INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP PROGRAM @ DCCC
Goals
- To provide multicultural fellowship for DCCC students from different cultural backgrounds
- To help international students in their transition to DCCC, local community, and American culture in general
- To help native-born students learn more about different cultures
- To promote awareness of cultural diversity on campus through participating students, staff and faculty members
Participation
All students, staff and faculty members who are interested in the program are welcomed to participate. Due to the diversity of our group, we will mainly meet online through group email. Members are invited and encouraged to participate in the orientation for international students in August, and the subsequent monthly events/meetings (please refer to the Events section below). This program will work closely with the Office of International Students (Director, Lydia DellOsa) and the Multicultural Club (Faculty coordinator, Larry Woodward).
Description of International friends
1.Definition
International friends are freshman international students, and senior student volunteers who will provide assistance and information about the college, the local community, and the American culture in general. We will try to pair up one international student with one student volunteer.
2.Responsibilities.
After being paired up with each other, international friends will meet at least once a month through events organized by the program (please refer to the Events section below), and/or through informal meetings (e.g. a movie, shopping, coffee, holiday celebration, etc.). Remain in the program for at least 2 semesters.
3.Privileges.
Friends will be automatically included in the email list of our group, be able to post questions and concerns related to their college and cross-cultural experience, and to receive sharing and guidance from other students, staff and faculty members of the group.
Friends may participate in the programs End-of-year competition, submit/present their projects on cross-cultural experience (e.g. essay, dance, poem, speaking new language, artwork, etc.), and win prizes
Supervision
Participating staff/faculty members will collectively serve as supervisors of this program. Staff/faculty members will be automatically included in the program group email, and collectively provide online guidance to students based on their expertise. Faculty members may also encourage student participation in this program through course components, and may bring their classes to the monthly events
Competencies
By successful completion of this program, participating students will be able to:
- Identify some major characteristics of another culture;
- Understand the impact of cross-cultural experience on ones thinking, feeling, and behavior;
- Compare ones own culture and his/her partners culture (the differences and similarities);
- Produce a summative artifact based on this cultural exchange experience (e.g. essay, dance, poem, speaking new language, presentation, artwork, etc.)
- Specifically for international students, apply their understanding of the college system to their study at DCCC