IGD Welcoming Campus Initiative Objective #3: Through dialogues, increased clarity of and elimination of communication boundaries for major and minority groups so they can talk and listen to each other in an open environment before drawing conclusions.

Intergroup Dialogue on Social Economic Status: This sustained dialogue series, scheduled for fall, 2017, will focus on developing staff with responsibilities for serving and advising underrepresented and underprivileged students who have limited or no prior college experience based on their family and economic status.  This series was developed in partnership with colleagues leading the Welcoming Campus Initiative “Reducing Social Class Barriers to Career Development Success.”

Dialogue on Religion, Tradition, Spirituality – or Not: This sustained dialogue series, scheduled for fall, 2017, intercultural understanding and competence of participating staff and faculty and better enable them to support students of diverse religious backgrounds, traditions, and beliefs or the absence of the same.

Student Intergroup Dialogue, Diversity Issues in Health and Rehabilitation Services (SHRS W365 Spring, 2018 – two sections): Students will experience the Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) process by incorporation of IGD practices and principles into the curriculum for the course.  One section will be in class and students will experience the dialogue process as it is traditional facilitated.  The other section is online and students will experience elements of the dialogue process through on-line asynchronous discussions and one live, on-line, chat. 

Assessment of Teaching and Learning the IGD Model through pre-post test evaluations (SHRS W365 Diversity Issues in Health and Rehabilitation Services, Spring, 2018 – two sections): This process will access students understanding of, engagement with, and commitment to social justice, equity, and diversity issues prior to and after the semester.  It will test if and how the IGD model enhanced their level of understanding, engagement and commitment.  Because two sessions will be offered simultaneously, with one course in-class and the other on-line, pre- and post-tests will allow for comparisons in effectiveness of the IGD model between these two forms of content delivery.  Outcomes will inform the future teaching of the IGD model, particularly in health-related courses for undergraduate students.

'Say what?': Improving listening skills for a welcoming campus climate. This workshop will introduce participants to the principles of Intergroup Dialogue model and explain the Welcoming Campus Initiative. Participants will be able to practice their listening skills and reflect on how culture plays a role in improving a welcoming campus climate.