| dc.description.abstract | The goal of this thesis is to provide an in-depth analysis of international undergraduates’ challenges in the United States and how these challenges may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. International students are often overlooked because of their minority status within the undergraduate population at most schools. Even prior to the onset of the pandemic, research suggested that international students are at higher risk of poorer outcomes in terms of academics, mental health, and cultural adaptation. While there are offices made to address international students specifically, there fails to be effective two-way communication between the students and the administration of various universities in the US. The pandemic has only added to and exacerbated these issues by bringing on other stressors that expose the pre-existing problems among these students. I conducted three qualitative interviews to gather more information about what the specific experience at Vanderbilt has been like in terms of interactions with university administration, mental health, and problems specific to their identity as international students. Information gathered from these interviews and the literature review support the idea international students are in a more vulnerable place after the pandemic than they were before. This situation brings to light potential courses of action universities can take in order to improve the international student experience overall. | en_US |
