Building Our Global Community

Building Our Global Community:
A Certificate Program for UI Faculty and Staff

Earn a Global Certificate

Consistent with UI strategic goals on diversity and internationalization, the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) and UI Learning & Development (UILD) are offering workshops on skills and insights useful to faculty and staff as they seek to educate and serve our international community. Those participants who complete the required introductory workshop plus their choice of four specialized workshops within a two-year period of time will be awarded a global certificate. The 2010 certificate award ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 21st from 10:00 AM to noon.

Additional Information

Helen Jameson, Manager, Intercultural Programs, is available to answer any questions pertaining to this program and can be reached at (319) 335-0335 or helen-jameson@uiowa.edu.

Program Offerings for 2009-2010

There are no fees for any of the workshops offered via this series. All workshops will take place in the International Commons, International Programs, room #1117 University Capitol Centre (unless otherwise noted). Download the Building Our Global Community brochure.

Registration Information
Introductory Workshops
Fall 2009 Skills Workshops
Spring 2010 Skills Workshops
Country Culture Workshops

Registration Information

Participants must register for all workshops in advance. Confirmations will be sent via email for registrations received 6 days prior to each session.

Online registration is now available in UI Self Service:
1) Go to the UI Employee Self Service, and click the “Personal” tab
2) Go to Learning and Development, and click on “My Training”
3) Click “Available Sessions and Series”
4) Available sessions default to Alphabetical order-find the class you are interested in, click title, and “Enroll in Session”.

If you need further assistance please contact the office of Learning and Development by e-mailing dorian-walker@uiowa.edu.

Participants who plan to earn a certificate must register for and attend the introductory course and at least four specialized courses of their choice. Questions regarding the certificate can be addressed to the OISS at: oiss@uiowa.edu or by calling (319)335-0335.

Introductory Workshops

REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
Offered 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th and repeated on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27th at the same time.

The introductory workshop provides an overview of the international student and scholar population at the University of Iowa. Participants will also have opportunities to discuss the special issues and concerns typically experienced by international students.

Workshop facilitators:

Helen Park Jameson, Manager, Intercultural Programs, OISS
Scott King, Director, OISS
Julie Pollock, International Student and Scholar Advisor, OISS

Fall 2009 Skills Workshops

All workshops will be held from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, in the International Commons, International Programs, Room #1117 University Capitol Centre (unless otherwise noted).

Beyond Mañana: Approaching Cultural Differences

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH

Intercultural contact is relatively easy and fun when the cultural differences are enjoyable ones, like interesting holidays and food; or readily adjusted to, like bowing or a new greeting. A greater challenge is posed by cultural differences that seem to defy logic. A four-step process for discerning cultural logics in order to understand the actions of others more positively will be introduced.

Workshop Facilitator:
Kristine L. Fitch, Associate Dean, International Programs and Professor of Communication Studies

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A Limited Language/Cultural Proficiency Experiment

Thursday, OCTOBER 8TH

What if you had to register for school, complete a job application, or get a driver’s license in an unfamiliar country where you could not speak the primary language fluently? Could you do it? Would you get frustrated? Would the locals get frustrated with you? This experiment helps us experience what it is like to try to accomplish bureaucratic tasks when you have limited language and/or cultural proficiency. We will also discuss various tasks international students, employees, or patients have to complete here at UI and how we might offer better customer service to our diverse community.

Workshop facilitator:
Jane Gressang, Staff Language and Culture Services, Human Resources

White Privilege: Lessons Learned From Both Sides of the Ocean

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH

How has white privilege impacted us personally, professionally, and systemically? This interactive session will use a variety of visual mediums to demonstrate how white privilege has presence in both domestic and global arenas.

Workshop facilitators:

Valerie Garr, Director Diversity Coordination, College of Nursing
Amina Mahmood, Research Assistant II, Department of Psychiatry

Understanding the Immigrant and Refugee Experience in the U.S. and in Iowa: Past, Present, and Future

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH

The paths taken by members of Iowa’s international community share numerous commonalities and many differences. This workshop will explore the immigrant and refugee experience of the past, present and future, in both national and local contexts. By first exploring the historical background for (im)migration to the U.S., we will explore the push and pull factors influencing human migration and discuss how these factors influence the contemporary experience of immigrant and refugee students, staff and faculty at UI.

Workshop facilitators:

Sophie Charles, International Student and Scholar Advisor, OISS
Diane Finnerty, Coordinator of Faculty Development Programs, Office of the Provost

Spring 2010 Skills Workshops

All workshops will be held from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, in the International Commons, International Programs, room #1117 University Capitol Centre.

Flat World and Thick Places: The Fate of Place in a Globalized World

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH

In a globalized world where commerce, communications, human mobility, cultural expression, and even political boundaries are less and less dependent on traditional borders, what is the fate of “place” in a world where people are less and less bound by geography? Is a sense of place, community engagement, and environmental stewardship a casualty of globalization? Or does globalization present new opportunities for defining “place” and our relationship with the world? This workshop will explore what it means to be “in place” and the challenges and opportunities globalization presents to the human relationship with place.

Workshop facilitator:
Thomas Dean, Special Assistant to the President for Communications and Research, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Programs

The J-1 Scholar: Philosophy, Policies and Procedures

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD

The hosting of an exchange visitor scholar involves a partnership between the host department and the Office of International Students and Scholars. This program will provide information on how to determine when J-1 status is appropriate, explain responsibilities of the scholar, host department and OISS, forms and procedures to ensure the scholar is properly documented for immigration purposes, and offer information about orientation and other assistance that is provided by OISS. Participants will be given a general understanding of the J-1 exchange visitor program, relevant immigration regulations, and the common benefits and challenges associated with hosting a J-1 scholar.

Workshop facilitators:

Sophie Charles, International Student and Scholar Advisor, OISS
Laura Holtkamp, Graduate Assistant, OISS
Michelle Snyder, Secretary, OISS

Creating a Welcoming Environment

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH

How does a predominantly white institution, such as ours, create a welcoming environment for students of color (both domestic and international)? What changes will we need to make as individuals and as an institution to be successful? How might the experiences of domestic and international students of color differ and what do those experiences have in common? What can we learn from them? We will discuss these topics in an effort to create a more welcoming environment for underrepresented groups on campus.

Workshop facilitators:

Helen Jameson, Manager of Intercultural Programs, OISS
Sherry Watt, Associate Professor, Graduate Programs in Student Affairs, College of Education

Cross-Cultural Conflict Prevention and Resolution

TUESDAY, MARCH 23rd

This session will give you an opportunity to discover your culturally preferred approach or style of resolving conflict through the use of the Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory developed by Dr. Mitchell Hammer. Once you are more aware of your own cultural style, you will be better able to understand and adapt to the styles of others and work more effectively in intercultural settings.

Workshop Facilitators:

Timothy Barker, International Student and Scholar Advisor, OISS
Helen Park Jameson, Manager Intercultural Programs, OISS

Intercultural Growth: Let’s Get Personal

TUESDAY, MARCH 30th

This workshop is based on the research to Dr. Milton Bennett. It will include an introduction of Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) and its practical applications. Participants will be asked to complete the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) which generates an individual profile of “worldview orientation to difference.” Participants will also be invited to a brief individual follow-up meeting with one of the facilitators to receive feedback on the issues, identified by this IDI instrument, which may be facilitating and/or limiting development of intercultural growth.

Workshop Facilitators:

Timothy Barker, International Student and Scholar Advisor, OISS
Lee Seedorff, Senior International Student and Scholar Advisor, OISS

Country Culture Workshops

These workshops will present staff with the opportunity to acquire knowledge about the different cultural, social, and political trends in a particular country or culture. Participants will learn practical information on cultural issues in order to work with students from specific regions of the world and cultural groups more effectively. See below.

(All workshops will be held from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, in the International Commons, International Programs, #1117 University Capitol Centre).

Muslim Student Experiences on a Secular Campus

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29th

Workshop facilitators:

Motier Haskins, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Amina Mahmood, Research Assistant II, Department of Psychiatry

US American Culture as Seen Through Foreign Eyes

THURSDAY, MARCH 4TH

Workshop facilitator: Scott King, Director, OISS

West Africa: What You Don’t See on American TV

TUESDAY, MARCH 9th

Workshop facilitators:

Edudzi Etsey, IT Service Delivery and Data Center Operations Manager, HCIS
Sunday Goshit, OISS Graduate Assistant
Michael Quashigah, Assistant Director, Diversity Initiatives, Tippie College of Business

Building Our Global Community