Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Exploration Of International Students’ Institutional Experiences At Cedarville University, Jeffrey T. Jenks, Alexis D. Smith, Sung Woo Kim

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The purpose of this study was to understand the institutional experience of international students on the campus of Cedarville University. The study utilized a phenomenological qualitative method with a sample of 18 students who represented 14 nations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcribed, and the following themes were found: perception of academic challenges, programs that have been helpful/unhelpful in their adjustment to life at the University, and changes they would make that would be helpful to them. Our findings suggested that international students found the academics of Cedarville University to be more challenging than they expected, but the professors were …