SA Voices From the Field
Dr. Jill Creighton, NASPA
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Balancing Perspectives: The True Value of International Students in Higher Ed
The latest episode of "Student Affairs Voices from the Field," hosted by Dr. Jill Creighton, delves into the complex and evolving landscape of international education, featuring the perspectives and expertise of Dr. Zachariah Mathew, Senior International Officer at the University of Michigan-Flint. From the outset, listeners are treated to Dr. Zachariah Mathew's personal journey—a career that began as a physical education teacher in India, transitioned into higher education in the United States, and flourished with a research focus on international student college choice. His story reflects how diverse experiences and a global outlook can enrich student affairs and the field of higher education. One of the central themes is the motivation and decision-making process behind international students studying abroad. Dr. Zachariah Mathew identifies three drivers: economic and social mobility, the pursuit of knowledge and professional impact, and the prestige associated with international degrees. However, as global immigration policies shift and uncertainties around regulations grow, students and their families are increasingly risk-averse—reconsidering where and how they invest in their education. The conversation explores how universities often view international students through an economic lens, sometimes seeing them as "cash cows" rather than valuable contributors to campus culture. Dr. Zachariah Mathew urges institutions to define the true purpose of internationalization, moving beyond financial incentives to prioritize perspective-building, idea-sharing, and the cultivation of global competencies. The podcast offers valuable strategies for supporting international students and fostering a truly global learning environment. Best practices include intentional integration of international and domestic students, articulating clear institutional goals for internationalization, investing in well-resourced support centers, and scaffolding opportunities for cross-cultural engagement both inside and outside the classroom. Dr. Zachariah Mathew emphasizes the importance of intentionality—creating spaces where all voices are heard, identities are recognized, and learning outcomes span both academic and personal growth. This episode also examines the vital role of student affairs in transforming academic degrees into holistic educational experiences. Drawing on the philosophy of Ubuntu—"I am because we are"—the conversation calls for greater collaboration between student affairs and academic departments, and for institutions to nurture students' adaptability, curiosity, and sense of belonging. If you're eager to understand the challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities at the intersection of international education and student affairs, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in, and gain fresh insight from voices shaping the future of higher education. TRANSCRIPT Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:02]: Welcome to Student Affairs Voices from the Field, the podcast where we share your student affairs stories from fresh perspectives to seasoned experts brought to you by naspa. We curate free and accessible professional development for higher ed pros wherever you happen to be. This is season 13 on the value of student affairs. I'm Dr. Jill Creighton. She her hers your essay Voices from the Field host. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:27]: Zachariah welcome to Student Affairs Voices from the Field. Dr. Zachariah Mathew [00:00:30]: Jill thank you very much for having me. It's truly an honor and that you consider me worthy of this opportunity. So thank you very much for having me. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:37]: We're looking forward to learning more about your expertise in the international education space. And you have an incredible journey that has brought you to your current seat in international education, weaving through different parts of higher education administration and also through the world. So we'd love to know if you could tell us, how did you get to your current seat? Dr. Zachariah Mathew [00:00:55]: Absolutely. It's in the process started somewhere. Today I'm here. God knows where I'll be tomorrow. So I started off as a physical education teacher in India, teaching at some prestigious institutions in Bangalore. And when I started my career I realized that I wanted to do more. And that also meant that I had to kind of not be where I was, but go up so that I can be in a decision making place. And at some point, almost seven years into my teaching career, I realized that I did not know enough to do any of these things. Dr. Zachariah Mathew [00:01:28]: So I decided to pursue my higher education in sports science and sports management. And this was in India at the time, sports was not an advanced field of study. So I chose to come to the United States. I did my master's in sports management. And the experience as an international student, it was the first time I really looked back into cultural vibrance or cultural competency or global competency. Because while we in India we spoke five or six languages and nobody cared. Everybody does. We eat all kinds of foods and we understood other cultures. Dr. Zachariah Mathew [00:02:04]: So you never thought about it. But it's only when I came to us I really realized the dynamics of those cultural diversity and perspective. But it was within me. I was thinking about it. I was very active as an international student. I was not a traditional student. I was almost 26 years old when I came here. This is about 25 years ago. Dr. Zachariah Mathew [00:02:20]: And that was kind of bubbling in me. I was very engaged with faculty, administrators, seniors to gain their perspective and also very engaged with the student affairs because I was doing my master's in sports management. And then I started working for State University of New York at small community college within that space. And in 2009 I decided to quit my job, go back to school to do my PhD in higher education leadership and Administration at Indiana State University from where I already had my Master's and I specialized in international student affairs there. So my dissertation was on international students college choice. While I was there, while I started, the position position opened up as one of the international student advisor position or the engagement specialist position. It was an associate director position and I was fortunate to have that position. So it started off as engaging the students and looking at it through the student development theories and to see how we can develop the student and bring a holistic education into the student. Dr. Zachariah Mathew [00:03:21]: You know, not just international students, but broadly all how to provide the domestic students this perspective. And that started in 2011, 2025. I'm here at the University of Michigan Flint as the Director and Senior International Officer. Dr. Jill Creighton [00:03:36]: That's quite a journey. And I love hearing people's student affairs and higher education journeys as they weave through different parts of education. As we've talked about many times on this show, no one grows up saying I want to be a student affairs professional. And so taking that skill set that you built in sports management, sports science and translating it into an international education career is a really great representation I of how we get into this field and move through it. Zachariah, you mentioned that you have experiences looking at international student choice through research. And I know that research is a little bit older now, but can you tell us what we knew then about international student choice in terms of where they're going to school and what that looks like presently? Because we know that that has shifted a little bit. Dr. Zachariah Mathew [00:04:17]: So the students choose to study abroad primarily for under three different categories. That is a college choice. So where they go is comes after why they choose to study abro abroad or stay at home. So one aspect is and most every decision has some element of all the three, but predominantly one is economic decision or social mobility. So they make this decision for social mobility or economic prosperity. So it is a one time investment. Students really take this opportunity to invest in quality education so that not only them but the coming generation can have better economic prosperity and social mobility, which is really correlated. And then there is the psychometric which is about having this opportunity to gain the knowledge and to have higher impact within the field of what they do. Dr. Zachariah Mathew [00:05:05]: And the third one is social. Social is also to aspect is to be able to say where they go and the social prestige that comes with it. So it could be a country it could be a university within the country and it goes on. So these are the major areas and where they go depends on a combination of all these three. So for example, if somebody can afford to go to a private university in the US where there is quality education, they might choose if they have the capacity to withstand the academic rigor and can pay for it. Whereas if somebody does not have the capacity to pay, they might not choose us, but might choose a country where the education is not as expensive as it is in the US So it is a balancing of all these three that really comes in and says, okay, this is where we are going to go. So one might choose United States States, but they might choose a university that might not be expensive because it is an economic decision that they're making because they do not have the capacity to invest where there might be other situation where it's fully funded. So a student who is looking at it through the social aspect could say, you know what, I'm going to go to the prestigious university where I can get accepted into because I don't have to worry about the pay. Dr. Zachariah
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