Intercultural Learning

The development of intercultural competence closely aligns with specific aspects of Uplift Valpo: Our Beacon for the Journey Forward.

• As it relates to the University’s initiative to become an Hispanic Serving Institution (Thrive), intercultural development first brings about an awareness of our own cultural perspective(s). We can then begin to build our capacity to navigate difference with greater complexity, adopting a nuanced approach to serving our Latinx and First-Generation students.
• Participation in an intercultural assessment, the Intercultural Development Inventory, can provide faculty, staff, and administrators with a foundational framework as we pursue practices that help us effectively serve and appropriately engage with these and other growing Valpo populations. Student participation in this intercultural assessment echoes University Student Learning Objective #5: Students will engage in cross-cultural dialogue and experiences with the requisite knowledge to succeed in a diverse, global community.
• Uplift Valpo contains additional thematic threads that directly relate to intercultural learning:
  • Recognition of the complexities that surround us while embracing opportunities to work toward solutions (Learn, Lead);
  • Reflective engagement that begins with the self and meets people where they are in their development (Serve);
  • Compassionate and ethical leadership in the larger world (Lead).
• Intercultural learning also aligns with Valpo’s cross-disciplinary commitments and has the potential to intersect with future iterations of Valpo Connect.