From Theory to Curriculum: A Best Practices Model for a New International Student Cultural Acclimation Course

This course-linked capstone (CLC) is inspired by the current international student cultural acclimation course at State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta. Surprisingly, there are few cultural acclimation courses offered in the United States and there is lack of academic research evaluating the effectiveness of such courses. This course model will incorporate the successful aspects of the few current cultural acclimation courses offered, including the Oneonta course, and integrate learning, cultural adjustment, and student development theories into the curriculum to provide a basis for the content and structure of the course. Qualitative research through surveys and interviews with international students and international education professionals also inform the course content. This course provides a safe space for international students to inquire, learn, and grow throughout their first semester at a U.S. university and after attending the course, students will be able to navigate more comfortably and successfully through life in the U.S. and in their campus community. The intention of this research is to provide a resource for international education professionals to implement similar programs in higher education institutions, as well as to provide international students with the tools and ongoing structured support to form meaningful relationships, to reflect upon and discuss their own experience of cultural adjustment, and to recognize and explore the characteristics, norms, and values of U.S. culture