Faculty placement strategies for international higher education institutes

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to focus on enhancing the learning experience for both expatriate academics and students in international higher education institutions (HEIs) through understanding students’ cultural perspectives, analyzing student feedback and evaluating faculty placement strategies. The analysis can be used to aid international educational programs in understanding student values and increasing the quality of instructor–student interaction. Design/methodology/approach This research surveyed over 1,300 undergraduate students enrolled in a US and Chinese dual-degree program located in China. A voluntary survey with open and closed questions assessed the cultural values of students, and the cultural values and behavior they believe are important for their instructors to observe in the classroom. Findings The results of this case study suggest that students’ perceived importance of Western cultural values demonstrated only one significant change during their time of enrollment in a US degree program. However, the research indicates that the importance of Chinese cultural values decreased from the students’ first year to their fourth year. Some notable propositions include the importance of culturally competent and experienced faculty in the students’ early US courses and data-driven recommendations for placement, training and development of new foreign faculty to increase the likelihood of a satisfactory experience for both the faculty and students in the cross-border classroom. Originality/value Ultimately, this research can aid international HEI’s by enabling enhanced student and instructor experiences and superior HR practices in the less observed area of faculty placement. These improved practices can contribute to the quality and sustainability of such international programs. In addition, this research provides perspective on the impact of international education on student cultural values and presents student feedback to increase understanding of student expectations and desires in the international classroom.

Expatriate academics: what have we known for four decades? A systematic literature review

“…(2) although "expatriate scientist" or "expatriate academic" were the keywords in some articles, the research concerned librarians and students in Kazakhstan (Emmelhainz, 2016), administrative professionals (Witkowsky, 2020), or students' perceptions of teaching methods used by expatriate faculty (Khashan, 1984;Swanson and Swanson, 2019);…”

“…Following the recommendation of Okoli (2015), because “ the process of excluding sources (and including respectively) has to be made as transparent as possible in order for the review to proof credibility” (p. 883), a detailed list of the excluded papers has been presented in Appendix (Source: Authors work). These articles were excluded from the final screening because:they were published in a newspaper (Sardar, 1980; Cantazaro, 2012) and one was a one-page comment rather than a research paper (Sin, 2012);although “expatriate scientist” or “expatriate academic” were the keywords in some articles, the research concerned librarians and students in Kazakhstan (Emmelhainz, 2016), administrative professionals (Witkowsky, 2020), or students' perceptions of teaching methods used by expatriate faculty (Khashan, 1984; Swanson and Swanson, 2019);the content of the article did not correspond with the scope of academic expatriation. For example, the term “foreign scientist” was used in the context of delivering patents and developing nanotechnology in Chinese companies (Appelbaum et al.…”

Internationalization strategies for non-Western higher educational institutions: a systematic literature review and conceptual framework

“…It is necessary to engage several stakeholders, including international and guest professors, students, academic authorities, staff and the community. Swanson and Swanson (2019) highlighted the cultural competence among faculty to avoid miscommunication and dissatisfaction. Moreover, international students/faculty must actively participate and seek meaningful interactions to enhance their engagement (Wekullo, 2019).…”

Managing Higher Education in Pandemic Era in the Challenge of Education Quality and Equity

“…While a few nations have explored different avenues for lessening these exchange costs by making exceptional stages, there are no European-wide help components. The European Union is engaged in helping collaboration between the member states to encourage versatility and improve the nature of affirmation frameworks (Swanson and Swanson, 2019).…”