Resources for Researchers
AIE/NSEP
In April 2002, the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh received a one-year grant from the National Security Education Program (NSEP) to address the issue of underrepresentation in international education. The project included a variety of components, including the development of resource materials for advisors, students, and parents as well as the compilation and dissemination of existing information on the topic. An additional important mandate was the development of tools to facilitate research into the issue of underrepresentation in international education.
Following a thorough examination of the literature, project staff decided to focus on the effects of institutional factors on the participation of underrepresented groups in international education. For the purpose of the study, international education was defined as including study abroad experiences, foreign language competency, knowledge of foreign cultures and societies (through area studies), and an understanding of global and transnational issues and processes (international or global studies). These competencies can be achieved through dedicated degree programs, certificates, or other for-credit or non-credit activities. In addition, the study focused on institutional procedures, policies and structures serving undergraduate students.
While is now widely accepted that underrepresented groups in international education can include ethnic & racial minorities; men; certain academic disciplines; students with disabilities; students from various institutions, including historically black colleges and universities, community and technical colleges; commuter students; low and middle income students; older and part-time students with or without dependents; campus leaders and athletes; students whose first language is not English; GLBT students; and students from certain US geographic areas…, for practical purposes, the pilot study focused undergraduate African-American students.
In order to test the hypothesis that institutional variation in minority participation in international education can be partly explained with distinct institutional approaches in dealing with underrepresented groups, project staff developed a preliminary survey instrument and tested it with five public four-year colleges and universities in the northeastern United States. The test was not aimed at obtaining generalizable data, rather, it served to help refine and streamline the survey form as well as the process of administering it. A revised version of the survey form is currently under development and will be posted in the AIE/Title VI section of this web site.
The pilot test results were also used to produce five case studies of the surveyed schools, describing these institutions’ context of international education and underrepresentation. These case studies, while not intended to be representative, may still provide useful insights into different approaches to underrepresented groups on different campuses.
The AIE/NSEP pilot study will serve as the basis for a national survey of all public four-year colleges and universities in the United States, funded by a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
