The Experiences and Adjustment Problems of Africans at a Historically Black Institution.

Although many studies have looked at adjustment problems of foreign students, there is very little literature on African students studying specifically at a historically black institution. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences and investigate the factors that cause adjustment problems for African students enrolled in the Spring 2004 semester at Delaware State University. Participants in this study included 57 of the 69 African students enrolled at Delaware State University that semester. The three methods employed in this study were questionnaire, focus groups, and observation. Contrary to some of the findings on similar studies, analysis for this study revealed that the African students did not have any problem with the English language and understanding instructors. ********** The international student population in the United States has increased dramatically over the years. Currently, even though many developed nations attract international students, the United States has the highest number of these students in the world (Institute of International Education, 2001). In the 2001-2002 school year, there were 547,867 international students studying in the United States (Institute of International Education, 2001). Statistics indicated that in the 2001-2002 school year, there were 37,724 African students enrolled at institutions of higher learning in the United States, and this is depicted in Table 1 (http://opendoorsiienetwork). Studying in the United States poses challenges for many foreign students, such as the unfamiliarity with the English language and the American culture (Selvadurai, 1998). The fact, however, remains that students from other countries are important to colleges and universities because of the added cultural richness they bring to the institutions. Examples of some of the reasons people give for coming to the United States despite the adjustment problems they may face include seeking better job opportunities, joining family members already in the United States, furthering their education, and seeking political freedom (Furnham & Bochner, 1986, p. 46). Several studies have looked at adjustment problems faced by international students (Cheng, 1999; Ekaiko, 1981; Han, 1996; Lin & Yi, 1997; Okafor, 1986; and Tseng, 2002). The general finding is that the major adjustment problems of international students are living adjustment, which includes adjusting to American food, adapting to the climate, and financial and health concerns. Other problems include academic adjustment, such as lack of proficiency in the English language and lack of understanding of the American educational system; socio-cultural adjustment, such as culture shock, racial discrimination, and conflicts between American host standards (values and lifestyles) and those of home country; and psychological adjustment, which includes loneliness, depression, isolation, and loss of status and identity. To increase one's understanding of the experiences of African students in the United States, this descriptive study adopted a theoretical framework that focused on the socio-cultural aspects of these experiences. Purpose This study's purposes were to specifically look at the adjustment problems that African students face at Delaware State University, an 1891 Land-Grant institution, and how they coped with such problems; the extent to which their problems were related to their length of stay; how they perceived the programs that Delaware State University had in place to help with their adjustment; and to describe their experiences in general at the university. Method Data were collected using a survey questionnaire, two focus groups, and through observations. Participants for this study were 57 African students enrolled during Spring 2004 at Delaware State University. The instrument used in this study was a questionnaire; focus groups and observations were also used to gather data. …