Category
Applied
Description
With the rise of internationalization in higher education, universities often face the issue of international student attrition due to adjustment-related issues. Previous research has identified a variety of potential contributors to international student retention, mostly relating to integration into the university’s social and academic systems. Additionally, intentional social interactions in the host culture have been found to catalyze international student adjustment and are associated with long-term outcomes such as higher life satisfaction. Research on hope in college students supports the idea that higher levels of hope are associated with better academic outcomes (e.g., higher grade point averages; GPA). The international transfer student population has not been studied extensively in extant literature. The following research questions will be assessed: 1) Do convocation attendance and GPA significantly predict international student retention? 2) What are international students’ levels of hope and social connectedness? 3) What is the experience of international transfer students coming to Liberty University? A mixed-methods analysis will be conducted to answer these research questions, including 1) a binary logistic regression analysis of archival GPA and convocation attendance data collected from 2022 to 2025, 2) descriptive statistics from a prospective survey administered to international students, and 3) qualitative thematic analysis of an international transfer student interview. Results from this study indicated a significant correlation between average convocation attendance ratio and international student retention, as well as a significant effect of gender on the likelihood of retention, with males having higher odds of retention than females. By supporting international students through encouraging on-campus involvement and dorm-specific or gender-specific interventions, Liberty University can effectively train both international and domestic Champions for Christ as they prepare to interact with today’s increasingly diverse workforce. Future research can assess more predictors of international student success (e.g., meal plan usage and class attendance), as well as utilizing international student populations at different universities.
Understanding International Student Retention with Hope and Social Connectedness: A Mixed Methods Study
Applied
With the rise of internationalization in higher education, universities often face the issue of international student attrition due to adjustment-related issues. Previous research has identified a variety of potential contributors to international student retention, mostly relating to integration into the university’s social and academic systems. Additionally, intentional social interactions in the host culture have been found to catalyze international student adjustment and are associated with long-term outcomes such as higher life satisfaction. Research on hope in college students supports the idea that higher levels of hope are associated with better academic outcomes (e.g., higher grade point averages; GPA). The international transfer student population has not been studied extensively in extant literature. The following research questions will be assessed: 1) Do convocation attendance and GPA significantly predict international student retention? 2) What are international students’ levels of hope and social connectedness? 3) What is the experience of international transfer students coming to Liberty University? A mixed-methods analysis will be conducted to answer these research questions, including 1) a binary logistic regression analysis of archival GPA and convocation attendance data collected from 2022 to 2025, 2) descriptive statistics from a prospective survey administered to international students, and 3) qualitative thematic analysis of an international transfer student interview. Results from this study indicated a significant correlation between average convocation attendance ratio and international student retention, as well as a significant effect of gender on the likelihood of retention, with males having higher odds of retention than females. By supporting international students through encouraging on-campus involvement and dorm-specific or gender-specific interventions, Liberty University can effectively train both international and domestic Champions for Christ as they prepare to interact with today’s increasingly diverse workforce. Future research can assess more predictors of international student success (e.g., meal plan usage and class attendance), as well as utilizing international student populations at different universities.
