Exploring and Expanding Support for International Students in Engineering: Faculty Reflections Beyond Academic Boundaries

Expanding on our previous work [1], this research delves into self-reflection among engineering faculty members who were international students. Our primary objective is to extend learning from using an autoethnographic lens to understand the experiences of faculty members who were once international students themselves, towards the development of a research study to understand how (if at all) faculty members in the United States address the unique needs of the international student community. The Challenge and Support model by Nevitt Sanford serves as our guiding framework for this research. Nevitt Sanford, a pioneering psychologist in the field of student development, introduced two foundational concepts: the cycles of differentiation and integration and the balance between support and challenge [2]. He emphasized that students undergo processes of self-discovery as unique individuals and members of groups, with challenges arising when they encounter unprepared situations. The available support influences the ability to face these challenges. Sanford highlighted the importance of readiness, challenge, and support as crucial developmental conditions, with the interaction between challenge and support significantly impacting students' growth. A misalignment between these factors can lead to negative outcomes, underscoring the necessity for higher education institutions to provide suitable support for addressing the diverse challenges faced by students. This paper presents the pilot study results as the authors' reflection that prompted the redesign of our data collection protocol. The authors reflect on the following question: How did their experiences as current or former international students shape their teaching philosophies as engineering educators? These reflections lay the groundwork for developing a research design for a larger study of engineering faculty sentiment and motivation toward addressing international students' needs. Ultimately, a larger research study will help incorporate diverse faculty perspectives when considering how to support international engineering students, recognizing that each student has unique and intricate experiences in both academic and nonacademic aspects.