Perspectives of Foreign-Born Undergraduates on Campus Community Life

Abstract

The numbers of foreign-born undergraduates in the United States have increased in the 21st century, yet literature exploring their perceptions of and experiences with campus communities and sense of school belonging is limited. This cross-sectional study includes self-report data from 153 foreign born undergraduates. Data were collected during the first year of the Donald J. Trump Presidential administration, a sensitive socio-historical time period for this population. Correlations between students’ sense of school belonging were calculated using variables related to discrimination and rejection, concerns about deportation, access, importance of campus space, social capital, support, and civic engagement. Analysis of variance were calculated to ascertain group differences based on immigrant status. Results indicate that macro-level sociopolitical contexts impact this population negatively, but colleges and universities may support foreign-born undergraduates by creating and maintaining safe campus spaces for peer-to-peer and peer-to-faculty interactions. Civic engagement and preventive education could be critical for promoting success. Family Science and Family Life Education programming may be particularly useful; this is discussed as implications for practice.