ABSTRACT
Following the national trend in rapid growth of international (i.e., U.S. visa category F-1) student enrollment, the Tippie College of Business Undergraduate Program at the University of Iowa created a dedicated position charged with developing and coordinating programs. The goals of this position are centered on building community and promoting cultural awareness in the college. As part of these efforts, a “buddy” program was created. International and domestic students are matched for a semester-long friendship, and each buddy pair is provided the following: structured events to gain cultural knowledge and support large-group interactions, partnerships with local businesses to incentivize one-on-one meetings among buddy pairs, and a safe and semi-structured environment in which to engage in difficult, but reflective, conversations related to race and ethnicity. Now in its eighth semester, the program’s creation and continued development is guided by Phinney’s (1993) model for ethnic identity development. The program situates students (at all stages of the model) in cultural difference and aims to offer a supportive environment to interact and engage in dialogue and encourage critical self-reflection that connects experiences in (and out of) the program with the greater whole of their collegiate experience, professional aspirations, and personal goals.
