Practicing Intercultural Credibility

In our relationships and in our programming, The Seattle School seeks to steward pathways of connection and support for students and employees whose identities, experiences, or values are underrepresented in the contexts in which they are serving or training to serve.

The Intercultural Credibility Advisory Committee (ICAC) is committed to accountability and transparency. Meeting biweekly throughout the academic year, ICAC considers the dynamic needs of the realms each member represents. Representatives raise feedback and bring observations from their realms in order to advise the President on next steps.

Send feedback, questions, and comments to ICAC at culture@theseattleschool.edu.

Facilitating Discourse across Disciplines

• Learning posture – People are the center of our mission and our training programs; relationship with one another is the primary context for our ongoing and shared learning. Recognizing that we are always learning, we practice curiosity and discourse as we seek to honor and understand each other’s stories and identities.
• Faculty & Staff development – Through the work of the ICAC, faculty and staff receive training and resources, including conversation spaces, in order to nurture and support intercultural credibility.
• Staff peer groups — Peer-led groups, such as the Culture & Identity Book Group, allow staff to develop a sense of belonging through exploring cultural identity and the diversity of our community.
• “Safe enough” learning environments — Formation requires risk and the process of growth invites us into challenging spaces where we may feel unsafe and uncomfortable. We understand that formation must be an intentional outcome, not an accidental byproduct, of the learning environment we have created.
• Lifecycle programming for graduate students and alumni –The Office of Students & Alumni (OSA) creates lifecycle programming in order to support students in their personal and vocational development and to offer space for practicing curiosity and listening towards self and others. Lifecycle programming is designed to fit the needs of students through the formational journey of their graduate school years, from orientation to graduation. OSA surveys and interviews students and alumni in order to better understand their experiences including engagement with spiritual practices and preparation for working in diverse cultural contexts. Data from the surveys guides OSA to develop curricular and co-curricular programming consistent with our intended learning outcomes so that our alumni thrive.
• Underrepresented student support –The Seattle School acknowledges that students who are underrepresented have different experiences in classrooms and in the field and therefore benefit from intentional connection and support.
  • OSA partners with student leaders to support and offer groups for Students of Color and LGBTIQA+ Students, as well as providing one-on-one pastoral care and connection with alumni who share experience as professionals with underrepresented identities.
  • Student groups form around connection and support for additional areas of underrepresentation. Examples of other groups include: students in recovery, students over 40, students with disabilities, and students who do not identify as Christian. For more information, contact OSA’s Manager of Accessibility & Vocational Programs.
  • OSA facilitates regular gatherings for the leaders of student groups and also with the leaders of our four student leadership realms to encourage connection, collaboration, and support.

Upcoming Goals of the ICAC

Long-term Goals of the ICAC

• Develop a strategic plan, aligned with the school’s strategic plan and core themes, to support the continual deepening movement of intercultural credibility and the prioritization of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in our community.
• Create an assessment plan and an annual reporting mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Build an environment of collaboration, support, organization, and assessment.
• Establish an ongoing development training plan for faculty, staff and students, and pursue grant funding for this training.