In early April, ES staff representing each unit and both campuses gathered on the fourth floor of the Strangway building to participate in a UBC Continuing Studies workshop The Intercultural Campus: Concepts and Strategies for Inclusion.
The engaging and informative workshop was presented by Karen Rolston and Joenita Paulrajan, members of the Centre for Intercultural Communication in UBC Continuing Studies.
In ES, I’m sure that we all consider ourselves culturally sensitive and inclusive. But, the question that the workshop suggested is ‘just how culturally sensitive and inclusive am I?’
Intercultural understanding is a cornerstone of the UBC Place and Promise strategic plan but how ready are we as educators and service providers to fully engage the diversity that exists on campus?
Throughout the day we participated in a number of scenarios, learned about intercultural models for developing intercultural sensitivity at the institutional level and we examined a case study drawn from participant experience.
Karen and Joenita also introduced us to the Bennett Scale, a model that describes the six stages of increasing sensitivity to difference (Denial, Defense, Minimization, Acceptance, Adaptation, Integration). We looked at the scale from an individual perspective, but also from an institutional perspective and discussed where UBC might fit on the scale.
What was interesting about reviewing the Bennett Scale was not only seeing how we could grow as individuals, but also how we could help UBC develop towards an even greater intercultural sensitivity and inclusivity.
The workshop was informative, memorable and helped us to identify what more we could do to foster intercultural understanding in our lives and at UBC. Karen and Joenita left us with a lasting impression of what it really means to be Diversity and Inclusion Champions.