Student Life
Intercultural Life
At Elmhurst College, students find a welcoming attitude and a celebration of ethnic, cultural, and racial diversity. Elmhurst’s Office of Intercultural Student Affairs' mission of inclusion fosters an appreciation of different heritages through a variety of programs and activities. For example:
- The “World Matters” video series looks at contemporary social justice issues through film. Recent documentaries have included Frontline: Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero, Farmingville and How the West Was Lost. Recent feature films have included Glory, Amistad and The Laramie Project.
- Our annual Intercultural Retreat invites students to spend two days exploring issues of diversity and how to create a better world. This program has been expanded to include overseas experiences.
- Ethnic heritage celebrations include Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Awareness Month, Black History Month, and Asian Heritage Month. We also help coordinate Culture Fest, a celebration of cultural diversity sponsored by a dozen campus organizations.
- SAFE Zone training sessions, which seek to foster greater awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer (LGBTQ) issues.
Other departments of the College also promote cultural diversity. For example, the intercultural education program of the Center for Professional Excellence sponsors intercultural workshops and leadership training. Elmhurst Guestships bring renowned scholars to campus, and series such as the popular American Images series expose students to a variety of ethnic histories. We enjoy creating formal and informal opportunities for students, faculty and the greater community to learn from each other’s differences.
The College also offers a major in Intercultural Studies. This program enables students to learn about cultural and cross-cultural skills and relationships among different groups in the United States and abroad. The program uses an interdisciplinary and developmental model to examine cultures, power, prestige, privilege, group interrelationships, and cross-cultural communications and interactions. It is designed to help students participate more meaningfully in their social, civic, and increasingly global world of work roles.
For more information on programs of the Office of Intercultural Student Affairs, contact Roger Moreano at (630) 617-3207.