Events
Oral PhD Defense: Gary Schwartz-Moore
(In)visibility: International Students in US Higher Education
Advisors: Elizabeth Sumida Huaman & Karen Miksch
In-person location Burton Hall 205, online via Zoom at z.umn.edu/Schwartz-Moore
This study investigates the phenomenon of paradoxical visibility, wherein international learners are hyper-visible as financial and demographic assets yet rendered invisible within substantive equity and belonging frameworks. Grounded in Critical Race Theory and the Multi-contextual Model for Diverse Learning Environments (MMDLE), this qualitative study utilizes reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with international graduate students and university staff, triangulated with a critical discourse analysis of institutional documents.
Findings are organized through three primary meta-themes: categorical friction, the misalignment between transnational identities and rigid U.S. racial constructs; the shadow curriculum, a secondary set of lived experiences defined by visa precarity and other realities of consequence that exist outside official campus narratives; and institutional erasure, the administrative silencing of international needs within institutional agendas. To address the barriers of the domestic firewall, the study proposes a model update—the Global-MMDLE—which integrates a geo-political dimension into traditional campus climate frameworks. Recommendations for practitioners include administrative de-siloing, reforming data practices to eliminate reductionist categorization, a holistic approach to first-generation initiative development and the adoption of an inclusive curriculum that bridges domestic social justice with global realities. Ultimately, I argue for reframing international students as institutional architects whose unique perspectives are vital to the democratic health of the global university.
Keywords: International Students, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Belonging, Critical Race Theory, Racialization, Commodification, Nativism
Photographs taken at the event may be used in University of Minnesota print and online publications, promotions, or shared with the CEHD community.
The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, familial status, disability, public assistance status, membership or activity in a local commission created for the purpose of dealing with discrimination, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. All are welcome.
The University of Minnesota campuses were built on the traditional homelands of the Dakota and Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous peoples who have walked on these lands from time immemorial. It is important to acknowledge the peoples on whose land we live, learn, and work as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with our tribal nations. We also acknowledge that words are not enough. We must ensure that our institution provides support, resources, and programs that increase access to all aspects of higher education for our American Indian students, staff, faculty, and community members.