A Qualitative Study of the Time of Completion for African Graduate Students at Andrews University
type: CreativeWork
description: Problem International students are an important part of higher education institutions because they bring in funds, they enhance the diversity, and increase the knowledge being shared (Srivastava et al., 2010; Luo & Jamieson-Drake, 2013; Ongo, 2019; Knight, 2007; Pandit, K., 2007; Baklashova & Kazakov, 2016). Therefore, if retention is not monitored and maintained, the United States could soon lose this important group to other countries with more competitive retention plans (Srivastava, 2010, p. 1561). Andrews University is one school in the U.S. that already shows signs of retention issues among international students, including African international students. There are several challenges that contribute to retention issues in higher education including lack of inclusion, financial issues, lack of support from faculty, and lack of familiarity with the learning expectations (Gao, 2021; Haverila et al., 2020; Heyman, 2010; Mamiseishvili, 2012; Unruh, 2015). These challenges can also lead to students remaining in their programs much longer than the expected time of completion. Exceeding completion times not only negatively impacts the goals and aspirations of the student, but it also negatively reflects on the effectiveness of the university’s education and learning process. This research explored the issues of students exceeding their expected time of completion is explored as it pertained to African graduate students at Andrews University. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the factors contributing to the time of completion for African graduate students at Andrews University by exploring the challenges that affect their persistence. Additionally, the perspectives of African graduate students about these factors were explored to better understand what contributed to their persistence in their programs or if adequate support was provided from Andrews University to address any issues hindering their graduation. Method This rese…
abstract: Problem International students are an important part of higher education institutions because they bring in funds, they enhance the diversity, and increase the knowledge being shared (Srivastava et al., 2010; Luo & Jamieson-Drake, 2013; Ongo, 2019; Knight, 2007; Pandit, K., 2007; Baklashova & Kazakov, 2016). Therefore, if retention is not monitored and maintained, the United States could soon lose this important group to other countries with more competitive retention plans (Srivastava, 2010, p. 1561). Andrews University is one school in the U.S. that already shows signs of retention issues among international students, including African international students. There are several challenges that contribute to retention issues in higher education including lack of inclusion, financial issues, lack of support from faculty, and lack of familiarity with the learning expectations (Gao, 2021; Haverila et al., 2020; Heyman, 2010; Mamiseishvili, 2012; Unruh, 2015). These challenges can also lead to students remaining in their programs much longer than the expected time of completion. Exceeding completion times not only negatively impacts the goals and aspirations of the student, but it also negatively reflects on the effectiveness of the university’s education and learning process. This research explored the issues of students exceeding their expected time of completion is explored as it pertained to African graduate students at Andrews University. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the factors contributing to the time of completion for African graduate students at Andrews University by exploring the challenges that affect their persistence. Additionally, the perspectives of African graduate students about these factors were explored to better understand what contributed to their persistence in their programs or if adequate support was provided from Andrews University to address any issues hindering their graduation. Method This rese…
author: Opoku, George
keywords: Graduate Students, African, International, Completion, Andrews University, Africana Studies, Higher Education
date published: 2023-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T00:54:19Z
provider: Andrews University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Andrews University