The effects of a roommate-pairing program on international student satisfaction and academic success

ABSTRACT While great attention has been given to the growth of international students at U.S. institutions, there is a gap in the literature examining support for this student population within residence halls. [...]it diversifies the academic community of higher education, thus enabling students to learn from each other's differences (Wilhelm, 2011). [...]increased international enrollment is a matter of dollars and cents. According to Aw (2012), "The U.S. faces serious global competition and may be in real danger of losing its dominance as the destination of choice for international students" (p. 10). 2) Does participation have a positive impact on their academic success? LITERATURE REVIEW Supporting Academic Success & Persistence The academic success of international students hinges on support inside and out of the classroom (Andrade, 2006). Factors impacting their success include communication and English skills (Andrade, 2006; Mamiseishvili, 2012; Woodrow, 2006), support from faculty (Andrade, 2006; McLachlan & Justice, 2009), social networks (Andrade, 2005; Gomez, Urzua, & Glass, 2014), participation in support programs (Abe, Talbot, and Geelhoed, 1998; Geelhoed, Abe, and Talbot, 2003; Kovtun, 2011; Menzies, Brown, & Zutshi, 2015; Quintrell and Westwood, 1994), and campus and residential experiences (Chong & Razek, 2014; Tas, 2013; Terkla, Roscoe, & Etish-Andrews, 2005). Particularly interesting is the longitudinal study of 200 mixed class-year international students that found GPA, degree plan, and academic integration were positively correlated with persistence while English remediation and social integration were negatively correlated (Mamiseishvili, 2012). [...]it is not surprising that international students are more likely than their domestic counterparts...