Increasing International Student Integration in Ontario College Environments

This paper reviews the problem of how to increase international student engagement and integration in an Ontario College environment, with the ultimate goal of creating an environment and campus culture of mutual engagement. Research has shown that international students still do not report a high level of engagement at Ontario College campuses despite the fact most colleges have educated international students for many years. The dichotomy of international versus domestic student problematizes these issues from a myriad of perspectives. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) proposes a multi-pronged solution involving the creation of an internationalization strategy, the development of academic and cultural engagement and identity workshops as pilot projects, the creation of a Professional Improvement Community, and the integration of embedded English as a Second Language classes into curriculum to achieve improved mutual integration among international and domestic students, faculty and administrators. The problem is viewed through an International Student Cultural Integration Framework, where adaptive and authentic leadership styles lead the change and implementation process. A Plan-do-study-act cycle (PDSA) describes the implementation process and how iterative cycles of change will move from pilot workshops to full-scale organizational implementation during the course of one academic year to long-term implementation plan over five years