Resources for Researchers
AIE/Title VI
The University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh is undertaking a national study of the effects of institutional factors at public four-year colleges and universities on the participation of undergraduate ethnic and racial minorities in international education opportunities. To date, there has been no large-scale study of how institutional procedures, policies or structures succeed or fail at overcoming underrepresentation. Thus, no reliable data exists on which to base policy recommendations, funding decisions, or program development. The project will utilize a survey instrument developed by UCIS through a one-year project funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP).
The study will 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. We expect to correlate relatively high participation rates of underrepresented groups with certain structures, policies, or incentives, while relatively low participation rates might correlate with another set of structures, policies, or incentives. For example, the project will test hypotheses based on anecdotal evidence and previous research that minority participation in international education is directly related to the level of dedicated information and recruitment efforts, or that the presence of same-race faculty or advisors leads to higher participation rates.
The survey target population will consist of all 529 public four-year institutions of higher education in the United States.
The proposed research will directly result in improved knowledge about how higher education institutions can overcome underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in international studies. It will be of tremendous value both for researchers interested in further systematic study of underrepresentation in international education and for practitioners seeking to implement proven approaches in overcoming underrepresentation. The results will also have direct benefits for policy makers and grantmakers by informing decisions on grantmaking and program development. The dataset and research results will be published and made available on the Internet.
