Boon Or Bane

📖 The Scoop

To examine the impact of foreign students on U.S. engineering education, a survey was conducted of departmental chairpersons and faculty of engineering schools. Of a survey population of 651 chairpersons, 441, or 67.7% responded; 1,757 faculty questionnaires were mailed, and 943, or 53.7%, responded. Results, overall assessments, and policy implications are discussed in detail, supported by data presented in 7 tables. In general, the study shows that without foreign graduate students, who constitute approximately 50% of Ph.D. candidates in engineering, research and teaching in engineering would be damaged. Little likelihood is seen of proportions shifting toward a majority representations of U.S. graduate students in the immediate future. However, differences in language and research style and in restricted access to defense-related research can present problems for students and faculty. It was found that foreign graduate students are often more effective than U.S. students in theoretically sophisticated research, but the foreign students are less effective as teaching assistants because of language and cultural differences. Implications are discussed of the high enrollment of foreign graduate students for research affecting national security. (KM)

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