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Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion from the Perspective of

International Students

Oleg (Alex) Legusov

Seneca Polytechnic (Toronto)

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OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

Ontario CAATs and polytechnics
International students at Ontario colleges and polytechnics
Reasons underlying EDI strategies
Research questions
Theoretical framework
Methodology
Findings and analysis
Limitations and future research
Discussion

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ONTARIO COLLEGES OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY (CAATS)

Ontario postsecondary educational system

24 Ontario colleges and polytechnics

Most CAATs were founded in the late 1960s

Initially CAATs focused on vocational and technical education for local communities

Ontario colleges began recruiting international students in the early 1990s

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT ONTARIO COLLEGES AND POLYTECHNICS

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REASONS UNDERLYING EDI STRATEGIES

Colleges and polytechnics are committed to open access and equal educational opportunities for all.

Access to education is associated with justice and social mobility.

Diversity among students and faculty enriches the educational experience and challenges stereotypes.

Changing demographics, rising numbers of international students, and multiculturalism as a state ideology contribute to student and faculty diversity.

Historically underrepresented groups, such as visible-minority, female, racialized, Indigenous, and differently abled students, often experience more challenges than their traditional mainstream counterparts.

In response, many institutions of higher education have begun to implement comprehensive EDI policies and strategies to change prevailing institutional cultures and to help marginalized and underrepresented groups succeed.

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THE PROBLEM

Even though the body of literature on EDI at postsecondary institutions is growing, it is not clear how successful such initiatives are in addressing the needs and concerns of international students.

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PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This study explores the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion through the lens of international students at Seneca Polytechnic.

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RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What experiences related to equity, diversity, and inclusion do international students have while pursuing their education?

How do they explain and make sense of their experiences?

How do the institution’s structure, policies, and practices affect their experiences?

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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The participants’ experiences were examined through the lens of critical theory.

Critical theory encompasses criticisms of various aspects of social life with the goal of providing a deeper and more accurate understanding of the nature of society (Bleich, 1977).

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METHODOLOGY

Qualitative research approach

The interview schedule had two distinct parts:

- Structured

- Semi-structured

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RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

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Category	no	%
Gender Female Male	19 16	54.3 45.7
Nationality Indian Chinese Vietnamese South Korean Ukrainian Mexican Other (9 nationalities)	11 5 3 3 2 2 9	31.4 14.3 8.6 8.6 5.7 5.7 25.7
Minority status Visible minority White Caucasian	29 6	82.8 17.2

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Results

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Equity

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EQUITY AND EQUALITY

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SENECA IS A PLACE WHERE ALL PEOPLE ARE �TREATED EQUITABLY�

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	No.	%
Strongly agree	12	34.3
Somewhat agree	10	28.5
Not sure Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Total	5 5 3 35	14.3 14.3 8.6 100.0

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EXAMPLES OF UNEQUITABLE TREATMENT �

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Factors	No.	%
High tuition fees	33	94.2
Lack of financial assistance	28	80.0
Neglect by teachers Inadequate support on campus Disadvantage in the labour market	12 22 20	34.3 62.9 57.1

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PARTICIPANTS’ VOICES

“I am paying three times what Canadian students pay; it is so not fair. Everyone thinks international students have money, but my family has no money to pay my last semester. I work two jobs: one legal, one under [the] table.”

“In my program, most professors were under the impression that all students understood the teachings. And sometimes professors assume that you’re gonna find information really easy.”

“I attended a couple of international student service workshops, and they were good, but they always have them at the time when I have classes or work.”

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Diversity

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SENECA IS A DIVERSE PLACE

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	No.	%
Strongly agree	28	80.0
Somewhat agree	5	14.3
Not sure Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Total	2 0 0 35	5.7 0.0 0.0 100.0

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FACTORS THAT HINDER DIVERSITY�

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Factors	No.	%
Limited interaction between ethnic groups Limited interaction with domestic students	19 16	54.3 45.7
Lack of student diversity in programs and courses Limited diversity of faculty members and counsellors	12 13	34.3 37.1

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PARTICIPANTS’ VOICES

“There are, like, people from 100 different countries at the college, but they all hang out in their own groups. Koreans hang out with Koreans, Chinese hang out with Chinese.”

“Ninety percent of the students in my class are from my country; it’s like I never left home.”

“In my culture, it’s something we keep to ourselves. The most I think I can do is to tell my good friend. My student advisor told me about counselling service, but I can’t talk to someone who cannot understand my culture.”

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Inclusion

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SENECA IS A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS INCLUDED�

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	No.	%
Strongly agree	7	20.0
Somewhat agree	8	22.9
Not sure Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Total	6 6 8 35	17.1 17.1 22.9 100.0

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DID YOU EVER FEEL EXCLUDED WHILE PURSUING YOUR EDUCATION?�

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Settings	No.	%
In class	10	28.6
In social settings at college	12	34.3
In interactions with college officials In the broader community	21 18	60.0 51.4

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PARTICIPANTS’ VOICES

“The teacher asked other students but completely skipped me. I guess he assumed that I’m not comfortable talking in front of people.”

“The local white girls were staring at me; that really intimidated me. I didn’t talk to those girls during the whole semester.”

“Several friends suggested that I add an English name to my Korean name, but I can’t relate to this other name. I refuse to do that. So, some students just call me ‘the Korean girl.’”

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LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH �

The participants attended a single institution.
Their experience was viewed through the critical-theory lens.
Only the student perspective was considered.

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Thank You!

Contact:

oleg.legusov@senecapolytechnic.ca

Legusov, O., Leong, J., Le, A. T., & Ramdass, J. (2022). Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion from the Perspective of International Community College Students. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 52(4), 121-134.

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CANADIAN PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES

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