Intercultural Engagement & Education fosters intercultural awareness and engagement, helping students explore the impact of culture and societal factors on identity and experiences, while developing skills to navigate diverse environments and promote inclusion and fairness in personal and professional contexts.

This one-credit course is designed to foster intercultural awareness, communication, and engagement by exploring how culture shapes identity, interactions, and systemic structures. Students will reflect on how societal factors such as race, gender, and class influence identity development and experiences across different levels of society. Through interactive discussions, experiential learning, and activities, students will gain the skills and tools to navigate diverse environments, recognize and address social imbalances, and develop strategies for fostering inclusion and fairness in academic, social, and professional contexts. Students will expand their self-awareness, gain valuable skills to effectieve utilize this knowledge, and continue these important discussions beyond the classroom.

Listed on SIS as UNST 2500 – 001 Connecting Communities: Intercultural Engagement & Education, this class meets once per week for 90 minutes. Upon completion, students will be eligible to join MSS’s Multicultural Peer Educator program. This course is also recommended for those interested in internship opportunities with MSS, aspiring student organization leaders, or anyone with a budding interest in fostering intercultural engagement and community building.

To enroll in UNST 2500 - Connecting Communities: Intercultural Engagement and Education

Log in to SIS and use the 5-digit course number. Please note that this course requires instructor permission. If you encounter any issues with registration or have questions, email Dashan J. Axson-Lawrence, Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Services, at [email protected] or Dean Vicki Gist, Director of Multicultural Student Services, at [email protected].

This section of UNST 2500 is designed to engage students in exploring social group identity, culture, and intercultural communication. The course focuses on understanding how cultural and social identities—such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, and religion—shape worldviews and relationships.

At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

• Recognize the influence of cultural and social identities on worldviews and relationships.
• Identify commonalities and differences among diverse social groups.
• Engage meaningfully in dialogue, conflict management, and active listening in intercultural settings.
• Foster inclusivity and mutual respect in interactions across diverse environments.
• Apply intercultural communication skills in both academic and social contexts at UVA, Charlottesville, and beyond.