Graduation Year

2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ed.D.

Degree Granting Department

Adult, Career and Higher Education

Major Professor

Donald Dellow

Keywords

Higher Education, Intercultural Competencies, State College, Student Affairs, Student Affairs Admnistrators

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study had a three-fold purpose: first, to assess the attitudes of student affairs administrators working in the Florida College System (FCS) about globalization, internationalization, and their strategies for effecting internationalization efforts at their community/state colleges. This study also investigated the relationship between student affairs administrators' attitudes about globalization and internationalization and what they considered to be the role of student affairs administrators in internationalizing the community/state college. Finally, this study examined the relationship between student affairs administrators' attitudes about their perceived role in internationalizing the community/state college and certain demographic variables. No study has been found which asks these research questions related to the role of student affairs administrators in internationalizing the community college. This quantitative study was conducted with student affairs administrators working at a FCS community or state college. The specially devised survey instrument was administered online and all responses were anonymous. Data analyses, including Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), post hoc Tukey's tests, regressions, and descriptive statistics, were calculated. Survey findings indicated that student affairs administrators working in the FCS have positive attitudes about Globalization and Internationalization, and that these positive attitudes correlate strongly with their perceptions regarding the Role student affairs administrators should serve in internationalizing the community/state college. Respondents agreed that the role of student affairs administrators is central to internationalization of the college, and they generally agreed on what activities were critical to the role of the student affairs administrator. The data showed that student affairs administrators who possess higher levels of fluency in a language other than English are more likely to view foreign language skills as being important to internationalizing the community/state college than those who are less proficient in another language or who possess no foreign language skills. Data also indicated that respondents who categorized themselves as possessing "extensive" or "very good" international activity experience, as compared with their peers who ranked their international activity as being "nominal," exhibited stronger composite mean scores related to student affairs administrators' role in internationalizing the college. This ranking indicated that those who possess more international activity experience also are more likely to have an increased perception of the role student affairs administrators should have in internationalizing their community/state colleges. Colleges desiring to enhance their internationalization endeavors might wish to support opportunities for student affairs administrators to study a language other than English since this variable had a statistically significant effect on student affairs administrators' perceptions of internationalizing colleges. Additionally, more extensive international travel experiences correlated with support for internalization activities, so colleges might benefit from providing opportunities for student affairs administrators to gain international travel experience, especially for those administrators with less higher education experience.

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