The Challenges Encountered During a Needs Assessment of International Student Partners: Considerations for Future Evaluations

This article describes the challenges encountered during a needs assessment of partners of international students as well as how the research team addressed these challenges. The needs assessment was conducted at the request of the university’s international student centre, which recognized that partners of international students would benefit from increased support. The needs assessment was also supported by an existing gap in international student literature, which identifies partners as experiencing significant barriers and lack of support in their transition as a newcomer (e.g., Martens & Grant, 2008). Implications for attaining and maintaining connections with this population are discussed.