| The purpose of this study was to determine the level of satisfaotion
for international students with their
academic and social environment and with the services offered by the
International Programs for Students (IPS) office on the University of South
Carolina Campus, and to determine which issues created the most difficulty
for them. An online questionnaire was completed by 161 international students
who were currently enrolled at the University of South Carolina in the years 2003 and 2008.
The question consisted of 66 quantitative and qualitative (open-ended) questions. A Likert
scale was used with a range of 1-4 (1 most negative and 4 most positive responses). Data was
analyzed using SPSS with T-tests for
the comparison of years.Findings
indicated that students in both years felt 'very welcome" and had similarities in their high level of satisfaction with
IPS services (in the 3.0 ranges). Students
also experienced similar difficulties in 2003 and 2008, identifying legal
employment in the US, receiving visas from US embassies and filling out income tax
forms as their tap problem issues. Areas of least difficulty for international
students were also similar in 2003 and 2008 and included adjusting to
American food and climate and making new friends. A significant difference from 2003
to 2008 was found for the increase of information provided by IPS regarding
social activities, cultural information, attendance in orientation
and knowledge of immigration infomation. Students in 2008 also had a
significantly higher use of internet and web based IPS information than
students in 2003. |
