Stronger Together: Educational Service Augmenters and Traditional Predictors of Adjustment for International Students in the US

Abstract

Drawing on frameworks from marketing research literature, this study indicates that educational service augmenters (e.g., academic advising, writing support services, immigration advising, etc.) are significantly related to international students’ academic adjustment. The results indicate educational, campus, and social support services explained an additional 38% of variance in international students’ academic adjustment, beyond traditional predictors of academic adjustment alone, i.e., language proficiency, friendships, and welcoming campus attitude, for a combined 69% of the total variance in academic adjustment. The results highlight the university’s responsibility in international student integration into local communities and how educational service augmenters and traditional predictors act as complementary, yet distinct, predictors of academic and social adjustment.