EMU’s Intercultural experience program started over 40 years ago, with students going to over 80 locations in the world over the years. In 2024, Eli Ours, a recent Marketing graduate, published an article in he Weather Vane explaining the early stages of reimagining the program. Back then the program was in the clarification state, which consisted in collecting data to figure out a way to provide all students with diverse opportunities to fulfill the Intercultural requirement, taking into account their various life contexts.
Christina Harrison, Director of the Intercultural program, arrived at Eastern Mennonite University in August 2024, with a passion for intercultural experiences.
Harrison explained that the international intercultural experiences were not offered this 2025-26 school year due to lack of faculty proposals; however, as previously planned, the EMU intercultural program ran an evaluation- focus groups with current students, a survey of the faculty and from alumni, and looking into other Intercultural models- to ensure that going forward the program would serve the needs and expectations of the current student body. The results led them to realize the need to increase access and equity for the Intercultural Program. “It has tended to be a narrow group of students who have been able to take advantage of the travel programs,” Harrison explained.
Harrison added that although some students shared the richness of the experience and their professional development, there were others who felt frustration and confusion with the requirement, considering it a burden more than an opportunity. “Rather than feeling that the requirement is a burden, we want to communicate that there are options including an on campus course for students who cannot travel,” said Harrison.
“We need to provide financial support,” Harrison said. The Intercultural program is currently working with advancement to develop a larger fund for scholarships. Furthermore, according to Harrison, there were different frustrations with the requirement due to the lack of understanding of what the requirement actually entailed. For students who are not able to leave the city, EMU currently offers a three credit hour class for all students and a one credit hour class for students with significant intercultural experience. The focus group results indicated that both groups would benefit from taking the same class, so instead of two separate classes, one three credit hour class will be offered for all students who need to fulfill the intercultural requirement.
Wendell Shank, a Spanish instructor at EMU who has taken students to Guatemala and Washington DC, shared that for group leaders the “preparation is quite extensive.” Faculty and staff are invited to create proposals about three years in advance to be taken to the Intercultural Committee which then “debates the merits of the proposals, coordinates the proposals with larger initiatives, compares the proposal to the Intercultural Carbon Footprint guidelines, and then decides on which programs to endorse and promote over the next years.” Shank further explained that if selected, the leaders ideally visit the country the summer or winter before the trip, where they will evaluate the budget, coordinate housing, food and transportation, and prepare the courses for the duration of their time there. On top of that, they need to conduct interest meetings and the application process for interested students.
Despite all the challenges, all efforts are compensated. Shank shared that one of the most rewarding features of leading an intercultural is watching the students grow during that short period of time. For instance, he describes the look of “lost puppies” the first time the students are left with their host families, compared to two months later, seeing them travel around the city with gained confidence.“There is no amount of books or blogs or videos that would’ve taught the students the skills they needed to be able to move around like that; it could only be learned by doing,” Shank reflected.
For students who cannot travel abroad for various reasons, a popular option that EMU offers is the DC Experience. Dia Mekonnen, a senior majoring in political science and social work, got to experience life in Washington DC where she connected with students from Bluffton university as well as other EMU students who she “would have not otherwise talked to.” Mekonnen talked about the opportunity she had to be an intern for Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), a child advocacy organization where she had the unique opportunity to be part of the CASA vs Trump case, which was all over the news at the time.
Overall, the Intercultural program’s vision is to continue to support students and help them to take advantage of the intercultural opportunities while improving communication with students to decrease dissatisfaction with the requirement. “We would like these programs to result in our graduates engaging with curiosity and interest across differences, and in compassionate interactions across cultures,” said Harrison. If there are any suggestions of countries or subcultures in the US that students would like to experience, or if there are questions please email intercultural@emu.edu.
