Navigating crisis

Graduate international students' academic experiences and faculty support at HBCUs during COVID-19

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/fgf6gy52

Keywords:

international students, COVID-19, HBCUS , higher education, virtual classroom, graduate international students

Abstract

Graduate international students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) faced significant inequities in their classroom experiences during COVID-19, a global crisis that exposed longstanding disparities in institutional preparedness and academic support. In this study, inequities are defined as barriers that limited students’ ability to fully engage in academic learning, including interruptions to instruction, reductions in access to technology and academic support, challenges related to language proficiency, and alterations in interactions with faculty. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this study examined the academic transitional experiences of 11 graduate international students enrolled at HBCUs during the pandemic. Guided by Schlossberg’s Transition Theory and its Four S’s framework, findings revealed challenges related to remote learning, diminished confidence in classroom participation, and perceived declines in English language proficiency. As global disruptions increasingly shape international student mobility and academic engagement, this study addresses a critical gap in the literature and underscores the need for equitable, crisis-responsive academic support structures for international students at HBCUs.

Author Biography

  • Ashleigh Brown-Grier, international HBCU xchange, Inc. (iHBCUx)

    Dr. Ashleigh Brown-Grier is a higher education expert specializing in internationalization at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies from Howard University, where she studied international student experiences at HBCUs during COVID-19. As founder of International HBCU xchange, Inc. (iHBCUx), Dr. Brown-Grier secured a $200,000 U.S. Embassy grant to strengthen research collaborations between U.S. HBCUs and South Africa's Historically Black Universities. A two-time Fulbright Scholar and Alumni Ambassador, she served as an English Teaching Assistant in Malaysia and conducted research in South Africa on apartheid-era inequities in higher education.

    Dr. Brown-Grier's scholarship focuses on international and comparative education, internationalization strategies at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and international exchange programs. A graduate of Talladega College, Morgan State University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Howard University, she is committed to expanding global learning pathways and fostering academic partnerships in higher education.

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Published

2026-02-23

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 5 (2026): Journal of International Students

Section

Special Issue: Rethinking International Education

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How to Cite

Brown-Grier, A. (2026). Navigating crisis: Graduate international students’ academic experiences and faculty support at HBCUs during COVID-19. Journal of International Students, 16(5), 121-140. https://doi.org/10.32674/fgf6gy52