“I enjoyed the atmosphere of the class. I've been in other discussion-based classes before and this was probably the best I've encountered. The vibe was relaxed and it allowed people to open up on sensitive issues. The feature films were all quite educational, pertinent and interesting. I thought the final multicultural interview project was a perfect way to incorporate and tie together all the lessons taken from this course.”
Ross Mittelman, UM Geography Student, Fall Semester 2005
“I found the cultural workshops to be quite enjoyable. I'm fascinated by cultural difference, my major is even cultural anthropology, but I so rarely get such “applied” cultural awareness in class. Therefore I enjoyed your presentations quite a bit. You had very good examples in your presentations...."
Noelle Richards, Cultural Adaptation Training for UM Study Abroad Students, Fall Semester 2005
“I thought the workshops were well thought out and smoothly run. I appreciated that they didn’t take up a huge amount of time, but thought they still managed to deliver important information..I think the information you discussed will be helpful when I go abroad, especially in dealing with any difficulties I'll face.”
Nick VandenBos, Cultural Adaptation Training for UM Study Abroad Students, Fall Semester 2005
“I wanted to let you know how helpful the cultural workshops were for me. They were very helpful..GREAT JOB! Thanks for your time.”
Paula Simpson, Cultural Adaptation Training for UM Study Abroad Students, Fall Semester 2005
“I really enjoyed the diversity of the class. We studied something new every week. I found learning about different cultures to be very interesting. I also liked the online forum and the relaxed approach to the class that it presented. I would definitely take the course again because of the non-traditional curriculum we covered. ”
Melissa Berry, UM Davidson Honors College, Fall Semester 2005
“I found your workshop informative and enjoyable. It was helpful to learn about communication and body language. Your guidelines provided me with ideas to conduct the reference interview and help students....Frequently we do get students who have been “all over campus” to access the answer to a particular question. I now will not hesitate to jump up and say let me show you, rather than give the standard...around the corner, up one level, to your left and so on. I guess you helped me put myself in the student's shoes!... I feel more confident in my interactions. Finally I found the “W-Shaped Curve” and adjustment stages to be very helpful in my understanding of not only international students but all U of M students. Thank you for your presentation. Your personal stories were interesting. Your humor makes the workshop fun.”
Patricia McKenzie, UM Maureen & Mike Mansfield Library, Fall Semester 2005
“I especially liked the intertwining of the lectures with the movies, class participation, guest speakers and online discussions. I thought that this mixture did a good job of maintaining interest and reinforcing concepts. The Online Multicultural Discussion Forum provided a good platform for an exchange of ideas. I would recommend that people take this course and if one is offered of a similar nature in the future, I would definitely consider it.”
Mark Dostal, UM Davidson Honors College Student, Fall Semester 2005
“I believe the three lectures were very informative. I think it was great that we had a chance to mentally prepare for both the highs and the lows that await us while studying abroad. Sharing that it is normal to experience culture shock, and if we do we now have the tools to recognize and deal with it, will most defiantly save some of us stress while abroad. I believe that portion of the lecture should continue to be included. I also believe that breaking into groups was a good way to communicate with others traveling and gain insight from fellow peers.”
Kathleen Schardt, Cultural Adaptation Training for UM Study Abroad Students, Fall Semester 2005
