Globally mobile students have increased from 2.1 million in 2001 to 4.1 million in 2016 (Project Atlas, 2016). Europe is competitive in attracting these students with about 45% of the market share (UNESCO, 2012). Although the United States hosts the largest number of globally mobile students, the latter comprise only 5.2% of the total higher education enrollment (Open Doors, 2016). The impact of these students is potentially greater when they represent a significant percentage of overall higher education enrollments (e.g., the United Kingdom, 21.1%; Australia, 20.7%, Canada, 12.9%, New Zealand, 12%; Project Atlas, 2016); however, all institutions are responsible for helping the diverse students they admit be successful.

Students pursuing educational opportunities outside their own countries must possess the skills and attributes to be successful in new cultural environment, and frequently, a new linguistic environment. Approaches for determining if students possess these abilities is fairly standard. Institutions in the United States, for example, typically use a single standardized test to measure English language proficiency, and assume students will be successful with minimal, if any, additional required linguistic development (Andrade, Evans, & Hartshorn, 2014, 2015, 2016). Similarly, in European higher education institutions with English-medium instruction, expected levels of proficiency are typically determined by scores on the TOEFL or IELTS (Study in Europe, 2016). A single snapshot of a student’s English proficiency provides a baseline but fails to account for gaps in skill or the need to intentionally plan opportunities for students to develop discipline-specific and professional level proficiency.

Policy and practice for admitting and supporting international students is typically not specified by regional or national accrediting bodies, with some exceptions. In Australia, where international students comprise a significant percentage of the overall higher education enrollment, and graduates may remain in the country to fulfill workforce shortages, there is greater awareness “of the role of English language ability in employment outcomes and . . .  increased recognition within universities of the fundamental nature of language in learning and academic achievement” (Australian Universities Quality Agency [AUQA], 2008, p. 1). As such, the national regulatory body has established good practice principles with regard to international students (AUQA, 2009).

This study explores the extent to which such principles are evident in programs with large enrollments of international ESL learners. It extends previous large-scale research on policies and practices regarding international ESL students (Andrade, Evans, & Hartshorn, 2014, 2015, 2016). Although overall percentages of international students in U.S. higher education institutions are not as high as in other English-speaking countries, these vary by region and institution, and the United States attracts over one million of these students a year (Open Doors, 2016). The theoretical framework for the study is designed to guide institutions in determining appropriate approaches for English language development (Andrade et al., 2014, 2015, 2016). The framework components—views and beliefs, pedagogy, and assessment—are reflected in the research questions.

1. To what extent do chairs/faculty in programs with high percentages of international ESL learners demonstrate awareness, vision, and planning focused on developing learners’ English language proficiency?
2. To what extent do current or aspirational strategies and practices in these programs reflect a philosophy of support v. development of learners’ English language skills?
3. How do chairs/faculty in these programs define and measure students’ overall success?

The first component of the framework—views and beliefs—provides institutions with the opportunity to develop guiding principles upon which to base pedagogical and assessment approaches. The study aims to determine how academic departments hosting large numbers of globally mobile students understand students’ needs, view English language development within their programs of study, and have a plan of action for furthering students’ linguistic development.

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