Lincoln (Neb.) - Dec. 1, 1999 - A study of international student contributions to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln revealed that most students agree strongly that international students, professors and graduate teachers are making an important contribution to the campus community.
In a survey conducted in spring 1998 by the university's Bureau of Sociological Research, 81.3 percent of 520 students asked said they agreed or strongly agreed that international students make an important contribution to the campus community. More than 70 percent of UNL students asked had taken a class with a professor or graduate teaching assistant from another country. Those students rated international instructors and the quality of courses taught by international instructors as high or higher than those taught by instructors from the United States.
"Often, reports on the impact of international involvement on campuses emphasize the quantitative contributions of international students, such as credit hours produced, degrees granted, and financial impact on the university and community," said Suzanne Ortega, associate dean of graduate studies. "This survey helps quantify the impact of international students on the campus intellectual and social climate, their contribution to enhancing the acceptance of ethnic diversity and the globalization of student attitudes and career goals at the university."
Other attitudes revealed by the survey included many students' interest in traveling to foreign countries or desire to learn more about other cultures increased as their exposure to international students or faculty increased. According to the survey, students who had the greatest opportunity to interact with international students and faculty reported an increased likelihood that they would choose a career with a global dimension.
Students with frequent contact with international students and faculty reported greater acceptance, in the survey, of individuals from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, including U.S. racial and ethnic minorities.
Some highlights revealed by the survey:
- Almost eight of 10 students surveyed had taken at least one course from a professor or graduate assistant from another country. They rated the quality of the courses and instructors, (76 percent and 78.1 percent respectively) as higher or higher than similar courses taught by U.S. instructors. They also rated them as equally demanding (78.1 percent) or more demanding (19 percent).
- 97.2 percent had taken a course with at least one student from another country.
- Students with high international contact reported an increased interest in traveling to other countries (95.5 percent).
"Results from the study should go a long way toward dispelling some of the more negative common myths about international faculty and teaching assistants," Ortega said. "Students clearly appreciate the quality of instruction they are receiving and recognize the contribution that international peers and instructors make to education and to campus life."
The survey results will be presented next year at the
international meeting of the National Association of Foreign
Student Advisors.
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