The Nelson Institute at Drake University invites applications for the spring 2021 “Facilitating Intercultural Learning” program, a development opportunity for select faculty focused on building the intercultural capacity of our campus community.  The endeavor is designed to create intercultural self-awareness and to prepare faculty to begin integrating intercultural learning into their courses, programming, or other work. It is a 12-week cohort training and coaching program to be offered each semester. The first cohort was launched in Fall 2020. This initiative will allow Drake to continue to foster intercultural learning and development in service to our students and our local, national, and international constituents.

The Facilitating Intercultural Learning program is designed to help participants engage more effectively with difference by developing four core intercultural competencies:

1. Increasing awareness and understanding of their own characteristic ways of making meaning and acting in familiar and unfamiliar contexts;
2. Increasing awareness and understanding of others’ ways of making meaning and acting in familiar and unfamiliar contexts;
3. Responding mindfully in contexts that disorient or challenge them;
4. Bridging cultural gaps in those contexts: Shifting perspective, attuning emotions, and adapting behaviour in effective and appropriate ways.

Read more about the program, the curriculum, and view testimonials from others who have completed the program.

The Nelson Institute plans to sponsor a cohort of up to six faculty during the Spring 2021 semester in fulfillment of this initiative. Participating faculty will receive a $1,000 stipend upon completing the program and will be designated Nelson Fellows.

The spring program will begin on January 5, 2021. Interested faculty should send a brief expression of interest to Professor Jimmy Senteza (Jimmy.Senteza@drake.edu), Director of the Nelson Institute, by 12 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2020. Please highlight how you think this might benefit your work at Drake University, and contribute to your overall intercultural development. If you applied and were not selected for this opportunity in Fall 2020, you may re-apply or indicate that you would like your application to be reconsidered.

— Jimmy Senteza, College of Business & Public Administration