International Students at US Community Colleges

This book fills a crucial missing piece in today’s dialogue about international education in the United States – the value of community colleges. As we witness a fundamental shift in higher education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global potential for community college education is immense. For ESL professionals, the book also brings to life student experiences, including their successes and challenges with language learning. A must read for community college international education and ESL educators.

--Vinicio J. López, Ed.D, Dean, Mission Campus/PDSO, City College of San Francisco, USA

America’s community colleges have become attractive options for international students for several reasons. They are the largest single segment of American higher education; they enroll a diverse student body; they are affordable; they provide curricula that are focused on skill building; and they offer a pathway to a baccalaureate or higher degree. International students also contribute significantly to the community colleges they attend, both financially and through their interactions with American students. The knowledgeable authors of International Students at US Community Colleges: Opportunities, Challenges, and Successes provide a valuable resource for college leaders who are interested in internationalizing their campuses and serving their international students.

--George R. Boggs, Ph.D., Superintendent/ President Emeritus, Palomar College, President and CEO Emeritus, American Association of Community Colleges, USA

From their inception, community colleges have played a critical role in furthering our nation's historic mission of educating for democracy. This book offers invaluable insights into how faculty and administrators can fulfill a 21st-century equity mandate by ensuring community colleges are places of welcome and belonging for international students, while positioning this growing student population for success in a global knowledge economy.

--Lynn Pasquerella, PhD, President, Association of American Colleges and Universities, USA

Malveaux and Bista bring together on and off-campus professionals invested in international students at community colleges. Their perspectives showcase strategies and challenges students face in diverse U.S. and Canadian community colleges and advance the way international student experiences are framed in light of transfer and immigration policies, social justice, stress, and other key issues. This text will be useful to administrators, teachers, and international students, alike.

--Marilyn Amey, Professor, Department of Educational Administration, Michigan State University, USA

This is a must-read for community college leaders, faculty, and students who are advocating for their international footprints as this book offers an overview of international initiatives and its advantages to our students and faculty members.

--Terry O'Banion, Senior Professor of Practice, Kansas State University and President Emeritus, League for Innovation in the Community College, USA

In International Students at US Community Colleges: Opportunities, Challenges, and Successes, the editors hit upon the real crux of what keeps international education from reaching its much-needed full potential: issues of access and mobility. Just as the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the fragility and inequalities of education, the related closing of borders laid equally bare international education and exposed significant barriers hiding in plain sight. The editors’ call – and thought-provoking action plan – to "provide broader access and opportunity for student mobility at an accelerated pace," is not only timely but a signpost to a better world.

--James E. Callaghan, Ph.D., Assistant Vice-President for International Education and Director of the International Education Center, Georgia College & State University, USA

This timely book speaks directly to how to rebuild study abroad to make it more accessible, equitable, and aligned with inclusive social and economic mobility outcomes. Informed by the diverse perspectives of authors who have worked in a variety of national, cultural and institutional contexts, this book points to a way forward for a field that needs bold thinking and fresh ideas to guide it into the future. This is a must read for all involved with developing, managing and assessing study abroad programming.

--Brian Whalen, Ph.D., Executive Director, American International Recruitment Council; International Education Leadership Fellow, University at Albany, USA

International student advisers, administrators, and higher education leaders can celebrate International Students at US Community Colleges: Opportunities, Challenges, and Successes, a new, essential resource for understanding the policies and trials; successes and impacts; and rightful voice of international students in the American and global community college system of higher education. This timely work brings needed scholarly erudition amidst record declining enrollment numbers triggered by global campus closures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This book’s trailblazing research shows that US community colleges are the right model to lead in advancements with American higher education through evolving curriculum and workforce approaches for catapulting international, and higher education students on a whole, to new heights of success for the future.

--Henry Stoever, President and CEO, The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, USA

Malveaux and Bista have highlighted what makes International students in community colleges successful as higher education competitors. Articles on physical and cultural support systems, on the concepts of promotion and diversity and the potential of oppression, and on issues arising from the global pandemic are included in this much needed new text on international students.Theories of social justice and cultural integration concepts undergird the research foci.

--Rosemary Gillett-Karam, PhD, Associate Professor, Morgan State University; Former President of Louisburg College, Louisburg, USA

From the pandemic to global social justice, this collection of essays provides engaging, insightful, and courageous dialogues that bring to surface the challenges international education faces during the unprecedented time, while providing practical approaches to best support international students. The most significant impact of this collection is its emphasis on the key roles Community Colleges play in advancing international education in North America. The evidence-based studies presented in this volume bring the much-deserved attention to the Community College system, that is at the core of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness efforts across the U.S. and Canadian campuses. It’s a must-read for Community College faculty and administrators.

--Jia-Yi Cheng-Levine, Ph.D., Dean, International Affairs & Global Engagement, College of the Canyons, USA

The essays in this collection lay bare the stark challenges facing U.S. higher education in the wake of decreased international student enrollments, the global pandemic, and a range of restrictions, including prohibitive visa processes, increasingly high tuition costs, and a political climate that has left many international students feeling "unwelcome." Despite this bleak outlook, the editors and the authors highlight the successes of international students and internationalization efforts at community colleges as inventive pathways forward in the post-pandemic global landscape. International Students at U.S. Community Colleges: Opportunities, Challenges, and Successes will be of special interest and great value to higher education thought leaders among international education administrators, SIOs, international student advisors, faculty, researchers, and study abroad coordinators for its cogent presentation and analysis of the current state of the field.

--Richard F. Johnson, PhD, Director, Office of International Education, Harper College, Palatine, IL, USA

Malveaux and Bista have provided us with a comprehensive portrait of international students at community colleges in the U.S. and Canada. This book will significantly contribute to a better understanding of international students’ experiences, challenges, and opportunities for a wide array of audiences.

--Yi Leaf Zhang, Ph.D., Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Arlington, USA

International Students at US Community Colleges: Opportunities, Challenges, and Successes, provides important and overdue recognition to the research and understanding concerning the growing population of international students at the nation’s community colleges. A vital contribution to the research on the most diverse and inclusive sector of higher education.

--Larry Galizio, Ph.D., President/CEO, Community College League of California, USA

Given the dearth of literature on international education at community colleges, this book is a much-needed resource, providing invaluable information and insights from practitioners and other relevant sources. As international educators emerge from what has been an extremely challenging landscape these past few years, it could not have come at a better time!

--Samira Pardanani, Executive Director, International Education, Shoreline Community College, USA

International Students at US Community Colleges: Opportunities, Challenges, and Successes is a timely practical and intellectual guide for international educators at community colleges seeking to navigate the challenges of the past few years and support international students on their campus. Look no further for help in understanding how we move forward!

--Stephanie M. Kelly, PhD, Executive Director, Community Colleges for International Development, USA