THE CHALLENGE OF FOSTERING CROSS-CULTURAL INTERACTIONS: A CASE STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF DIVERSITY INITIATIVES.

During the post-World War II era, most U.S. colleges and universities began to promote diversity and internationalization ideals. However, the extent to which U.S. higher education institutions have been successful in achieving diversity, especially in relation to stimulating diverse social interactions between the international and American student body, is an area of study that requires further investigation. The purpose of this study was to examine international graduate students' perceptions of diversity efforts at a specific U.S. higher education institution, and how these perceptions influenced their social interaction choices and practices while pursuing their degrees at the institution. A qualitative methodology was conducted with 60 participants from 26 different countries. Based upon the data that was analyzed, international graduate students identified five major areas at the University that require improvement if diverse social interactions are to take place. Policy recommendations for improvements are also presented which may be useful to higher education faculty, administrators and policy-makers interested in improving international relations and campus diversity initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]