International Students’ Experiences Developing Leadership Capacity on Host Campuses

Abstract

Research on international students is new and expanding, but few empirical studies have examined how student leadership theory impacts the educational success of international students. Student involvement (Kuh, 2001) and student leadership (Astin & Astin, 2000; Roberts, 2003) can have a positive effect on students’ academic and social outcomes on campus. Leadership capacity and efficacy are linked to important academic, career, and life benefits, such as career and leadership aspirations, work performance, the ability to cope and overcome stereotypes, and the adaptation to and persistence in the face of challenging situations (Day, Harrison, & Halpin, 2009; Machida & Schaubroeck, 2011). As a result, increasing student involvement opportunities for international students and engaging them in leadership opportunities on campus may not only increase their educational success and career aspirations, but it will also be critical to integrating them on campus and developing their own diverse perspectives. Adding the international student voice to the literature will help institutions understand their experiences and how administrators and professionals can further improve their collegiate experience.