Building Cultural Bridges: Developing Cultural Awareness Programs for Colleges and Universities

This project establishes guidelines for the development of cultural awareness programs for international graduate students, administrators, and faculty. The project concentrates on the expectations and cultural shock of international graduate students at Bethel College and Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, and examines cultural assistance programs at thirteen colleges and universities in the Christian College Consortium. The premises of the project are to establish a foundation of interpersonal interactions to develop an empathic understanding of varying cultural values, customs, and expectations and the development of communication channels for international graduate students to enhance the educational, spiritual, and financial stability of the institution. The project develops recommendations for the implementation of cultural awareness programs and suggested procedures for administrators and international students.

Tom Hallquist holds a MA in Communications from Bethel University, St. Paul, MN. He teaches at Columbia State Community College and is an Adjunct Professor of Communications at Belmont University. Tom also works with Daystar University, Nairobi, Kenya in the development of academic scholarships for African students.