This synthetic literature review is intended to provide Miami University and other higher education institutions with suggestions as to how they can best assist international students who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the pandemic’s spurring of rapid changes in the social environment, both on and off university campuses, the review draws heavily from sociological research on international students. The primary finding from the review is that previously established challenges which international students face have been potentially worsened due to the pandemic’s influence. The three areas covered in this study are the pandemic’s effects on travel, social opportunities in higher education, and instances of racism/discrimination experienced by international students. This study establishes reason to hypothesize that issues already affecting international students have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, including travel limitations, fewer opportunities to engage with peers, and heightened threats of racial discrimination against Asian students in particular. The results from this study provide Miami University with a foundation for gathering data on conditions faced by international students. Such an effort would be best conceived in the form of a survey crafted to scrutinize areas of interest in international life, which would then be distributed through the university’s existing network. My work in this project has provided me with great experience in strengthening my ability to critically analyze policy and academic literature, which will be valuable for careers in social research that I intend to pursue.
Author: Jaden Loo, Independent Research
Faculty Advisor: Ryan Gunderson, Sociology and Gerontology
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