Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
College of Education and Human Services
Department
Not Listed
Committee Chair
Nathan Sorber
Committee Co-Chair
Erin McHenry-Sorber
Committee Member
Erin McHenry-Sorber
Committee Member
John Campbell
Committee Member
Kasi Jackson
Abstract
Higher education institutions in the United States have responded to years of discrimination through several diversity initiatives. Although research has indicated the merits of such initiatives on student development, the outcomes are not uniform across all student populations. Moreover, student development discourses have often excluded the experiences of international students. Employing a convergent mixed methods approach, this study investigated the perceptions and experiences of international students at a flagship land-grant higher education institution in the Appalachian region of the United States regarding institutional diversity initiatives and their self-authorship based on some demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, age, marital status, religion, continent, and level of education). A purposive sampling strategy resulted in the analysis of 102 quantitative surveys and 13 qualitative interviews. While the descriptive statistics showed positive perceptions on all DEI scales, the crosstabulation analysis found differences in perceptions based on all the background characteristics. Furthermore, an independent samples T-test and a one-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant difference in international students’ self-authorship attainment scores based on marital status and religion, respectively. Despite positive perceptions of diversity initiatives, students reported concerns about racism, fear of reporting discrimination, and dissatisfaction with international students’ services. This study adds to the body of research on international students, particularly in the context of diversity initiatives and self-authorship, providing new insights into how these initiatives impact students’ personal and academic development. Future research should consider expanding the database by collecting data from multiple institutions and conducting a comparative study to gain a more comprehensive knowledge of the experiences of international students in the United States.
Recommended Citation
Ayivor, Sandra, "International Students’ Perceptions and Experiences of Institutional Diversity Initiatives and Self-Authorship Attainment: A Mixed Methods Study" (2025). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12799.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12799