Taiwanese International Students: Acculturation Level and Vocational Identity

This study explored the relationship between acculturation level and vocational identity among 112 graduate and undergraduate Taiwanese international students attending two midwestern universities. The results revealed that Taiwanese international students who were older and who had a shorter length of U.S. residency were more likely to identify themselves as Asian. The results also indicated that Taiwanese international students who were older and who had a lower acculturation level had higher vocational identity.     

Social Support and Demographic Correlates of Acculturative Stress in International Students

A sample of 141 international students from different U.S. colleges completed surveys related to social support, demographic variables, and acculturative stress. Findings indicated that social support and English proficiency uniquely contribute to the variance in students' acculturative stress. Results also indicated that students who primarily socialized with non‐Americans and that students from Asian countries experienced more acculturative stress compared with other subgroups. Implications are discussed and suggestions for counseling practice are provided.     

Methods and Strategies for Working with International Students Learning Online in the U.S.

With the increase of internationalization and globalization in higher education, more international students are arriving at U.S. higher education institutions, especially from China. At the same time, the increase in online courses and programs at U.S. colleges and universities has led to many of the international Chinese students taking online courses while in the U.S., whether voluntarily or involuntarily. This article discusses methods and strategies for working with international students in online courses and ways to effectively teach them (with a stronger focus on Asian learners) based on existing literature and the results of a phenomenological study of six international graduate students. There is a demonstrated need for the instructors to be more culturally aware when teaching to improve the online learning experiences of international students although the international students themselves also need to be more prepared for online courses. Recommendations are provided for instructors as well as international students.     

Asian International Students’ Willingness to Seek Counseling: A Mixed-Methods Study

Using a mixed-methods survey design that was predominantly quantitative, this study explored Asian international students’ willingness to seek counseling. Participants were 177 Asian international students recruited from a U.S. Midwestern University. After controlling for attitudes toward psychological help-seeking and past counseling experience, academic stress was significantly and positively related to willingness to seek counseling for academic problems. Qualitative data were also collected using one open-ended question in the survey: “What comes into your mind when you think about ‘counseling’ or ‘mental health counseling’?” The qualitative analyses revealed positive perceptions of counseling as well as a personal reluctance to seek counseling.     

International and Citizen Faculty in the United States: An Examination of their Productivity at Research Universities

The study examined the differences between international and U.S. citizen faculty members’ productivity in the areas of research, graduate and undergraduate teaching, and service at research universities in the United States. Utilizing the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04) data set, we used a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to address the primary research questions in the study. The results indicated that international faculty members were significantly more productive in research, but less productive in teaching and service than their U.S. citizen colleagues. The study can potentially aid policymakers and university administrators to not only better serve and support international faculty members but also to fully utilize them as a resource that benefits the institution and the students in all functions of their work and not just in research.     

Conceptualizing Stress and Coping Strategies of Korean Social Work Students in the United States: A Concept Mapping Application

The number of Asian international students pursuing graduate degrees in social work in the U.S. has increased dramatically in recent years, especially among Koreans. Despite the growth and the need for culturally competent practices in higher education, no research has been devoted to the adjustment problems of this population. This study is the first of its kind in exploring stress and coping strategies of Korean international students in graduate social work education. Concept mapping revealed five major clusters of stressors: academic problems, financial difficulties, cultural barriers, psychological problems, and family concerns. Five major coping strategies emerged as well: psychological coping, physical coping, problem solving, social support, and entertainment. Social work schools and departments should demonstrate cultural competence with this population by providing support services to help these students cope successfully with their new environment.     

Counseling and the Internet: Asian American and Asian International College Students' Attitudes Toward Seeking Online Professional Psychological Help

This study examined Asian American and Asian international college students' attitudes toward seeking online professional psychological help as well as traditional face‐to‐face professional psychological help. Results suggest that students had less favorable attitudes toward seeking help online than toward seeking help by traditional face‐to‐face means. Implications for counseling center services for Asian American and Asian international college students are discussed.     

Utilization of Counseling Services: Comparing International and U.S. College Students

Counseling center utilization patterns during a 2‐year period for 218 international and 222 U.S. college students were examined. Significant between‐group differences were found with regard to age, academic status, referral source, relationship status, self‐reported concerns, counselor diagnosis, disposition, hospitalization rates, prior counseling experience, and use of crisis appointments. Significant within‐group differences among international students were also found. Implications for improving programs and clinical services are discussed.     

The impact of English-language proficiency on international graduate students' perceived academic difficulty

This study presents an empirical test of the impact of English proficiency as indicated by student self-ratings and TOEFL scores, and selected nonlinguistic variables on the level of academic difficulties perceived by international graduate students. A simple random sample of 450 international graduate students from three large universities in upstate New York were contacted by mail in the fall of 1988. With two mailings, 245 completed the Survey of International Students' Academic Language Needs. It was found that Self-rated English Proficiency was the most significant predictor of the perceived level of academic difficulty. In addition, Length of Prior English Training and Age were also significant predictors. TOEFL score was found to be a nonsignificant predictor of students' academic difficulty. Implications of the research for English-language educators, ESL program and curriculum design, and U.S. university recruitment policy on international students were discussed.     

Counselor Educators’ Perceptions of and Experiences with International Students

Thirty-six counselor educators’ perceptions and experiences with international student trainees were examined in this online survey research. Findings support the issues identified in the literature as confronting international students and also surface some issues specific to students in counselor training. International counselor education students tend to experience more difficulties in areas related to language, clinical training, adjustment, and cultural differences. Similarities and differences were also found within international student categories involving western and non-western countries and between international and domestic students. Counselor educators in general reported favorably on working with international students. Findings support attention being given to further examine the specific training and supervisory needs of international counseling students.Portions of this article were presented at the 2003 Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Chattanooga, U.S.A. and at the 2004 American Counseling Association Convention, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A.     

Understanding and Responding to the Career Counseling Needs of International College Students on U.S. Campuses

The authors believe that international students, increasingly visible on U.S. campuses, tend to confront unique career development challenges and often experience heightened vocational difficulty. In this article, the authors present 3 themes regarding international students' career needs derived from the current literature: career placement needs, individual factors mediating international student career needs and barriers, and help‐seeking behaviors. Implications for college counseling professionals and suggested future research directions are discussed.     

The Relationship Between Emotional Openness and the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Counseling of English-Speaking Caribbean College Students

This study investigated the impact of emotional openness on attitudes towards seeking professional counseling of 500 English-speaking Caribbean college students, some living in the U.S. and others resident in the Caribbean. Length of stay in the U.S. was included as a potentially influential variable. Results indicated that emotional openness is a statistically significant predictor of the attitudes of Caribbean college students in general towards seeking professional counseling, while, where relevant, length of stay in the U.S. was not. Implications for university counselors both in the Caribbean and the U.S. are discussed.     

Changes in Counseling Response Preference among Rehabilitation Counseling Interns

Counseling response preferences of graduate students completing internship requirements were assessed using Patterson's Rehabilitation Counseling Response Exercise during the first and final weeks of their internships at a comprehensive, multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation center. It was hypothesized that at the end of the internship the students would show a significant increase in preference for active counseling responses and a correspondingly significant decrease in preferences for passive techniques. Five counseling responses were evaluated and change did occur as hypothesized.     

Chinese and Taiwanese International College Students' Participation in Social Organizations: Implications for College Counseling Professionals

This qualitative focus group study explored the meaning of Chinese and Taiwanese international students' lived experiences in social organizations. Participants were 9 Chinese and Taiwanese international college students in a midwestern U.S. university. The analyses uncovered 7 themes: social support, recreation, emotional support, practical benefits, contributions to the organizations, commitment toward organizations, and stressors associated with participation. Implications of the findings for college counseling professionals are discussed.     

International Immersion in Belize: Fostering Counseling Students’ Cultural Self-Awareness

International cultural immersion provides an in vivo, authentic, cross-cultural experience that can enhance multicultural awareness, knowledge and skills. This article examines the impact of an international immersion on graduate counseling students’ cultural self-awareness using a qualitative approach. Five graduate counseling students participated in a 3-week study abroad in Belize where they interacted with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds and settings. Four major cultural self-awareness themes emerged from the analysis of participants’ journals, (a) discrimination and prejudice, (b) cultural pride and appreciation, (c) cultural sensitivity, and (d) self-awareness. The findings are presented along with implications for future research and the use of international immersion as a viable experiential teaching strategy to enhance counseling students’ cultural self-awareness.     

Wellness of Counseling Students: Practicing What We Preach

A study of wellness among 263 graduate students in counseling revealed that counseling students experienced greater wellness than the general population; however, significant within‐group variability existed. Doctoral students reported significantly greater wellness in most areas measured by the Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle (J. E. Myers, T. J. Sweeney, & J. M. Witmer, 1996) as compared with entry‐level students. Moderate effect resulted for Sense of Control, Intellectual Stimulation, Work, and Total Wellness. Students who were not Caucasian reported greater wellness in Cultural Identity than did Caucasian counseling students.     

Length of Residence,Cultural Adjustment Difficulties,and Psychological Distress Symptoms in Asian and Latin American International College Students

The authors examined cultural adjustment and psychological distress issues in 190 Asian and Latin American international college students. Findings revealed that Latin American students reported higher levels of psychological distress than did their Asian peers. Moreover, length of residence in the U.S. was negatively associated with psychological distress symptoms, and acculturative distress and intercultural competence concerns were positively related to psychological distress in both groups. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

美国研究生教育发展中的若干关键问题

美国虽然不是世界上最先发展研究生教育的国家,但却是20世纪以来研究生教育最为发达的国家。从19世纪中期现代研究生教育在国内落地生根开始,美国就在业内讨论发展研究生教育的目的,并很快得到各大学的认同及长期落实;在确定目标的基础上,美国大学成为研究生教育发展的主体,它们从理想和现实层面落实研究生教育的目标;与研究生教育相关的其他利益群体,也从维护自身利益出发,积极参与大学关于研究生教育发展方向的讨论。有目标、有行动、有监督的美国研究生教育体系很快就得到了社会各界的认可,并成为世界研究生教育发展的典范。