This dissertation, Navigating the Legal Constraints of Being a Nonimmigrant: A Study of the Technical Communication Challenges for International Graduate Students in the United States, explores the issues that can occur for international graduate students when navigating situations involving technical communication before, and during, their stay as nonimmigrants in the U.S. while they attend graduate school. In this project, I analyze rhetoric as situational, expanding on our understandings of communicative constraints that occur in specific instances of intercultural communication. To begin this analysis, I conducted semi-structured interviews with current international graduate students at a R1 university in Virginia to discuss specific instances in which they felt constrained by their status as nonimmigrants. I then used initial coding and pattern coding to deconstruct specific themes of constraints from my data. There were two emergent themes to the constraints: technical, legal, and financial constraints, and ideological constraints. Within these two themes I found more specific codes which were: misperception, information access, incorrect information, time, linguistic, cultural, and institutional constraints. By coding these constraints, and analyzing how my participants navigated them, I demystify the issues faced by international graduate students in our institutions. One of the main findings of this project showcases that there is a gap between the social-justice oriented scholarship being produced in the fields of technical communication, rhetoric, and composition, and the lived experiences of international graduate students. I conclude that building scaffolded support structures that target instances where constraints are most likely to occur will better support international graduate students during their time at U.S. institutions. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation, Navigating the Legal Constraints of Being a Nonimmigrant: A Study of the Technical Communication Challenges for International Graduate Students in the United States, explores the issues that can occur for international graduate students when navigating situations involving technical communication before, and during, their time attending graduate school in the U.S. In this project, I analyze the rhetorical situations (moments where we see how rhetoric is happening in specific instances) in which international graduate students found themselves constrained in ways they feared would impede their success at school. I conducted semi-structured interviews with current international graduate students at a R1 university in Virginia to discuss specific instances in which they felt constrained by their international status. In coding the data from these interviews, I found two main themes of constraints they impacted my participants: technical, legal, and financial constraints, and ideological constraints. These two main themes, and the resulting sub-themes, highlight two target areas where international graduate students feel constrained in technical communication situations. One of the main findings of this project showcases that there is a gap between the social-justice oriented scholarship being produced in the fields of technical communication, rhetoric, and composition, and the lived experiences of international graduate students. I conclude that building scaffolded support structures that target instances where constraints are most likely to occur will better support international graduate students during their time at U.S. institutions.

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Globalization and sociopolitical factors impact migration patterns all over the world. In Puerto Rico, these factors created superdiverse environments where languages users have pushed the boundaries of language in order to make sense of their worlds. Even though this language dynamic is natural for locals, it is those who visit from different countries, specifically international graduate students, that have a difficult time adjusting to Puerto Rico’s rich use of English and Spanish. Understanding how international graduate students perceive the language used at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez (UPRM) upon arrival is essential to provide a better experience for future students. As of this writing, this study is the first to investigate the language perceptions of incoming international graduate students at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. This descriptive exploratory case study explores language perceptions of first semester international graduate students with an assistantship. I interviewed 3 first-semester students at a large, public, research university, located on the west coast of Puerto Rico. I carried out two semi-structured individual interviews and one semi-structure focus group interview. I employed data triangulation and member checked to ensure validity and trustworthiness of data. Study findings reveal that participants did not initially perceive English as being the main language of use during their graduate studies. Participants mentioned struggles throughout their semester due to the heavy presence of English in their coursework and assistantship. Participants suggested that the university should provide more English language support to ensure the success of incoming international students. In this study, I addressed gaps on translanguaging at superdiverse universities, and international teaching assistants’ perceptions of language at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus. Based on the findings, I offer English course suggestions to enhance academic and professional opportunities for international students at UPRM.

<p>In counseling psychology, which counts social justice and multiculturalism issues among its central values, international students represent a sizeable student body. However, there has been concerns about whether the training programs and filed are providing adequate support and training experiences for international students. Considering unique nature of international students experience in counseling psychology and needs for individualized support, the researcher sought to explore international students’ mentoring experience, an effective form of guidance. To understand the complex nature of international students’ mentoring experience, Chat et al.’s (2015) multicultural, ecological, and relational model of mentoring was used as theoretical framework of the current study. Through CQR, the researcher pursued an in-depth understanding of international students’ mentoring experiences. The results of the current study provided valuable information of international students’ contextual factors in understanding mentoring experience, international students’ perception of their mentoring experiences, importance of quality mentoring relationship, impacts of mentorship, and examples of negative experiences in mentoring relationship. Finally, I provide implications for current and future mentors of international students, for international students in counseling psychology, and for training programs and the field of counseling psychology. </p>

<p>Mathematics departments at Canadian universities accept yearly many international graduate students, who are aiming for the MSc and PhD degrees offered by those departments. This study seeks to understand the difficulties faced by some of those students at English-speaking Canadian universities. Its main aim is to determine why some international graduate students struggle with mathematics courses at a graduate level, even though their academic achievement in their home countries may have been high. In this study we want to know whether this problem is related to language barriers, to the time gap between the last acquired degree and the current one, to the educational systems to which students have been exposed in their countries of origin, or to other reasons. I interviewed twelve international graduate students fromMcMasterUniversityandUniversityofGuelphas well as three faculty members from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics atMcMasterUniversity. The students who participated come from different countries:Russia,Belarus,Slovakia,Pakistan,India,Bangladesh,Turkey,Iran,China, andSaudi Arabia. While some of those countries seem to have similar cultures and life styles, others are distinctly different. The interviews helped me to draw a deeper perspective about the problem by exploring the reasons that hamper some of those students from succeeding in their courses, and asking the participants to provide their suggestions to other students and faculty members on how to eliminate these obstacles. This study helps to improve the academic graduate programs of the department of mathematics by adjusting to students’ needs and enhancing their learning outcomes. It also suggests to international graduate students to discover and examine their weaknesses and prepare themselves academically to fulfill the requirements of their programs.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

A university is an academic place with students from a variety of cultures. Non-native English speaking (NNS) graduate students are a group representing diverse cultural backgrounds. However, these students' challenges in linguistic and socio-cultural adjustment impact their effective learning and academic success. Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) is an important ability that they need to consider. It assesses attitude, skills, knowledge, adaptability, flexibility, and communication ability with culturally different people. Researchers in Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) have suggested that instructional designers should understand diverse learners' abilities and cultural characteristics and apply them in their Instructional Design (ID) strategies. However, the existing ID models do not specifically include ICC as a consideration in the design process. Furthermore, there has been a lack of research on culturally diverse or minority students. Considering NNS graduate students' characteristics, cultural diversity, and need to develop ICC, the researcher reviewed three social theories of learning: social learning theory, sociocultural and cultural-historical activity theory, and situated learning theory. Socially engaged learning, a synthesized framework, was recommended for NNS graduate students along with effective ID strategies. This research investigated perceptions on ICC and ID strategies for socially engaged learning in a sample of 208 NNS graduate students. Quantitative methods were used to assess students' ICC level and perceptions of effective instructional strategies in four categories: (1) students' gradual engagement and active participation, (2) learning in rich cultural context, (3) self-regulation and learning ownership, and (4) integration of communication technologies. Results showed that NNS graduate students were diverse in background characteristics, academic disciplines, cultural origins, and previous experiences; they perceived a moderately high level of ICC; and they generally had positive views on ID strategies for socially engaged learning. This research can help instructional designers and instructors in higher education to better understand the needs of NNS graduate students and to prepare them to study more effectively and have more valuable intercultural experiences. / Ph. D.

At its core, mental wellbeing refers to positive self-perception, effective coping with challenges and positive social interactions. International students mental wellbeing can be negatively impacted as they face additional challenges compared with domestic students, such as cultural and social differences. The research aimed to integrate mental wellbeing elements into a web application for international students at KTH, as there is a lack of services for this specific target group. Using a user-centered design (UCD) approach, Lull, was designed and developed to include multiple features related to university services, mindfulness, self-reflection and social interactions. The evaluation results showed a high level of usability and a positive feedback from participants in integrating wellbeing elements. The semi-guided chats were able to create a sense of community and were perceived as the most important feature. Finally, a need for targeted services for international graduate students was highlighted along with the potential of digital platforms complementing traditional services, rather than replacing them. / I grund och botten handlar psykiskt välbefinnande om positiv självuppfattning, effektiv hantering av utmaningar och positiva sociala sociala interaktioner. Internationella studenters mentala välbefinnande kan påverkas negativt eftersom de möter ytterligare utmaningar jämfört med inhemska studenter, till exempel kulturella och sociala skillnader. Forskningen syftade till att integrera mentala välbefinnande i en webbapplikation för internationella masterstudenter vid KTH, eftersom det finns en brist på tjänster för denna specifika målgrupp. Med hjälp av en användarcentrerad design designades och utvecklades "Lull" för att inkludera flera funktioner relaterade till mindfulness, självreflektion och sociala interaktioner. Utvärderingsresultaten resultaten visade en hög nivå av användbarhet och en positiv feedback från deltagarna när det gäller att integrera välbefinnandeelement. De halvstyrda chattarna kunde skapa en känsla av gemenskap och uppfattades som den viktigaste funktionen. Slutligen framhölls ett behov av riktade tjänster för internationella masterstudenter tillsammans med potentialen hos digitala plattformar som kompletterar traditionella tjänster snarare än att ersätta dem.