Pathways to Thriving among International Students

International students are critical for a flourishing U.S. higher education landscape (Younger, 2018). Since 2016, however, these students have faced significant cultural, economic, and social challenges while studying at U.S. universities (Peters & Anderson, 2021). To better understand international students' success in the current era, this study sought to identify pathways to thriving for these students. Thriving derives from positive psychology and views student success as a holistic enterprise (Schreiner et al., 2020). In the wider international student literature, success is often determined by a student's ability to acclimate and adjust to the U.S. university cultural milieu. Given this difference, in this study, I investigated whether college experiences and environments contribute to the variation in international student thriving at U.S. colleges and universities. Utilizing structural equation modeling, I specified a statistical model that explained nearly 70% of the variation in this population's thriving. Psychological Sense of Community, Institutional Integrity, faculty engagement, and spirituality were the most prominent predictors of international student thriving. Given these results, I discuss how these predictors can be best understood and developed by college leaders, scholars, and practitioners to bolster international students' success. Specifically, I suggest that leaders in the field redefine internationalization and acculturation to represent the institution's responsibility in facilitating students' thriving. I also suggest that leaders in academic affairs give serious consideration to culturally responsive pedagogy and spirituality, as these two models may support an institution's commitment to international student thriving. Finally, I suggest that institutions build structural mechanisms of success unique to these students, such as international student advising programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]