This document provides a prospectus for the Bridge IU project, which aims to create a program to significantly increase interaction and cultural understanding between international and domestic undergraduates at Indiana University Bloomington. The prospectus outlines plans for an 8-week course that would fulfill diversity requirements and include topics on general culture, components of culture, and a celebration event. It discusses the inspiration and background for the project, its relevance to IU's strategic plan, research conducted on international students, and logistics regarding curriculum, marketing, class size and financials. Metrics such as surveys and focus groups are proposed to measure the program's impact.

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BRIDGE IU | PROSPECTUS
AN INTER-CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT PROJECT
INDIANA UNIVERSITY STUDENT ASSOCIATION
OCTOBER 2, 2014

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Table of Contents
Inspiration...................................................................................................................................................2
Background.................................................................................................................................................3
Relevance to IU Bloomington Campus Strategic Plan..........................................................................4
Research ......................................................................................................................................................5
Logistics.......................................................................................................................................................6
Metrics.........................................................................................................................................................9
Incentive......................................................................................................................................................9
Timeline.....................................................................................................................................................10

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Inspiration
The Bridge IU Project was formed early in the 2013-2014 school year, when the IU Student
Association created the IUSA Office of Diversity. The motivation behind the program was to
create a sustainable initiative to significantly increase interaction and cultural understanding
between international and domestic undergraduates. In Spring 2014, members of IUSA worked
with faculty members to develop a summary of goals for the program. While initially calling for a
Fall 2014 launch, those involved in the planning of Bridge IU felt it would be best to solicit more
student feedback before launching the program.
At the same time, students in the Kelley School of Business were working closely with the
school’s administration to create two programs: Kelley Without Borders and the Kelley Global
Scholars Program. Kelley Without Borders created a platform for two-person teams of one
international and one domestic students to be paired, while Kelley Global Scholars created a
month-long program for approximately 50 international and domestic students to work in teams
to participate in interaction-based activities and an international business case competition.
These programs found moderate success, but members of the IU Student Association involved
in the planning of these programs felt compelled to work toward a campus-wide solution.
Moving forward, we will work to create a program shaped by the needs of international and
domestic students. We will continue to solicit feedback from student groups across Indiana
University’s campus and work with faculty to develop a sustainable and beneficial program to
launch in the near future.

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Background
IUB and Internationalization
Indiana University’s Bloomington campus attracts a growing number of international students
each year and currently enrolls the fifth largest population of international undergraduate
students in the United States. Playing an integral role at the University, international students
heavily contribute to the ever-changing and diverse culture on campus.
Benefits of Internationalization
Indiana University’s international students are an asset to all groups of students. Both domestic
and international students benefit from cultural exchange and interaction, and their interactions
help the university promote students’ global competencies. International students truly do aid
development at Indiana University, not just in terms of the vast amount of money received from
their tuition. They provide unique perspectives that may alter American students’ previous,
unexamined assumptions, and new learning environments encourage and value diversity.
Domestic and international students will have a more integrated IU experience as they work
together solving problems, looking at situations from different perspectives, and entertaining
new ideas.1
Bringing valuable knowledge to the Bloomington campus, international students
also increase domestic students’ appreciation for other cultures. It must be noted that if
international students leave the United States, they leave with “good will and affinity for their
second home.”2
Academic
Research also demonstrates that international students have increased academic success
when they have regular encounters with students from other backgrounds (Glass 2012). Other
scholarship reveals that domestic students, both majority and minority populations, have
significantly higher college outcomes when regularly interacting with international students (Luo
and Jamieson-Drake 2013). Diversity benefits all students, whether majority or minority,
whether international or domestic.
Social
Integrating domestic and international students allows each party to learn about new cultures.
American students can better understand their life circumstances as a result of interaction, and
new perspectives on life lead to new ways of thinking. By learning from each other and offering
1
Zhao, Chun-Mei, George D. Kuh, and Robert M. Carini. "A Comparison of International Student and American
Student Engagement in Effective Educational Practices." The Journal of Higher Education 76.2 (2005): n. pag. Print.
2
Lee, Jenny J., and Charles Rice. "Welcome to America? International Student Perceptions of Discrimination."
Higher Education 53.3 (2007): 381-409. Web.

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different opinions, domestic and international students can have creative discussions and
collaborate.3
Career
In a study on mentorship and expatriates, Shawn Carraher, Sherry Sullivan, and Madeline
Crocitto found “a significant positive effect” on development of the expatriate. Important career
job performance skills strengthened, such as organizational knowledge, promotability, and
teamwork.4
A relationship between domestic and international students also provides
opportunity for networking and international business opportunity.5
Relevance to IU Bloomington Campus Strategic Plan
During Fall 2013, the IU Bloomington Strategic Planning Committee, composed of faculty
members, staff, and students, gathered to brainstorm a direction and vision for the continuation
of excellence on campus. By reviewing challenging questions our campus faces about the
future of various facets on campus, it not only tackled initiatives in areas such as research,
undergraduate education, and graduate education, but also one of the most pressing issues that
our university faces today: the incorporation of international students on the IU Bloomington
campus.
Indiana University International Strategic Plan (2008)
The IU Bloomington Campus Strategic Plan is built upon the principles of the 2008 Indiana
University International Strategic Plan, which clearly denotes IUB’s involvement and
commitment to increasing the number of international undergraduate and graduate students.
 “We are fifth in the nation in the number of undergraduates who matriculate from abroad;
 We are thirteenth in the nation in the total number of international students who
matriculate in Bloomington;
 We have opened the first of our international gateway facilities in Gurgaon, India;
 We have sharpened our strategic focus on thirty-two countries, and on institutions within
those countries with particular research and academic qualities. We have developed
deep and important relationships and exchange agreements in almost every one of
these countries.”6
This increase in students is more cause for the university to adopt a “buddy system” style
program to increase engagements and cross-cultural exchanges between international and
domestic students.
3
Trice, Andrea G. "Faculty Perceptions of Graduate International Students: The Benefits and Challenges." Journal of
Studies in International Education 7.4 (2003): 379-403. Web. 19 May 2014.
4
Carraher, Shawn M., Sherry E. Sullivan, and Madeline M. Crocitto. "Mentoring across Global Boundaries: An
Empirical Examination of Home- and Host-country Mentors on Expatriate Career Outcomes." Journal of International
Business Studies 39.8 (2008): 1310-326. Web. 19 May 2014.
5
Lee, Jenny J., and Charles Rice. "Welcome to America? International Student Perceptions of Discrimination."
Higher Education 53.3 (2007): 381-409. Web.
6
Indiana University International Strategic Plan (2008), found at http://ovpia.iu.edu/doc/pdf/iu-international-strategic-
plan-2008.pdf

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IU Bloomington Campus Strategic Plan (2014)
The following components of the IU Bloomington Campus Strategic Plan have been identified
that this program will directly promote.
 Strategies for Achieving the Vision
Objective Two: Our campus will esteem diversity of all kinds and ensure the full involvement
of our global complement of students in the life of our campus.7
 Section V: International Initiatives
Engaging in creative activities that promote links across cultures and communities;
Innovating in our global curricula and exchanges;
Research
Demographic Report of IUB International Student Population
The undergraduate population of international students at Indiana University Bloomington has
been steadily increasing in the past four years, with modest increases of 4% enrollment from
Fall 2012 to Fall 2013 and from Fall 2013 to Fall 2014. According to the Institute of International
Education's Open Doors Report (2010-2011), Indiana University has the 11th largest number of
international students nationwide. As of Fall 2014, 3,674 international students have been
pursuing an undergraduate degree program at Indiana University – with the most popular fields
of study including business (47%) and the social sciences (15%) (iStart, 2014).
7
Indiana University Campus Strategic Plan Draft (2013), found at
http://www.indiana.edu/~provost/docs/IUB%20Campus%20Strategic%20Plan%20Draft%20Spring%202014.pdf

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The most popular countries of origin include China (65% of international student population) and
South Korea (12%), with an appreciable number of students from the countries of India,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico (iStart, 2014). An
overwhelming majority of international students originate from East Asia, and care must be
taken to familiarize these students with the US classroom culture, as there are marked
differences in the classroom dynamic in Asian countries.
Model Program
This 100-level class has roots in Knox College and in the University of Iowa. At Knox College
there is an Integrated International Studies major geared towards increasing professional
communication skills of international studies and developing a global understanding
professional engagement. This program is successful because class sizes are small, and it is a
part of a curriculum. At the University of Iowa, there are many successful programs that
exemplify what Bridge IU is attempting to capture. In the long-term IUSA should consider
implementing a similar program to the one at University of Iowa, which is an International
Student Advisory Board within their graduate and undergraduate student governments that
focuses solely on promoting cross-cultural interaction. This 12-person board is highly connected
to any and all activities and programs relating to cultural interaction. Relevant to Bridge IU is the
University of Iowa’s continued efforts to build programs to that foster interaction.
Logistics
Establishing a Program for Cross-Cultural Development
Basic Structure
In promoting cross-cultural interaction, members of IUSA considered both a class-based and
event-based model. In the end we feel that it is best to take more of a class-based approach
with an event-based feel. Ideally there would be an 8-week course counting towards a minor in
the Communications and Cultures department. Developing this class has goals for domestic
students and for international students. From the perspective of a domestic student, this class
would expose students to international cultures and establish a common ground between
students of different backgrounds. From the perspective of an international student, this class
would serve to promote interaction with domestic students through discussion and
communication based activities, as well as class content focused on the advantages of
collaboration.
Curriculum Implementation

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The current CMCL undergraduate curriculum requires students to take one course from
“Diversity in the U.S.” and one course from “Global Civilizations and Cultures.” The Bridge IU
class will be designed to fulfill the “Diversity in the U.S.” requirement for international students
who are taking the class and the “Global Civilizations and Cultures” requirement for domestic
students.
The curriculum of the eight-week class will essentially be divided into two main sections:
General Culture and Components of Culture. General Culture will comprise the first three weeks
of class in which the students will engage in various activities aimed at demonstrating the
importance of diversity and the diverse culture at Indiana University. Components of Culture will
span Week 4 to Week 7 and focus on more narrow topics to study the composition of different
culture.
Week 1 will be an introduction to the class material, teachers, and classmates. Because the
class will focus on many different topics, IUSA suggests that several teachers will team teach
the class, each taking a specific topic. The teachers will give a brief overview of their
background and topic, and then the students will introduce themselves via leadership program-
like activities. This helps to foster more personal relationships and to learn students’ leadership
styles in order to build a functional bridge of understanding between the students.
Week 2 highlights the importance of culture and diversity in a variety of settings. Settings may
include business, technology, or idea-generation among others. Additionally, the students will
brainstorm different instances in which diversity positively affected them. This week lends itself
to a short essay opportunity.
Week 3 centers around exploring the top and all cultures at IU. Since IU has licensed access to
Asperian Global’s GlobeSmart program, students can explore attributes of more than 65 major
countries around the world. Students can also create a GlobeSmart Assessment Profile to
explore and compare their work styles to those coming from different backgrounds.
Week 4 is the week of transition from General Culture to Components of Culture. The lesson will
center on breaking down myths about other cultures. The first step to understanding and
embracing other cultures is to rid oneself of negative mental schemas associated with those
cultures. While this one class period will not do that entirely, it will give students tools to finish
that process throughout the duration of the class.
Week 5 will study the economy of a region through food. How a country or culture eats reveals a
great deal about a region by illustrating the percentage of workforce that works in agriculture or
industry, percentage of goods that are imported or exported, and the socioeconomic structure
based on goods bought. This lecture allows students to learn about global economies and bond
with their classmates over food.
Week 6 will ask the question “Does media reflect society, or does society reflect the media?”
The class will examine this question through the two main lenses of news media and music. The
news study will focus more on the political and lawmaking components of culture. Watching
clips of CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, BBC, and Al Jazeera in addition to other news sources will

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demonstrate how the media can take an issue, such as elections, scandals, natural disasters,
international conflicts, and paint it in a specific light. The music section of this class will focus
more on popular culture. Nationalism, materialism, or sexual themes in music show what a
country’s popular culture enjoy hearing and can give insight into the values of a society.
Week 7 focuses on religion and the effect that has on the cultural landscape of a country or
region. Religion has varying degrees of influence of depending on the country. In order to
evaluate the differences between cultures, the class will study politics, censorship or media, and
policies relating to rights, which all have an immense foundation in the predominating religious
conscious of a country.
Week 8 will be a celebration and networking event to use as a stepping stone in order to foster
involvement between international and domestic students. Representatives from different
cultural societies or international student associations will set up booths, and students will sign
up for clubs based on topics they have learned about throughout the course.
Class Events
The Bridge IU class will incentivize students to attend cross-cultural events on campus such as
the Lotus Festival, World’s Fair, round table discussions, and others, by giving extra-credit to
students who attend and complete an essay based on their experiences.
Marketing
Marketing is crucial to the success and implementation of Bridge IU. There are two distinct
audiences: international and domestic students. To gain international students’ interests for the
class we will utilize different channels to disseminate information. We will look to develop a
partnership with Office of International Services, the Foster International Living-Learning Center,
and various student organizations. Additional marketing can be done during International
Student Orientation and overseas in the IU2U program.
To gain domestic students’ interests we will reach out to University Division and Communication
and Culture advisors to encourage freshmen who are interested in cross-cultural interaction to
take the class. We will also make information available in various locations on campus. Lastly,
we can market this class alongside other emerging elective classes in New Student Orientation
and through email blasts to the Media School student listservs.
We will also be participating in social media campaigns to increase the overall interest for the
class, as well as tabling in prominent locations such as in the Indiana Memorial Union or in front
of Ballantine Hall.
Size of Program and Financials
Being led by graduate students, this class would ideally be 24 students. IUSA would collaborate
with an administrator from the CMCL program to fit the class into the curriculum, where we
would discuss financial components and amass institutional support.

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Metrics
In order to measure the impact of Bridge IU, IUSA proposes conducting a series of surveys and
focus groups before, during, and after the program to gather quantitative and qualitative data
about the success of cross-cultural immersion.
Before the program is piloted, it’s important to recognize a benchmark. By surveying students
about their knowledge and awareness of cultures present on campus, we are able to distinguish
our starting point, and therefore realistically set goals about where we would like to be in terms
of cultural understanding at the conclusion of the program pilot. In addition to gathering survey
data about students’ cross-cultural understanding based on a ratings scale, we also plan to
utilize randomized focus groups to effectively gather information about students’ comprehension
of international diversity on the Bloomington campus. We hope to collect data from a variety of
student populations, ranging from international students to domestic students, highly involved
students to student with low-level involvement, and a variety of experiences and backgrounds.
During the program, we hope to measure growth and development as the students opting into
the program will most likely take initiative in other areas besides cross cultural development. In
terms of measuring progress, we will use the same survey and focus group questions as we
used prior to the program so that there is a standard and we can measure any increase or
decrease in cross cultural interest and understanding from our initial benchmark.
After the program, we will conduct the same research as we did at the beginning and during the
program, with an additional component asking about the program as a whole as well as
progression throughout the program. As mentioned, we hope that students’ cross cultural
understanding increases by X amount from the benchmark as a result of in and out of
classroom educational experiences to enhance understanding.
While we are proactively gathering data to measure the impact of the program, we also
recognize that the culture shift involved with Bridge IU is immeasurable. We will take action to
put a finger on any tangible shift, but also recognize that there are certain aspects of the
program that will be slower-moving and not necessarily visible.
Incentive
There are several reasons to pursue a cross-cultural understanding program. Most importantly,
at a university like Indiana, there are students from more than 200 countries – a unique
opportunity for all domestic and international students. As the public and private sector of full-
time employment opportunities become more secular, it would only benefit students to learn and
educate each other about different cultures and share their different backgrounds.
Diversity is not something to shy away from, but rather, something to embrace. The Indiana
University Student Association supports multicultural and international cross-cultural
collaboration and interaction, and will work to enhance and grow understanding across cultures
at IU.

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Timeline
With further, combined efforts, a pilot of this program can be launched August 2015
Task
Revise Proposal
Present to IU
administration
Secure funding
Hiring of BridgeIU part-
time coordinator
Discussions with FYE
(orientation)
Marketing to incoming
freshman
Launch BridgeIU
Timeline
Plan events for the year
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug
Host roundtables
w/students & admin