New ICPC Requirement is First Step in Building Bridges

Written By: John Ruml ‘17 

Published December 2014

The College has recently adopted a new graduation requirement that will affect all students graduating in the class of 2017 or later. However, many of the students who fall under its purview seem to be unaware of the changes and how they came to be. The new requirement prescribes that students must successfully complete one of several tasks that could be considered “intercultural experiences” before they can graduate.

Randolph students dress up for
Panworld’s International Fashion show
to promote cultural awareness.
Photo Courtesy of Phuong Tran ’15.

The new requirement came about as a result of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a decennial review of the College by our accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Every ten years, the College is asked to develop their own plan to improve student learning, and the plan that was decided upon was the “Bridges, Not Walls” program of intercultural competence. 

This program is spearheaded by Director of Institutional Research John Keener and History Professor Gerry Sherayko, who are both enthusiastic about the opportunity to provide students with intercultural experiences. “Understanding other cultures is a big part of what we value at the college,” explains Sherayko, “This doesn’t just mean studying abroad—there’s a variety of ways that students can get involved.”

The purpose of the requirement is for students to have “a significant, meaningful experience with a culture different than their own,” said Keener. There are certain things students can do that automatically qualify for the requirement—such as participation in the American Culture Program, enrollment in a 300-level modern language course, or registration for a school sponsored study abroad program. “Some students may even have completed the requirement without knowing it,” says Sherayko, “The requirement is intentionally written to be inclusive. It’s not a one-size-fits-all type of thing.”

This means that by getting their proposals pre-approved by their advisors and the ICPC, the students can develop their own intercultural experiences, whether that be an internship, a volunteer experience, an experience funded by the RISE grant, or a self-designed initiative. Examples of intercultural experiences that could qualify include everything from volunteering at a women’s shelter to taking a summer language immersion course to participation in The World in Britain Program at the University of Reading.

"... intercultural competence is not something you achieve, or at least not something you achieve easily. It is a lifelong journey," -Keener

“What counts as ‘intercultural’ depends on the student,” says Keener. “Culture can be geographically defined. Culture can be ethnically defined. Culture can be socioeconomically defined. The nature of Bridges Not Walls is to help students down the path of intercultural competence. I say that it’s a ‘path’ because intercultural competence is not something you achieve, or at least not something you achieve easily. It is a lifelong journey.”