ERIC EJ1164638: Advising International Students in Engineering Programs: Academic Advisors' Perceptions of Intercultural Communication Competence

2017·0.1 MB·English

by  ERIC

Advising International Students in Engineering Programs: Academic
Advisors’ Perceptions of Intercultural Communication Competence
Yi Leaf Zhang, University of Texas at Arlington
Trang V. Dinh, University of Texas at Arlington
In recent years, an increasing number of countries, often encounter challenges while adapt-
international students have enrolled in engineer- ing to their new learning environments (Chang &
ing programs in U.S. colleges and universities. Chin, 1999; Chen & Kavanagh, 2013; Gorry,
These students often encounter challenges, and 2011).
academic advisors play a significant role in Academic advising can improve the learning
international students’ academic success. Using experiences for international engineering students.
a model of intercultural communication compe- Numerousresearchershaveindicatedthatacademic
tence, we explored attitudes toward and under- advising plays a pivotal role in student retention,
standing of cultural differences among academic personal development, and academic success (e.g.,
advisors in a college of engineering at a 4-year Hunter&White,2004;Shelton,2003;Young-Jones,
research university. We also investigated advi- Burt, Dixon, & Hawthorne, 2013). Advisors’skills
sors’ knowledge of and skills in conducting in interpersonal relationships and intercultural
intercultural communication with international communication comprise a critical component of
students. The findings shed light on advising quality advising (Cornett-DeVito & Reeves, 1999;
international students in engineering programs, Negronirodr´ıguez, Dicks, & Morales, 2006; Zhang,
and we provide recommendations for academic 2015, 2016). These skills take on increased
advisors on conducting effective communication importance when academic advisors interact with
with students from diverse cultural backgrounds. students who come from different cultural back-
grounds, speak nonnative languages, or transfer
[doi:10.12930/NACADA-15-028]
from overseas educational systems. To encourage
KEY WORDS: academic advising, engineering effective assistance for studentsfrommany cultural
students, intercultural communication, interna- backgrounds, Cornett-DeVito and Reeves (1999)
tional students, phenomenology, qualitative re- called on academic advisors to ‘‘model competent
search intercultural communication by demonstrating cul-
tural awareness and sensitivity and by having a
International student enrollment in U.S. higher command of communication skills that lead to
educationhasincreasedtremendouslyoverthepast successfulinteractionswithdiversepersons’’(p.35).
decade. According to a 2015 report from the Despite substantial international student enroll-
Institute of International Education (IIE), 974,926 mentsinengineeringprogramsandtheimportance
international students studied at U.S. colleges and of academic advisors to these students’success in
universitiesduringthe2014-2015academicyear,a college, minimal research has been undertaken to
10% increase from the previous year and a record understand either advisors’ perceptions of cross-
high in international enrollments. Among the cultural communication or their preparation in
international student population, a considerable guiding international students. Therefore, we
proportion enrolled in engineering programs. In conducted a qualitative, phenomenological study
2014-2015, approximately 1 of every 5 interna- to obtain a rich understanding of academic
tional students studied engineering (IIE, 2015). advisors’ lived experiences working with interna-
The increase in international student enrollments, tional engineering students in a cross-cultural
particularly in the fields of science and engineer- context. We also sought to gain meaningful
ing, has greatly benefited U.S. colleges and insights into academic advisors’ knowledge, atti-
universities. Many research institutions depend on tudes, and skills for conducting effective commu-
these well-trained students to carry out teaching nication with their international advisees.
activities, undertake scientific research projects,
and produce innovative technologies (Chellaraj, Review of Relevant Literature
Maskus, & Mattoo, 2008). However, international To provide a context for this study, we
engineering students, especially those from Asian organized the previous literature into three
NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017 33
Yi Leaf Zhang & Trang V. Dinh
categories. First, we explored past scholarship sense of belonging and intent to persist. In
pertaining to the importance of academic advising addition, compared to domestic students, inter-
for engineering students. Second, we looked at national students were more likely to view
research about international students’ experiences developing a close relationship with advisors an
with academic advising, and finally, we synthe- important step toward academic success (Rose,
sized empirical evidence on advisors’ experiences 2005).
with international students.
Advisors’ Experiences with International
Academic Advising for Engineering Students Students
Academic advisors play a critical role in Most of the literature regarding advisors’
delivering accurate information on course selec- experiences with international students focused
tionandguidingengineeringstudentstonavigate on faculty advisors and their perceptions of
their academic programs successfully (Sutton & students’ academic performance and cultural
Sankar, 2011). Typical engineering programs are adjustment. Most faculty advisors hold a positive
based on highly structured curricula that require attitude toward international students and view
students to progress from fundamental to ad- them as important contributors to research
vanced courses in a strictly organized manner (Barber & Morgan, 1988). Faculty advisors also
(Cogdell, 1995). Any mistakes made in course recognize challenges that international students
selection can result in greater financial burdens often face in language learning, adjustment to
and delayed graduation. Therefore, engineering Americanculture,andsegregationfromdomestic
students rely heavily on the guidance of their students; however,theynoteveryfewdifferences
advisors and often seek assistance for selecting between international and domestic students
courses, changing course schedules, learning regarding their academic performances (Trice,
about graduation requirements, and obtaining 2003).
informationon internship opportunities (Cogdell, When examining advising professionals’ ex-
1995; Sutton & Sankar, 2011; Varma & Hahn, periences, Burton (2012) found that academic
2007). Overall, assessable appropriate academic advisors gain limited personal or professional
advising contributes to the retention of engineer- experiences or receive little training to be
ing students (Haag, Hubele, Garcia, & McBeath, effectiveincultural-enrichingactivities,including
2007;Metzner,1989).Incontrast,pooracademic interacting with international students. Burton’s
advising, coupled with a lack of career counsel- study revealed that the ‘‘decentralized nature of
ing, may contribute to student departures from the academic advising program within the
engineering programs (Haag et al., 2007; Jain, institution hinders advisors’ capacity to get
Shanahan, & Roe, 2009). involved in international activities’’ (p. 98). In a
community college context, Zhang (2015, 2016)
International Students’ Experiences with presented an early effort in understanding aca-
Academic Advising demic advisors’ experiences with international
All students, including international students, students from an intercultural communication
benefit from academic advising. The literature perspective. Zhang found that, although they
indicates that international students perceive recognize the unique challenges faced by inter-
academic advising as an important benefit and nationalstudentsandculturaldifferencesbetween
believe it exerts positive influences on their international and domestic students, academic
adjustment and academic performance (Cadieux advisors receive limited professional training in
& Wehrly, 1986; Charles & Stewart, 1991). For conducting effective advising with international
instance, Ku, Lahman, Yeh, and Cheng (2008) students. Although these studies contributed to a
found that international doctoral students consid- fuller understanding of academic advisors’ prac-
eredsupportfromacademicadvisorsakeyfactor tice with international students, Zhang explored
for their well-being and academic success. Zhai only the community college context and did not
(2004) indicated that international students rate takeintoaccountanydifferencesamongacadem-
advisors as the third-most important source of ic disciplines. To address the limitation of the
support, following family and friends and the current literature, we explored experiences and
office of international education. The findings of perceptions of academic advisors who work
Zhai’s study demonstrated that satisfaction with closely with international engineering students
academicadvisingsignificantlypredictsstudents’ at a 4-year university.
34 NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017
Intercultural Communication Competencies
Theoretical Framework Research Setting
We adopted intercultural communication com- This study was conducted in a college of
engineering at a 4-year research university in
petence (ICC) as explained by Chen and Starosta
northern Texas during the fall of 2014. In the
(1996) as the theoretical framework for the study.
previousfewyears,theuniversityhadenrolledan
Interculturalcommunicationreferstocontactmade
increasing number of international students, a
between people from different ethnic or cultural
large proportion of whom chose to study in
groups (Arasaratnam & Doerfel, 2005; Gudykunst
engineeringprograms.AsofFall2014,morethan
& Mody, 2002). Accordingly, ICC is defined as
one third (34%) of the enrollments in the college
one’s ability to interact effectively, appropriately,
of engineering were attributed to international
andmeaningfullyacrossdifferentcultures(Chen&
students.
Starosta, 1996; Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman,
2003; Pope & Reynolds, 1997). ICC encompasses
Participants
three different perspectives: (a) cognitive, which
We sent an e-mail invitation to all academic
refers to one’s awareness and understanding of
advisors(N¼39)inthecollegeofengineeringin
information for successful intercultural communi-
the fall of 2014. Eight of the advisors, five men
cation (Chen & Starosta, 1998-1999; Wiseman, and three women, consented to participate in the
2002);(b)affective,whichmeansone’s motivation study. These advisors worked in six different
to plan participation or actually engage in inter- departments within the college and held various
cultural communication (Wiseman, 2002); and (c) experiences in academic advising. Most self-
behavioral, which represents one’s skills and identified as White. Six advisors had earned a
abilities for conducting intercultural communica- PhD in an engineering field and had been
tion (Chen & Starosta, 1998-1999). According to working concurrently as academic advisors and
the framework, individuals need to possess com- facultymembersinthecollege.Twoadvisorshad
petenceinallthreedimensionstoconveymessages earned undergraduate degrees, one in education
successfullyfromoneculturetoanother(Wiseman, and another in history, and they served as full-
2002). timeprofessionalacademicadvisorsatthetimeof
The framework of ICC has been applied to the interview. To protect the advisors’ personal
studies of international students, but most re- identities, we assigned a pseudonym to each
searchers employed it to investigate international participant. Table 1 presents the demographic
backgrounds of the participants.
college students’ adjustment and their knowledge
of intercultural communication. To promote inter-
Data Collection
national student learning and educational attain-
Adhering to Moustakas’s (1994) phenomeno-
ment in U.S. higher education, we argue that the
logical method, we conducted semi-structured
ICCofU.S.educatorsandpractitionersinthehost
interviews and encouraged advisors to describe
cultureprovesequallyimportanttothatofstudents,
their experiences from their own perspectives.
and we sought to understand the ways profession-
The interviews with these eight advisors, each of
als’ ICCs shape their relationships with interna-
which lasted approximately 45 minutes, focused
tional students. Therefore, we adopted the frame-
on advisors’ experiences working with interna-
work of ICC to explore academic advisors’ ICC
tionalstudents,theirownculturalawareness,their
and the influence of it on their experiences as
willingness to learn from other cultures, and
advisors of international students.
strategies they employed to overcome challenges
in advising international engineering students.
Methodology
The interviews were digitally recorded and
We adopted a phenomenological research
transcribed verbatim. To ensure trustworthiness
design to describe ‘‘the meaning for several of the findings, we sent transcripts back to the
individuals of their lived experiences of a concept participants for member checking and feedback
or a phenomenon’’ (Creswell, 2007, p. 57). This (as per Lincoln & Guba, 1985). None of the
approach can provide a better understanding of participants asked for any changes in the
academic advisors’ knowledge of and attitudes transcript.Inaddition,weconductedpeerbriefing
towardinternationaladvisees,anditcanrevealthe between each other to ensure appropriate inter-
strategiesthatadvisorsadopttocommunicatewith pretation of the qualitative data (per Lincoln &
international students. Guba, 1985).
NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017 35
Yi Leaf Zhang & Trang V. Dinh
Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the participants
Years in
Pseudonym Department or Center Current Advising Position Position
Andrew Bioengineering Undergraduate 1
Briana Engineering Student Services Center Undergraduate & graduate 6
Edward Computer Science & Engineering Undergraduate 2
Jennifer Bioengineering Graduate 3
Mary Civil Engineering Graduate 2
Michael Aerospace Engineering Undergraduate 2
Ryan Electrical Engineering Undergraduate & graduate 6
Stephen Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Graduate 11
Engineering
Data Analysis experiences and perceptions of all advisors in the
First,wereadtheinterviewtranscriptsmultiple college.
times to gain a general sense of participants’ Second, we did not distinguish between under-
experiences of advising international engineering graduate and graduate student advising. Although
students. Second, using open-coding techniques we focused on advisors’ overall experiences with
(as per Esterberg, 2002), we explored similarities international engineering students, advisors of
and differences among the interview transcripts. undergraduates may hold perceptions, knowledge,
Third, we compared, categorized, and labeled and skills that differ from those advising graduate
quotes. In addition, we used axial coding (per students. Future studies could focus on these
Esterberg, 2002) to determine relationships be- distinctive groups of international advisees and
tween initial categories and to develop the uncover differences in advisors’ experiences.
emerging themes and subthemes further. For Third, we did not differentiate between faculty
example, quotes categorized under the label of advisors and those whose primary role is charac-
positive experiences of advising international terized as advising. The two groups, traditionally
students and willing to learn more about labeled faculty and professional advisors may
international advisees were merged into a possessdifferentattitudesor understandingtoward
category labeled positive attitudes. The same advising international students. In the future,
axial coding technique was applied to link researchers could explore experiences of different
resources and events under the category labeled types of advisors, and thus, provide valuable
obstacles. Initially, 12 labels were created for the insight into advisors’ professional backgrounds,
transcripts, which we later reduced to three training, and positions in relationship to their
themes in accordance with the ICC theoretical advising practices.
framework.
Findings
Limitations Guided by the ICC theoretical framework, we
Althoughourstudyoffersnewknowledgeabout organizedthefindingsoftheadvisors’experiences
into the following three major themes:
academic advisors’ perceptions and lived experi-
ences in working with international engineering
(cid:2) understanding cultural differences,
students, several limitations characterize the re-
(cid:2) positiveattitudestowardculturaldiversity,
search. First, one limitation relates to participant
and
selection. Although we made every effort to invite
(cid:2) strategies toimproveinternational student
all 39 advisors in the college of engineering to
advising.
participate in the study, fewer than one fifth of
them volunteered. Those who chose to participate
may differ from the other advisors in their Understanding Cultural Differences
awareness levels of cultural differences, or they The interviews revealed study participants’
maypossessparticularlyfavorableattitudestoward awareness of cultural differences between native
international students. Therefore, interviews with andinternationalengineeringandtheinfluenceof
these participants may not accurately reflect the such differences on advising these students.
36 NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017
Intercultural Communication Competencies
Advisor participants acknowledged that students in India, that they would talk to their
from other regionsof theworld havestudied in a professor to get a better grade.
very different educational system, engage in
conversational styles and processes unlike native The interviews revealed that the participating
speakers,andlikelyexpressdifferentexpectations academic advisors saw gaps in the academic
of learning and living in the United States than expectations of domestic and international advis-
their native peers. ees. These advisors also believe that mismatches
Differences in academic cultures. The partic- in academic expectations can lead to increased
ipatingadvisorsunderstandthatmanyinternational challenges in advising international engineering
engineering students were educated in different students.
academic cultures prior to their arrival to the Differences in communication styles. Aca-
United States. Furthermore, they indicated that demic advisors reported that international students
students’ unfamiliarity with U.S. postsecondary tend to communicate in different patterns than
culture affected their participation in classroom American students. Most interviewees noticed
activities and learning outcomes. For instance, differences in tone used by international students
Stephen recognized that many international stu- in conversations and in ways of expressing ideas.
dents come from an educational system in which For instance, Edward explained that some interna-
‘‘they would have the exam at the end of the tional students ‘‘shout’’ at him during advising
semester withnothing muchin between.’’ Accord- sessions, ‘‘[Some international students] thought
ing to Stephen, these students place heavy that was the way to do it.’’ The advisors also
emphasis on ‘‘learning things as preparing for the acknowledged differences among international
exams,’’butdonotpaysufficientattentiontoclass student subpopulations. Michael pointed out that
some international students tend to be ‘‘demand-
participation;theyalsoexperiencechallengeswhen
ing’’ and ‘‘a little bit pushy,’’ although ‘‘they [did]
working on projects through the semester. Mary
not cross the line’’ to offend the advisor, whereas
reported similar struggles encountered by interna-
others‘‘[are]veryeagertopleaseandshowrespect,
tional students she advised in the engineering
and follow the rules.’’ The advisor appears to be
program:
understanding,tolerant,andacceptingtowardboth
communication styles: ‘‘I don’t mind that lively
Sometimesthestudentscomefromasystem
exchange.’’
where their grade is primarily based on one
Differences in expectations. In addition to
final exam . . . and our classes don’t work
differences in academic cultures and communica-
thatway.Thestudentsarerequiredtoturnin
tion styles, the participating academic advisors
homeworkassignmentsthatcountforpartof
recognized variations in expectations between
thegrade.Therearesomestudentsthathave
international and U.S. students. The advisors
some difficulty adjusting to that kind of
shared that some international students express
system.
their gratitude by presenting gifts and expect the
advisors to accept the gifts. Edward recalled
Not only did the advisors acknowledge the
situations in which international advisees had
impact of academic culture on class assignments
‘‘come in and [tried] to offer gifts and things’’
but they also reported a recognition of dissimi-
because ‘‘that’s the way they did it in their home
larities in grading policies. Two advisors related
country.’’ However, conveying appreciation
stories of surprise upon learning that some through gifts may constitute an unconventional or
international students assumed their grades were inappropriate practice in the U.S. academic con-
negotiable. Mary reported feeling challenged text. Edward felt compelled to explain to advisees
when explaining to students the reasons grades that advisors do not accept gifts.
could not be changed: ‘‘I can’t just give you a B In addition, some advisors noticed that
[from a C] because you need to stay in school.’’ internationalstudentsbringdifferentexpectations
Jennifer shared a similar experience: about the role of academic advisors, specifically
in terms of policies and rules. For instance,
I am surprised at how many students come Edward reported that international students from
after grades have come out and ask profes- certain cultures like to shop around and speak to
sors to change their grade and give them a different advisors until they receive favorable
bettergrade....[It’s]reallycommon,atleast answers:
NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017 37
Yi Leaf Zhang & Trang V. Dinh
They [international students] won’t like my peers do not share the same attitude about
answer. They will go to the next advisor. nonnative enrollees. The interviews with the
Cross question them. That advisor will give advisors revealed that they are willing to learn
the same answer. They will go to a third aboutotherculturesandunderstandthatalackof
advisor, cross-question—so, keep on trying, exposure to cultural diversity can result in
one person after another, because they don’t challenges to advising international students.
like the answer. They can’t believe the
answer they have been given. Strategies to Improve International Student
Advising
Although this scenario might not exclusively Being aware of cultural differences and
applytointernationalstudents,itillustratesoneof obstacles that international students must face
the most remarkable differences that the partici- and overcome, most academic advisors in our
pating advisors reported. studyactivelyseekopportunitiestoenhancetheir
understanding of international students’ experi-
Positive Attitudes Toward Cultural Diversity ences in the engineering programs. The advisors
Interviews revealed that the participating reported making efforts to adapt their advising
engineering academic advisors maintain a posi- practicetorespondaspositivelyaspossibletothe
tive attitude toward academic advising and enjoy particular needs of international advisees, but
learning from international students despite the they also report coming upon many obstacles.
cultural differences they perceived. These advi- Communication skills. The advisors reported
sors expressed a strong interest and desire to that they altered their ways of communication by
enrich their knowledge about international stu- purposefully employing words that international
dents and other cultures. For instance, Stephen studentscanbetterunderstandandavoidingtheuse
conveyedjoywhendiscussinginterculturalevents ofslangandanalogyinexplanations.Brianaviews
and enthusiasm for regular visits to the interna- communication with international students as a
tional student office on campus where most learning process through which she continues to
intercultural activities take place: ‘‘I would go advance her knowledge on ways to conduct
there, very often, and get an opportunity to meet effective advising with nonnative students. She
the students I’ve never met from different broke down the practice as follows: ‘‘It is learning
countries and talk to them.’’ Likewise, Jennifer to make my language, my use of English more
expressed great enjoyment in meeting new formal and not use the slang, and not use a
international students and learning about their colloquialism, and analogy that [doesn’t] make
home countries. She also actively participated in sense to somebody.’’
international student activities on campus and In a manner similar to Briana, to facilitate
tooktheseopportunitiestobuildconnectionswith better conversations with international advisees,
international students in her department. Jennifer learned to be ‘‘straightforward’’ in
Mary thinks highly of the cultural diversity advising sessions and uses many open-ended
that international students bring to campus, questions to explore students’ experiences and
explaining, ‘‘It makes my job interesting that I backgrounds; thus, she obtains a deeper under-
dealwith people from a lot of different countries standing of the needs of students. In addition,
and cultures.’’ She also recognizes that non- Edwardcarefullymonitorswaysthatheexpresses
appreciation of other cultures could result in his sense of humor so that international students
difficulties in advising international students: do not misunderstand him: ‘‘They don’t have the
‘‘The faculty member that’s had some issues same sense of humor as I do. . . . Many times I
within our department—with international stu- may not be funny ’cause they would not
dents,Ithink...partoftheproblemisthathe’snot understand the joke.’’
as open to people—you know, different religions The interviews with the academic advisors in
and different countries. . . .’’ engineering departments suggest that those with
Overall,theadvisorsparticipatinginourstudy international experiences may be better equipped
understand the importance of learning about with knowledge and skills in conducting inter-
aspects of the diverse cultures that international cultural communication. Andrew, as a former
studentscontributetocampus,andtheyconveyed international student himself, claimed that ‘‘com-
a welcoming attitude toward these students. munication is never an issue’’ when he interacts
Nonetheless, like Mary, a few noticed that their with international advisees, particularly those
38 NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017
Intercultural Communication Competencies
fromIndia,China,Vietnam,Nepal,Pakistan,and institutional support that could hinder advisors’
Bangladesh.Hebelievesthathisownbackground efforts in advancing the learning of internatinoal
lends credibility to his interactions with interna- engineering students. For example, Ryan shared
tional students. Having been a former interna- that lack of specific training prevented him from
tional student and working on projects with better understanding his international advisees:
fellow international students for many years, ‘‘There was no clear assignment what an advisor
Andrew developed a greater understanding of was supposed to do for the international students
cultural diversity and gained advanced skills in beyond making sure they stay on track to get
intercultural communication. through their requirement.’’
Self-education. Although many participants in Michael added that in the college of engineer-
this study did not have opportunities to gain first- ing, most interactions between advisors and
handknowledgeofculturaldifferences,asAndrew advisees focus on ‘‘the document listing the
did, these advisors relied on learning from courses they need to take in the upcoming
secondary resources to improve their practice in semester,’’ which could prevent advisors from
advising international students. For instance, learning about their students on a personal level.
Briana conducted her own research on her Also, Eric explained that the compartmentalized
students’ home countries, their cultural back- nature of engineering departments makes for
grounds, and other information that she could sparse opportunities for consultations with stu-
utilize to interact with these students more dent affairs professionals, who may possess
effectively. She explained, ‘‘I actually do a lot of knowledge about cultural diversity that make
researchonmyown.Imaytalktosomebodyfrom them particularly well equipped to interact with
thatparticularcountryor thatparticulararea,buta international students.
lot of time it’s just figuring out something really Finally,whenaskedif thecollegeofengineer-
simple,youknow....Sothereisalotofcultural,a ing conducts any activities to promote cultural
whole lot of cultural reading.’’ awareness, all of the advisors interviewed an-
In addition, the academic advisors count on swered ‘‘no.’’ Stephen elaborated: ‘‘We’ve never
the cultural and language expertise of interna- [gotten] deeply involved in cultural activities.’’
tional students to conduct effective communica- Conversationswiththeadvisorsledtothefinding
tions during advising sessions. For instance, that, at the college level, little commitment was
Stephen enhanced his understanding of cultural madeforimprovinginternationalstudentadvising
diversity by establishing a relationship with and despite advisors’ demonstrated desire to foster
asking questions of international advisees. He personal connections with international students.
added, ‘‘You get to know the students by talking
Discussion and Implications
to them. . . , and I think you can get a lot of
information by just talking to the students.’’ In this study, we focused on academic advisors
Similarly, Jennifer turned to her former interna- in a college of engineering at a large, public
tional advisees for assistance when advising researchuniversityinnorthernTexas.Weexplored
newcomers:‘‘Iknowstudentsfromeverycountry the advisors’ experiences of working with interna-
thatIhaveagoodrelationshipwith.So,Iwillask tional students through the lens of ICC. The
them to come in and meet with me at the same findings shed light on advising international
time, like, a new student that I might be having students in engineering programs. We used the
troublecommunicatingwith...;theotherstudent results to provide recommendations for academic
will come in and speak to them in their native advisorsandothersinhighereducationinstitutions
language.’’ for conducting productive communications with
By consulting college of engineering faculty students from diverse cultural backgrounds.
memberswithmoreinternationalexperiences,the
interviewed advisors improved international stu- Cognitive Perspective
dent advising. As Briana indicated, many faculty The cognitive perspective in the ICC frame-
members in the college have lived, studied, or work refers to a person’s awareness and under-
traveled overseas, and the advisors reported standing of information for successful intercul-
asking them for solutions and recommendations. tural communication (Chen & Starosta, 1998-
Obstacles. Although the advisors actively seek 1999;Wiseman,2002).Thefindingsofthestudy
information to improve their own international suggestthattheinterviewedacademicadvisorsin
studentadvising,theinterviewssuggestedalackof the college of engineering generally understand
NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017 39
Yi Leaf Zhang & Trang V. Dinh
that many international advisees show unfamil- cross-cultural context. Such self-reflection may
iarity with American academic culture, possess also help advisors understand their own cultural
interactionstyles unliketheir nativecounterparts, heritage,worldview,andburiedbias,ifany,about
and hold uninformed expectations for advisors. other cultures or countries. As a result of
The findings suggest that an advisor, prior to introspection, academic advisors could more
guidingthestudent’sacademicwork,shouldseek effectively assist international students who are
to understand the student’s situation and unique adjusting to the U.S. culture and a new learning
challenges in navigating engineering programs. environment (Brislin, 1981; Gudykunst, 1993;
Forinstance, tounderstand international advisees Triandis, 1977).
better, academic advisors could spend more time
in their initial meetings establishing rapport with Affective Perspective
these students and developing holistic views of Affective perspective emphasizes personal
each.Thisapproachcanhelpformandstrengthen emotions or changes in feelings that result from
a trusting relationship especially for advisors and exposure to particular situations, people, or
advisees who do not share similar cultural environments (Triandis, 1977). Academic advi-
backgrounds (Cornett-DeVito & Reeves, 1999). sors in this study expressed positive feelings and
Wefoundthatseveraladvisorsfacechallenges attitudes toward students from other countries,
in assisting international students who struggled and they showed interest in learning about other
to understand the American higher education cultures. The findings contribute to the existing
system and grading policies. This finding indi- literature(Zhang,2015,2016)thatsuggestedthat
cates that academic advisors need to familiarize academic advisors appreciate the opportunity to
themselves with international students’ academic become acquainted with the cultures of interna-
andculturalbackgrounds.Forexample,academic tional advisees. The findings also suggest that
advisorscouldprovideanoverviewofU.S.higher advisors with a more accepting attitude toward
educationtotheirincominginternationaladvisees international students tend to be relatively
and discuss with them the differences and comfortable in communicating with students
similarities between policies and practices at who adopt communicational styles unlike their
homeandintheUnitedStates.Morespecifically, own. Although important for international engi-
advisorsmightexplicitlyexplainthewaythefinal neering students to adjust to the new social and
grade is calculated and the reasons it cannot be academic cultures, advisors share an equal
changed;thus,theyencouragestudentstoconsult portion of the responsibility to remain open to
faculty and advisors early and often. Advisors different cultures and communication styles.
might also highlight academic regulations and Without willingness to connect with them,
expectations of the college of engineering, such advisors cannot fully understand struggles that
as the definitive order of certain class sequences, internationalstudentsencounterintheirtransition
purposeofcollaborativeassignments,andimpor- and will fail to provide adequate support for
tance of participation in class discussions. Such students.
efforts committed by academic advisors could Only two advisors indicated that they partic-
greatly benefit international students’ academic ipated in campus activities to enhance their
pursuit in engineering programs. understanding of international student experienc-
Although the advisors expressed awareness of es. This finding may suggest that academic
students’ differences, none discussed their own advisors need to take additional steps to engage
communication styles, cultural backgrounds, or in culture-enriching activities. Thirty years ago,
influences of their own personal perspectives on Cooper, Beare, and Thorman (1990) pointed to
advisingpractices.TheICCframeworkstipulates personal practice as an important way to gain a
that ‘‘the implementation of conversationally deeper understanding of cultural diversity. Advi-
competent behaviors in interaction requires self- sors might translate experiences into intercultural
awareness’’ (Chen & Starosta, 1996, p. 365), appreciation and thus eliminate any discomfort
which allows individuals to adjust to cultures caused by the lack of cultural competence when
different from their own. Accordingly, examina- interacting with international students. Despite
tions to understand their own communication the benefit of cultural enhancement activities,
styles might enable academic advisors to realize advisors’ lack of participation in them may be
their personal strengths and weaknesses in attributed to their job description. Several partic-
communicating with others, especially in a ipants in the study described minimal emphasis
40 NACADA Journal Volume 37(2) 2017
Intercultural Communication Competencies
on academic advisors’ cultural awareness and engineering, each institution should take advan-
intercultural understanding. tage of the unique contributions of international
students, faculty, and staff to organize eventsand
Behavioral Perspective activities that celebrate cultural diversity in the
Through this study, we discovered that engi- classroom and campus.
neeringacademicadvisorsnotonlyrecognizethe
Summary
cultural diversity contributed by international
students but they also demonstrate ‘‘the ability In the current study, we utilized the theory of
to adapt appropriately to situational or environ- intercultural communication competence, or ICC,
mental variations’’ (Bochner & Kelly, 1974, p. to explore academic advisors’ experiences of
288), or behavioral flexibility, in advising these advising international students in a college of
students. For instance, to overcome language engineering at a large research university in
barriers, the academic advisors we interviewed northern Texas. The findings revealed that aca-
explained that they limit use of slang and jargon, demic advisors hold positive attitudes toward
ask open-ended questions, and use measured international students and are willing to gain a
humor when interacting with international stu- deeper understanding of other cultures. They also
dents.Ourinterviewswithacademicadvisorsalso suggested that these same academic advisors
revealed lack of institutional support in engen- actively adopt a variety of strategies in practice
dering advisors’ cultural awareness and appreci- with international engineering students. However,
ation.Toovercomethisobstacleattheinstitution, the findings also uncovered a general lack of
academic advisors in our study reportedly support at the institutional level for international
deepened their own cross-cultural understanding student advising. The advisors in this study
by accessing various resources, such as the primarily depended on their own initiative to seek
Internet, current and former international stu- information regarding cultural differences and
dents, and other faculty members with extensive intercultural understanding. None of the partici-
international experiences. pantsreportedthattheyhadreceivedtrainingfrom
Onthebasisofthesefindings,werecommend the insitution or the college about intercultural
that colleges of engineering incorporate training communications,culturaldiversity,orstrategiesfor
on cultural understanding in advisors’ job working with international students.
requirements and provide resources to promote As thenumber of internationalstudentscontin-
advisors’ exposure to diversity. For instance, ues to increase in engineering programs in U.S.
college leadership could encourage advisors’ higher education, academic advisors should be
participationinculturalandinterculturalactivities better equipped with knowledge and skills in
by calculating the necessary time commitments conducting effective communication with these
when assigning workloads. In addition, the students. The role of academic advising in
college of engineering administration should international engineering students’ transitions and
promote collaboration and interaction between successes warrants more attention in future re-
academic advisors and other units on campus, search. We encourage researchers to make addi-
particularly those with professionals who work tionalempiricaleffortsthatmightimproveadvising
closely with international students and possess practices for this important and growing student
particular expertise about diverse cultures and population.
issues. Academic affairs offices and student
affairs units, such as the international office and References
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