Intercultural Competence | Building Community on Campus
On May 21st, 2026 UNI hosted its second Professional Development Conference entitled, “Progress with Purpose.” The second annual opportunity for campus staff and faculty centered around the university's 150th anniversary with coordinators noting that the theme “...reflects a moment of celebration for the university's sesquicentennial, honoring 150 years of impact while looking ahead to what's next.”
The conference committee asked members across campus to present on topics of interest, professional development opportunities, and ways in which their current work or departments are making impacts. The focus was not only on accomplishments, but additional ways for the community of professionals on campus to better grow and thrive together.
The Office of International Engagement was represented through a presentation by Lauren Rein-Hamberg (Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator) and Ava Deitrich (Student Services Coordinator). The two staff collaborated on a presentation surrounding intercultural communication and the weights that students (or even other staff) carry with them into their work and daily interactions. The presentation was entitled “Intercultural Communication: Perspectives in Practice” and centered around better understanding one another to build lasting and healthy relationships.
By better understanding cultural dynamics, experiences, and assumptions both of ourselves and others, we can be better peers, co-workers, and supports for our community at large.
The session, held right before lunch, was attended by 20 different individuals from across campus. Throughout the session, attendees learned more about the international student experience, cultural competency, and how to bring those aspects of intercultural communication into their day to day work with both students and fellow faculty/staff. Deitrich commented that the presentation was a “...great opportunity to meet faculty and staff to further connections across campus… connections made here can extend into new opportunities.”
The overall conference served as a great opportunity to re-connect, learn more, and engage in an environment that was built just for faculty and staff to meet, build relationships, and learn more about what all is happening across campus. Lauren, who was a member of the Conference Planning Committee, added, “This is one of my favorite professional development opportunities of the year. We can see how intercultural communication is essential across campus, and we can connect with peers and partners to further support students. I’m looking forward to next year!”