International Student Academic Success: A Practice-Based Model for Retention and Advising in Higher Education

This study presents a practice-based inquiry into the development, implementation, and assessment of an International Student Success Model at a R1 private research university in the United States. Grounded in Tinto's interactionalist theory of student departure and Berger and Braxton's organizational attributes model, the study addresses two research questions: why international student success is a critical priority for higher education institutions, and how international undergraduate students perceive the effectiveness of advising strategies and programmatic initiatives designed to facilitate their academic and career success. Drawing on two complementary data sources, a 2022 global survey of 255 academic advisors conducted in partnership with NACADA: The global community for academic advising, and five-year longitudinal program assessment data collected from 2020 to 2024, the study documents both the national need for structured advising frameworks and the measurable outcomes of a five-pillar success model, including improved student retention, academic performance, and career readiness.