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Diversity/Global learning

Definition

According to the AAC&U, many colleges and universities now emphasize courses and programs that help students explore cultures, life experiences, and worldviews different from their own. These studies—which may address U.S. diversity, world cultures, or both—often explore “difficult differences” such as racial, ethnic, and gender inequality, or continuing struggles around the globe for human rights, freedom, and power. Frequently, intercultural studies are augmented by experiential learning in the community and/or by study abroad.

Diversity/Global Learning at UNCG

Some signature programs that align with definition, listed in alphabetical order

Civil Rights Pilgrimage
UNC-Greensboro students have the opportunity to embark on a civil rights pilgrimage over Fall Break to sites significant to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. On The pilgrimage, participants reflect on connections between activism from historical Civil & Human Rights Movement and contemporary social movements.

Community Dialogues Series
The CommUNITY Dialogue Series is a campus-wide monthly opportunity for UNCG students to build relationships across difference while discussing hot topics related to diversity and inclusion affecting our UNCG community.

Friday Cultural Fests

On various Fridays during the academic year from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the Faculty Center The International Programs Center sponsors a get-together featuring a different country or culture. These gatherings are open to everyone and involve food, music, dancing, presentations, and other entertainment. To find upcoming Friday Cultural Fests, check the International Events Calendar.

Global Leadership Program
UNCG’s Global Leadership Program (GLP) offers a transdisciplinary co-curriculum that promotes and recognizes international and global leadership, experience, and understanding. Open to all degree-seeking domestic and international undergraduate and graduate students, the GLP is relevant to students from any discipline. The GLP complements UNCG’s ongoing commitment to internationalization and the cultivation of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that attend to global citizenship.

Global Village
The mission of the Global Village is to provide new, first-year undergraduate students with the opportunity to live and learn together in an inclusive educational environment focused on the exploration of global languages, literatures, and cultures. We foster a diverse collegiate community of informed students equipped with the necessary skills and competencies to engage in intercultural dialogue and civic engagement.

House of Privilege
House of Privilege is an experiential tour where participants explore different types of privilege and discover resources to help dismantle systems of privilege in our community. The House takes a museum approach to displaying inequity, highlighting the construct of privilege and providing Windows of Opportunity- resources that can be used to start disassembling privilege in multiple forms.

Intercultural Competence Workshops
The International Programs Center at UNCG offers three versions of an Intercultural Competence Workshop to students, faculty, and staff. Delivered by trained facilitators, these workshops introduce participants to important themes around personal identity and intercultural competence. One option includes an opportunity to take the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a tool used to assess the capability of a person to shift cultural perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonalities.

International Ambassadors
The International Ambassadors (iAmbassadors) program is intended for international degree-seeking students at both the undergraduate and graduate level. iAmbassadors work to represent The International Programs Center and serve as ambassadors of their own countries and cultures at UNCG and in its surrounding communities. This program is designed to provide leadership and developmental opportunities for international students. iAmbassadors are key to providing a welcoming environment for other international students at orientation and throughout the academic year. iAmbassadors are expected to be exemplary representatives of not only their home cultures, but IPC and UNCG as a whole.

I-Fest
I-Fest is an annual celebration in early April that promotes cultural awareness, appreciation, and understanding through music, food, crafts, demonstration,s and entertainment from all corners of the globe. I-Fest is an event open to the UNCG family and the general public during which you, your families, and friends can come to experience and learn about the diverse world we live in.

I-House
The International House—or I-House, as it is most commonly called—is home to students from all over the globe, including those from the U.S. I-House is located in the Tower Village Residence Hall. It is a residential community with an international twist! Built European-style (single rooms with shared common areas), I-House is open to all students (freshmen to graduate students) with a particular interest in learning from and living with people from other parts of the world.

Kaleidoscope Program
Kaleidoscope is a peer education program that promotes intergroup communication and understanding about diversity, equity, and social justice. Kaleidoscope program gives members of the UNCG community opportunities to engage in open dialogue across diverse experiences and perspectives about these topics through interactive programs and workshops. The Kaleidoscope program aims to expand understanding of multiple intersecting identities and develop strategies for effective and appropriate interactions across differences to foster a more inclusive campus for all communities at UNC-Greensboro.

LINC@UNCG
The LINC! [Leading for an INclusive Campus] Conference is a one-day student-led leadership conference featuring interactive sessions created and facilitated by mostly students. The purpose of this conference is to help students make new “linkages” on their campus by reflecting on their own identities, exploring other cultures, and recognizing commonalities within a community that celebrates difference. Ultimately, the conference is meant to inform and inspire students to act as change agents, working toward social change and inclusive leadership on their campus community and beyond.

Peer Advisor and Liaison (PAL) Mentor Program
The PAL program is a unique volunteer opportunity open to UNCG students to help exchange students transition into the American lifestyle and life at UNCG. PALs are assigned to support incoming exchange students from arrival to departure. Many of the PALs get involved after having studied abroad themselves, or are interested in studying abroad in the future. UNCG’s International Program Center organizes an official meet-and-greet event for PALs and their exchange students during the first week of classes, but PALs are encouraged to make contact with their exchange student before the student’s arrival.

Safe Zone
Safe Zone is a campus group of student, faculty, and staff allies that support gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and individuals with all other diverse identities.

The goals of SafeZone training are:

  1. Participants will understand the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
  2. Participants will reflect on their own backgrounds and identities as they relate to gender and sexuality.
  3. Participants will demonstrate allyship skills that foster an inclusive, brave space for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff at UNCG.
  4. Participants will demonstrate an awareness of LGBTQ+ resources both on and off campus.
  5. Participants will understand the importance of continuing their education around these topics and be able to identify ways they can do this through opportunities on-campus.

Spartans-In-Dialogue Program
Spartans-In-Dialogue is a 5-week interactive dialogue experience designed to build relationships across difference and explore topics related to racial identity, race relations, and intersectionality. As a participant, you will learn more about yourself and understand others who are different than you while practicing dialogue skills to communicate effectively about difficult topics. You will learn communication, group dynamics, and diversity skills you can document on the co-curricular transcript to help you with employment, graduate, and professional schools.

Stateside
Stateside is a student organization established in spring 2010 for former study abroad students. The organization sponsors a variety of educational and social events designed to bring former study abroad students together with international students in the effort to promote study abroad and international education on campus.

Study Abroad and Exchanges

The International Programs Center (IPC) at UNCG runs one of the largest student swap programs in the southeast. UNCG supports 500-550 students annually participating on credit-bearing international exchange and study abroad programs, as well as non-credit-bearing research, independent study, and affiliated travel experiences to nearly 30 countries.  Additionally, IPC and International Global Studies offer courses to help students prepare for their study abroad experience, create deeper meaning from it during their time abroad, and better incorporate it into their future plans upon their return.

Tunnel of Oppression
The Tunnel of Oppression is an interactive event highlighting contemporary issues of oppression in our society. The event aims to raise awareness about systems of oppression and how to address them as UNCG community members.

Books and Research on Diversity/Global Learning in Higher Education

Bell, K., Donaghue, J. & Gordon, A. (2018). Collaborative leadership: Advancing diversity, equity, and comprehensive internationalization in higher education. Berkley, CA: Diversity Abroad.

Brewer, Elizabeth, & Ogden, Anthony. (Eds.). (2019). Education abroad and the undergraduate experience: Critical perspectives and approaches to integration with student learning and development. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Deardorff, Darla K., & Arasaratnam-Smith, Lily A. (Eds.) (2017). Intercultural competence in higher education:  International approaches, assessment, application.  London: Routledge.

Griffin, P. (2007). Conceptual foundations for social justice education: introductory modules. In M. Adams, L. A. Bell, & P. Griffin (Eds.), Teaching for diversity and social justice (p 58). New York, NY: Routledge.

Harper, S. R., & Hurtado, S. (2007). Nine themes in campus racial climates and implications for institutional transformation. New Directions for Student Services, 2007(120), 7-24.

Landorf, Hilary, Doscher, Stephanie, & Hardrick, Jaffus. (2018). Making global learning     universal: Promoting inclusion and success for all students. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Ramsey, V. J., & Latting, J. K. (2005). A typology of intergroup competencies. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 41(3), 265-284.

Schirch, Lisa, & Campt, David. (2007). The little book of dialogue for difficult subjects: A practical, hands-on guide. New York, NY: Good Books.

Sorensen, N., Nagda, B. R. A., Gurin, P., & Maxwell, K. E. (2009). Taking a “Hands On” approach to diversity in higher education: A Critical‐Dialogic Model for effective intergroup interaction. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 9(1), 3-35.

Vande Berg, M., Paige, R. M. & Lou, K. H. (Eds.). (2012). Student learning abroad: What our students are learning, What they’re not, and What we can do about it.  Sterling, VA: Stylus.