Investigating the Challenges of International Students at Wilmington University and Establishing Recruitment Strategies in Turkey
[Thesis]
Yuksel, Ahmet Anil
Buchanan, Jenine E.
Wilmington University (Delaware)
2019
137 p.
Ed.D.
Wilmington University (Delaware)
2019
This study investigated the challenges of international students at Wilmington University in Delaware. It also discovered the opportunities to establish recruitment strategies domestically and internationally in order to increase enrollment. The experiences of two groups of students (international non-Turkish and Turkish students) were analyzed by using a mixed methods research technique. While the survey results revealed the experiences of international students, conducting interviews with a subgroup of Turkish students enhanced the study with more in-depth answers. The total number of participants was 162 international non-Turkish and 18 Turkish (n = 180) from 30 countries. It was found that both groups had common challenges while studying at Wilmington University. These challenges were social, cultural, language, financial, communication, academic, and visa related. More specifically, international non-Turkish students indicated a higher level of concern about maintaining contact with their families at home, understanding spoken American English, and learning how to understand and respond to American behavior. On the other hand, Turkish students indicated a higher level of concern about finding a good balance between schoolwork and social life, keeping up with the writing assignments, and securing jobs in the U.S. after graduation. In addition, the support mechanisms were discussed in order to provide assistance to international students. Lastly, the recruitment strategies were discovered domestically and internationally in order to increase international student enrollment. The recruitment strategies included the backyard recruitment, recruitment in emerging markets and recruitment through a work and travel cultural exchange program.