Porter resident /bh Enclosure Yrs” n11 Mlcmmx 48l97 (Illith-ZZII APPENDIX D REVISED VERSION OF THE MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROBLEM INVENTORY I35 International Student Problem Inventory (adapted from the Hichigan International Student Problem inventory) W You are not being tested. There are no right or wrong answers for the questions in this inventory. This is a list of statements about situations that occasionally trouble (perturb, distress, grieve, annoy or worry) students from other countries who are attending college in the United States. Do Not Write Your Name On the Questionnaire. W m: Fill in the bllnkl below. Please check ‘4 responses for each category, print your age and the number of years at HSU. Agg: WW From Africa From North America or Oceania From Europe _ From Central. South America or the Caribbean From Middle East or North Africa _ From South or East Asia _____ W: years 53;: Male Female Single Married _ W: W: Undergraduate Graduate years $§gp_1!n: Answer each of the statements in the inventory by circling one choice according to these rating categories: 1 - No Problem 2 - Minor Problem 3 - Moderate Problem 4 - Hajor Problem For example: Costs of buying food 1 2 3 (:3 A student answering this statement in this manner has indicated that he has experienced a major problem in having money to buy food. Continue on the back of this page /\ cosy/imitators» §UNH H I36 No Problem Hinor Problem Moderate Problem Major Problem The treatment that I received at orientation meetings was not up to my expectation . . . . . . . Unfavorable remarks about home country . Concept of being a 'foreign' student . Concern about becoming too 'westernized' . Insufficient personal-social counseling Being in love with someone . . . Taste of food in United States g . Problems regarding housing . . Being told where one must live . . Getting help to improve my eye sight . Hy physical height and physical appearance . . . Finding adequate health services for my particular difficulty . . . Unrealistic regulations on student activities Discomfort with treatment at social functions . Confusion about male/female relationship in the U. 5. Lack of money to meet my expenses . . Not receiving enough money from home . . . Having to do manual labor (work with hands) Finding a job upon returning home . Not enough time in U. S. for study . . . Trying to extend stay in United States . . . Not having a qualified advisor in the international student office . . . . Not getting individual help from the international student advisor . . Not enough chances to talk to the international student advisor Relationship with the people at the orientation meetings . Leisure time activities of U. S. students . Law enforcement practices in the U. 8. Being lonely . . . . Peeling inferior to others . Trying to make friends . Costs of buying food. . . . Differences in clothing styles . . . Not being able to room with U. S. student . Dietary problems . . . . . . . . . . . Need more time to rest . . worried about some thoughts I keep having . . The differences in dating practices of U. 5. people . Feeling accepted in social groups . . Not being able to find suitable 'dates' HHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHi—a H H HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NNNNNNNNMNN NNNNNNNNNN MN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN UUWUUUUMWUU UWUUUUUUUU La) La, UUUUUUUUM’UUUNWUU S‘S‘bl‘t‘b§&‘t‘bb S‘bS‘S‘bS‘bS‘J-‘b S‘ b b§k§bb§bb9§§§§bb burrow 137 No Problem Hinor Problem Moderate Problem Major Problem Having enough money for social events . . . Unable to work because of work restrictions for foreign students . . . Limited amount U. S. dollar will purchase Becoming a citizen of the United States . Fear of changes in home government Desire not to return to home country . International student advisor lacks interest in as International student advisor not considerate of my feeling . . International student advisor is too theoretical in the solution' s suggested for my problem . The Campus size is too big for me . U. S. emphasis on time and promptness is different to me . I find the Library to be a confusing place Understanding sexual customs in United States . Feeling homesick . . Feeling distant from others . Bathroom facilities cause problems Distances from residence to classes . Relationship with roommate or roommates . Inadequate service received at health center Health suffering due to academic pace . Concern about the adequacy of student health insurance Discomfort with the activities of International clubs . U. S. emphasis on sports . . . Problems when shopping in U. S. Finding part- -time job . Unexpected financial needs . . Not having enough money for clothing Uncertainties in the world today Desire enrolling at another college U.S. education not what I was expecting . . . Difficulty in getting an appointment with the international student advisor . . International student advisor lacking personality to motivate me to talk about my concerns . . International student advisor lacking grasp of subject matter . The information I received at orientation was not helpful . Trying to be student tourist and "ambassador" Attitude of some students toward “foreign" students makes me uncomfortable . . Differences in the habits of cleanliness Not feeling at ease in public . . . Attitude of some U. S. people to skin color. Finding a place to live between terms . t-‘t-‘t-‘t-‘t-‘H i- HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHt—‘HHHHt—‘H H HHH raw: HHt—‘t—‘H NNNNNN N N NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN N NM NNNNN waUUUWUUUWUUUWUUUUUVU UUWUUU U U WU WWW UUUUU bbt‘bbb b bS‘S‘bbbS‘bbbS‘bbbkt‘kbbf-‘bb b b b 9 PP bbt‘bb Continue on the back of this page bearer- 138 No Problem Minor Problem Moderate Problem Major Problem Changes in weather conditions . . Lack of invitations to visit in U. S. homes Feeling uncomfortable in seeking help from health . services . . . Confusion about my rights and privileges in the health insurance . . , Confusion about my ambiguity of health insurance . Activities of foreign student organizations Lack of opportunities to meet more Americans . . Concern about political discussions Costs and convenience of transportation Finding employment between terms . Finding jobs that pay well . . . Insufficient help from placement office Staying in U. S. and getting a job wonder if U. S education is useful for job at home : International student advisor is not available in emergency situation . . The international student office receptionist is not helpful . . . Difficulty in seeingm madvisor without an appointment (walk-in) . . . . . t-‘H HHHHHHHHHHH H H NM NNNNNNNNNNN N MN MW UUWWUUUUUUU U uu, L‘“ o-e o o o o o 9.9 b’bv o § k. 1. I39 Do you feel that the statements which you have marked on pages 2 through a provide a fairly complete picture of the problem areas currently troubling you? Yes If there are additional problems which trouble you, and they are not specifically listed on pages 2 through 4. please indicate what they 1:. in the space below. The questions that you have answered are related to the following student personnel services: orientation. social/personal, living/dining, health services, students activities, financial aid, placement services. and international student services. A. Which of these services cause the mast problem for foreign students? (You can select more than one) B. What leads you to think that? APPENDIX E LETTER TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADVISORS 140 November 23, 1987 Dear international student advisor, The attached questionnaire is designed to evaluate some of the student personnel services at Michigan State University. There are 12 statements to evaluate each service. I would like you to check (evaluate) the appropriateness of each statement used regarding (a) the language difficulty for the foreign student and (b) the statement’s representativeness of the problem that exists in that service. If you think that any modification, addition, or omission is needed, please feel free to indicate this on the questionnaire. Sincerely, Hani Barakat APPENDIX F LETTER TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS T41 November 23, 1987 Dear international student, The attached questionnaire is designed to evaluate some of the student personnel services at Michigan State University. There are 12 statements to evaluate each service. I would like you to check (evaluate) the appropriateness of each statement used regarding (a) the language difficulty for the foreign student and (b) the statement’s representativeness of the problem that exists in that service. If you think that any modification, addition, or omission is needed, please feel free to indicate this on the questionnaire. Sincerely, Hani Barakat APPENDIX G INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 142 Interview Questions NAME: DATE: AGE: GENDER: GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF ORIGIN: MARITAL STATUS: YEARS AT MSU: ACADEMIC CLASSIFICATION: uestions The questions that you have answered in the questionnaire are related to the following student personnel services: orientation, social/personal, living/dining, health services, student activities, financial aid, placement, and international student office services. I. would you like to talk about any of these services? (Discuss anything related to the services.) On a scale of 1-4 (l - no problem, 2 - minor problem, 3 = moder- ate problem, 4 - major problem), how do you rate (evaluate) every one of the above-mentioned services? (Please elaborate where indicated on the back of this page.) What is the most positive experience you 'like to talk about regarding the student personnel services? (You have been through or heard about it.) What is the most negative experience that you would be willing to talk about? Mould you like to discuss anything related to the student serv- ices that has not been covered by the questionnaire? Uhat kinds of changes would you like to see in the area of stu- dent services? How would you rate your overall satisfaction with the student services at Michigan State University? (Would you consider it satisfactory, average, or unsatisfactory?) 143 Please use the scale on the right to rate and comment on Question 2 in the space provided below: - No Problem - Minor Problem - Moderate Problem - Major Problem fiUN-fi l. Orientation 2. Social/Personal 3. Living/Dining 4. Health Services 5. Student Activities 6. Financial Aid 7. Placement 8. International Student Office Services APPENDIX H APPROVAL LETTER FROM UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS I44 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH INVOLVING EAST LANSING . MICHIGAN . “‘2‘ III! HUMAN SUBJECTS (UCIINS) 1“ MY HALL (SI?) 353-975. March 23, 1988 Hani Barakat Education Erickson Hall Dear Mr. Barakat: SUBJECT: ”THE PROBLEMS FACING FOREIGN STUDENTS ATTENDING MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY" UCRIHS' review of the above referenced project has now been completed. I am pleased to advise that since the reviewer's comment has been satisfactorily addressed, the conditional approval given by the Committee at its January 4, 1988 meeting has been now changed to full approval. You are reminded that UCRIHS approval is valid for one calendar year. If you plan to continue this project beyond one year, please make provisions for obtaining appropriate UCRIHS approval prior to January 4, 1989. Any changes in procedures involving human subjects must be reviewed by the UCRIHS prior to initiation of the change. UCRIHS must also be notified promptly of any problems (unexpected side effects, complaints, etc.) involving human subjects during the course of the work. Thank you for bringing this project to our attention. If we can be of any future help, please do not hesitate to let us know. Sincerely J hn K. Hudzik, Ph.D. C air, UCRIHS JKH/sr cc: M. Raines I“! I in on Alluvial"? Adm-I 'I-‘gual ”prurient” hunt-Hm» 1115 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE 0’ EDUCAT'ON us! LANSING . MICHIGAN . «324.1054 09mm or muomonu ADMINISTRATION nmmxnawui April 15, 1988 Dear International Student: As you know, Michigan State University is one of the leading international universities of the world. Currently it has an enrollment of more than 2000 international students 104 countries. For many years M.S.U. has sought to provide a broad array of student services to help international students enjoy productive college experiences. Mr. Hani Barakat. one of our doctoral candidates, is seeking to determine the needs of current international students at M.S.U. Your name has been picked by the University computer in a random sample of 500 international students to participate in this study. The enclosed questionnaire invites you to identify any concerns or problems you might have experienced while using various student services. 122; responses to the guestionggire will be completely anonymous. There is no identification number attached to the questionnaire and we do pg; request you to sign your questionnaire. With the questionnaire there is an Interview Participation Card which will be the second phase of our study. We wish to identify students who would be able and willing to participate in a brief follow-up interview. The interviews will enable us to gain a clearer understanding of important experiences on campus (favorable or unfavorable). The interviews are com e el volunta and gonfidentigl. we will contact a small sample of those volunteering to be interviewed. You may indicate your willingness to participate in the interview (or not participate) on the Interview Participation Card. Permit us to thank you in advance for your kind consideration. Sincerely yours, Mam? W¢KZ%« a4 Mani Barakat Max R. Raines Research Assistant in Professor of Higher Education Higher Education Phone 355-6613 HB/MR/ev MSL‘u an Alhnnamv Arum. 'Equal Oppnrlulun lluluulmn APPENDIX J INTERVIEW PARTICIPATION CARD I46 I have completed and mailed the questionnaire, and I recognize that no stamp is needed for the envelope. I would be willing to participate in a brief (yd confidential) follow-up interview sometime in the first two weeks of May 1988. I can be reached at (telephone number). If yes (please print your name) I do not wish to participate in the follow-up interview. I would like a brief summary of your findings, and I recognize that I can pick up the summary at 0155, MB International Center, Michigan State University. (Please note that the summary will be available at the beginning of Fall Term 1988.) APPENDIX K FOLLOW-UP LETTER 147 May 6, 1988 Dear Colleague: On April 15, 1988, I sent you a questionnaire seeking your Opinion about the student services at Michigan State University. Your name was drawn in a random sample of the foreign student population. If you have already completed and returned it to us, please accept our sincere thanks. If not, please do so today. Because it has been sent to only a small, but representative, sample of foreign students, it is extremely important that yours also be included in the study if the results are to accurately represent the opinions of foreign students at MSU. If by some chance you did not receive the questionnaire (n' it got misplaced, please call me right now (355-1122) and I will get another one in the mail to you today. Sincerely yours, Hani Barakat Max R. Raines Research Assistant in Professor, Higher Education Higher Education BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Alkin, M. C. (1969). Evaluation theory development. Evaluation Comment, 2(1), 2-7. Anderson, S., & Others. (1981). Encyclopedia of educational evaluation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Anderson, T., 8 Myer, T. (1985, November). Presenting problems, counselor contacts, and "no shows": International and American college students. Journal of Student Personnel, 500-503. Astin, A. U., & Panos, R. J. (1971). The evaluation of educational programs. In R. L. 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