Intercultural Communication Institute

SIIC Workshops and Programs

Workshops are presented in three sessions and a 1-day weekend workshop. Since workshops run concurrently, only one workshop may be selected per session.

SESSION I offers 3-day workshops geared to professionals who want a succinct but still sophisticated overview of various topics. The Foundations of Intercultural Communication workshop surveys basic concepts and issues of intercultural communication; it provides an excellent introduction to other workshops for those without a theoretical background in this speciality. Except for this “Foundations . . .” class, Session I workshops are not more introductory than those in Sessions II and III. A "Foundations . . ." workshop is also offered in Session III.

SESSION I begins at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 15, and ends at 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 17. Participants staying on campus should arrive Tuesday after 4:00 p.m., July 14, and depart Saturday, July 18.

A SAMPLE OF SIIC consists of 1-day workshops offered on Saturday, July 18, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. Participants staying on campus should arrive Friday after 4:00 p.m., July 17, and plan on leaving Sunday, July 19. Session I and Session II participants are encouraged to stay on or come early to add a 1-day workshop topic to their curriculum.

SESSION II offers 5-day workshops and provides more extensive information, resources, and practical applications. Session II begins at 9:00 a.m. Monday, July 20, and ends at 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 24. Participants staying on campus should arrive Sunday after 4:00 p.m., July 19, and depart Saturday, July 25.

SESSION III offers both 5-day and 3-day workshops. Unless titled “Advanced . . .,” workshops in Session III are not more advanced than those in other sessions. All Session III workshops begin at 9:00 a.m. Monday, July 27. The 5-day workshops end at 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 31, and the 3-day workshops end at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 27. Participants staying on campus should arrive Sunday after 4:00 p.m., July 26, and depart the day after their session ends.

In addition to the professional workshops, there are also evening programs that include presentations by experts on relevant topics, current training videotapes, simulations, and career counseling sessions. Informal receptions for participants and faculty follow the evening programs. Entertainment is also scheduled for each session.

A small selection of new and classic intercultural materials from the ICI Research Library will be available onsite during SIIC. The entire ICI Library, which contains over 29,000 specialized books, articles, and training materials, is housed at ICI's permanent headquarters and will be open to participants on Wednesdays and Sundays. Some current titles in intercultural relations will also be available in the SIIC bookstore.

Please note: Activities are scheduled every evening of all three sessions. If you are planning to sightsee or visit family or friends in the Portland area, keep in mind that each day is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. To get the maximum benefit from SIIC, we recommend that you plan any extracurricular activities before or after the session. If you do not intend to stay on campus, we encourage you to spend as many evenings as possible there, since the evening programs are an important part of the overall educational experience.

Choosing Your Workshop

Selecting the best workshop to meet your needs based just on the written description can be challenging. After you check the complete online workshop descriptions, we encourage you to use the excellent advising services at ICI. Please contact us. The staff welcomes the opportunity to provide you with details by phone or email about instructors, workshop content and methods, and potential alternative choices. We want you to be satisfied with your choice, since changing workshops after they begin may be very difficult. If your organization is sending a team, it is especially beneficial to receive advice on distributing and balancing topics for the group.