Location

Seattle, Sitka, Skagway, Endicott Arm, Dawes Glacier, Victoria, USA, Canada

Program Description

This course will take place on a 7-day cruise. Students are expected to attend required cruise sessions intended for students to learn about the organizational structure of the cruise ship and class sessions. Cultural exploration days will take place when the ship is at port and will include a combination of faculty-led and student-led experiences. As this is an Alaskan cruise, we will lean into the cultural aspects of the indigenous peoples.

One important factor in being an effective leader is having a high level of cultural competence. Cultural competency can be defined as the ability to understand, appreciate, and interact with people from cultures different than your own.

With over 20 different nationalities represented in the workforce of one ship, the cruise industry is the perfect environment to observe intercultural experiences where the US context is not the norm. As a part of this course, students will learn about cultural competency in the workplace and how increasing this competency can increase leadership effectiveness.

Location Description

Seattle, Washington; Sitka, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, Alaska; Victoria, British Columbia

Director

Gilpatrick Hornsby | hornsbgd@jmu.edu | Hart School

Tiffany Hornsby | hornsbtc@jmu.edu | Graduate Psychology

Accommodations

Housing will be provided on the ship. Students will share a room with other participants.

Meals will be provided on the ship. Students will have an included meal plan but can also visit specialty dining options at their own expense.

Additional Items to Consider

Readings and other materials will be provided to students prior to embarkation. Students will also be required to complete a cultural competency assessment and a leadership assessment prior to the the start of the cruise.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0.

Open to students in all majors and class levels, including graduate students. Open to non-JMU students.