Date of Graduation

2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

College of Education and Human Services

Department

Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy Studies

Committee Chair

Erin McHenry-Sorber

Committee Co-Chair

Reagan Curtis

Committee Member

Jennifer Douglas

Committee Member

Nathan Sorber

Committee Member

Heiko Ter Haseborg

Abstract

Graduate student-faculty relationships can impact student program completion, career path, attrition, success, and overall experience. With the increase of African graduate students in the United States, there is a need to understand the relationship dynamics between these students and American faculty. The existing research studies on African students tend to focus on student experience with discrimination, language difficulties, cultural adjustment, financial issues, isolation, and loneliness. This qualitative study explores the experiences of African Francophone doctoral students using a single case study and narrative approach. This research finds African Francophone doctoral student-faculty relationships are multifaceted, and tainted by uneven power in some instances, by linguistic and cultural barriers in others, and by support and encouragement in others.

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