ISSS Programs & Trainings

This session explores six key causes of intercultural communication breakdowns and provides actionable strategies to avoid them. Join us to learn how to improve your communication and build stronger connections in diverse settings. Open to faculty, staff, and international scholars.

Join us for a special Names Training focused on Brazilian names! This interactive session will explore the diverse linguistic and cultural influences that shape Brazilian names. You’ll gain insight into name structures, pronunciation tips, and cultural context—guided by our presenter with lived experience and knowledge of Brazilian naming customs.

This session explores key communication styles, including direct vs. indirect, linear vs. nonlinear, affective vs. neutral, and more. Participants will learn how adapting to different communication approaches can lead to more effective interactions. Open to faculty, staff, and international scholars.

An introduction to the nature of conflict, factors that influence how conflict arises, and cultural dimensions that shape conflict expectations. Participants learn about differing approaches to conflict across cultural contexts. Open to faculty, staff, and international scholars.

This session explores how cultural differences show up in practice through the Intercultural Conflict Styles model, which describes four common ways people approach conflict. Participants examine the strengths and challenges of each style and consider how different styles interact. Open to faculty, staff, and international scholars.

This session offers practical guidance and foundational knowledge for campus professionals who work with international students. Topics will include common challenges international students face, such as immigration regulations, academic expectations, language barriers, cultural adjustment, and emotional well-being, as well as the campus and community resources available.

Build your intercultural skills in this training designed for faculty, staff, scholars, and graduate teaching assistants. This session introduces the Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC), a framework used to understand and enhance intercultural competence. Open to faculty, staff, and international scholars.

Learn how to use plain language principles to enhance clarity, accessibility, and inclusivity in communication with culturally and linguistically diverse audiences. This session provides practical techniques for simplifying complex information, reducing ambiguity, and supporting understanding across cultural and language differences. Open to faculty, staff, and scholars.