Attracting the World: Institutional Initiatives’ Effects on International Students’ Decision to Enroll

Abstract

Community colleges have increased their efforts to attract international students, but little is known how these active efforts influence international students’ decisions to attend a community college. This longitudinal study focuses on international students at one community college that embarked on an active international student recruitment initiative employing a full-time recruiter and increasing student services. Using a qualitative case study design, two sets of three students were interviewed: one set predated these initiatives, and the other set postdated the enhanced efforts. This study examined if, and in what ways, the active international student recruitment efforts influenced the decision making process of the students. The Bohman International Student Community College Decision Model, a multitheoretical framework encompassing World Culture Theory, Push-pull Theory, and Cognitive Decision Making Theory, was used to interpret the data. The findings reveal a deliberate process of international student decision making, increasing use of technology for college searches, and the emergence of education vacations. The Bohman decision model can be used by campus leaders to promote international student attendance at community colleges and enhance support for these students.