Building Cross Cultural Competencies

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Building Cross Cultural Competencies
Heather Richardson and Philip Warwick
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Overview

• Lessons from down under.
• Adjustment or Adaptation?
• The University of York approach building cross
  cultural competencies.
• Evaluation of the project.
• Did we get the balance right?

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Adjustment to studying in HE

• All students have to adjust to H.E.
• Is it harder for international students to
  adjust?
• The sojourner (migrant worker)
• Isolated,
• Marginalised,
• Unassimilated.

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Assimilation or adaptation?

• Assimilation
• students fit into the academic culture
• Adaptation
• University evolves to reflect the diversity in
  the student population, all students benefit

(Zepke and Leach 2005)
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Student adjustment strategies
High
Assimilation
Balanced Adjustment
Coping
Value placed on receiving culture
Marginalisation
Resistance
Low
Low
High
Value placed on home culture
Ramsey and Mason 2007
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The York Approach

• Finding a balance between assimilation and
  adjustment,
• Over coming problems of attendance,
• Ideally peer led (University of Syndey),
• Building a community of learning (Massey
  University),
• Cross cultural communication (Waikato),
• Incentivised by linking to York Award.

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The York Award
1998 the vision
2009 the reality

• Institutionally distinctive,
• Attractive to students and employers,
• Skills developed through
• Curriculum,
• Supplementary training,
• Extra-curricular activities and work experience,
• Holistic impelling,
• Assessed by portfolio.

• Internationally renowned,
• Supplementary training programme,
• c. 10 of graduating cohort,
• Employer involvement in training and assessment,
• Holistic flexible framework
• Experiential learning,
• Course programme,
• Assessment by written application and interview.

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Balanced adjustment employability

• In an increasingly global market, how can we
  better support our students to become more
  employable?
• Cross cultural communication skills.
• How can we improve the support that is offered to
  new international students to assist with their
  orientation to life in the UK?
• Encourage balanced adjustment.

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Peer support
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Developing useful employability skills

• Building Cross Cultural Competencies
• Culture
• Cultural Awareness,
• Diversity,
• Balanced Adjustment,
• Developing workshops
• Learning styles,
• Workshop design,
• Communication skills,
• Facilitating groups.

• Understanding Cultures
• Orientation to the UK,
• Sharing experiences,
• Workshops explored
• Living with others,
• Socialising,
• Studying in the UK,
• Making the most of the opportunities in York,
• Culminated in a social event.

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The student view

• Building Cross Cultural Competencies
• Cultural disciplinary mix,
• 12 applicants, 9 participants, 3 UK students
  (2007),
• 23 applicants, 21 participants, 5 UK students
  (2008),
• 2009 not enough interest
• Understanding Cultures
• Numbers low 18 (2007) 45 (2008),
• Not the target group?
• Feedback on both elements very positive
• Facilitators developed a range of employability
  skills,
• Participants felt well supported.

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Discussion points getting the balance right

• The programme provides a good model for
  supporting new students, but how do we
• reach those students who are most in need?
• create a scalable programme?
• engage more home students?
• Are we asking our students to assimilate into the
  York way, or should we be doing more to adapt how
  the University of York operates?

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Questions, comments, discussion.