Impact international student diversity has on the academic and social experiences of Chinese international graduate students : a phenomenological study

China is one of the world's largest sources of international students. Recruitment efforts at American universities show that China continues to be targeted by admissions and international enrollment management teams. By prioritizing Chinese nationals, a lack of international student diversity on university campuses in the United States results. The purpose of this qualitative study was threefold: to examine international student diversity at Northeastern University-Seattle; to gain an understanding of the academic and social experiences of Chinese international graduate students; to determine if and how international student diversity impacts the academic and social experiences of this population. This phenomenological qualitative study involved interviews with six Chinese international students to understand their academic and social experiences and the role diversity played in those experiences. The results suggested that Chinese international students at Northeastern University-Seattle 1) believe that diversity exists on campus, 2) find communicating in English to be a constant challenge in academic and social environments, and 3) are satisfied with the accessibility/approachability of faculty and advisors. The findings revealed that international student diversity does not influence the academic and social experiences of Chinese international students, but language diversity does. These findings can benefit administrators, faculty, staff, and advisors who work closely with this population, as well as recruitment and international enrollment management teams who recruit Chinese international students--Author's abstract