What is a Cultural Immersion Experience?
Asbury’s Cultural Immersion Experience is an immersion into another culture, engaging the student in a variety of life-spheres (family, education, religion, art, media, economics, and government). Most experiences will expose the student to cultural dynamics outside of the United States. The experience must be pre-approved by the CCE department and must be of sufficient length and intensity to have an adequate impact upon the worldview of the participant.
Must I travel internationally for my Cultural Immersion Experience?
Most experiences will expose the student to cultural dynamics outside of the United States. This experience may be fulfilled through semester/summer-long study abroad programs, travel courses, mission or volunteer trips, athletic-sponsored service trips, or personal international explorations. Stateside experiences may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
What are my options for completing my Cultural Immersion?
Our students have traveled to over 120 countries and 25 states to fulfill their Cultural Immersion Experience, and they have partnered with over 175 agencies and organizations.
- Location: The location of a student’s Cultural Immersion is determined by the student and must be pre-approved through the Cross-Cultural Engagement office.
- Duration: The minimum duration of the immersive experience is at least 6 nights/7 days.
- Approval: The Cultural Immersion must be submitted and approved by the CCE office prior to departure.
Types of Immersions:
- Study Abroad
- AU Travel Courses
- AU Student Teaching
- AU Athletics
- Missions or Service (with church, ecumenical agencies, mission organizations)
- Medical or Dental Clinics
- English Language Teaching
- Internships
- Independent Personal Explorations
- International / Third Culture students
- Living Abroad (military, parents in service or business, dual citizenship)
How Do I Enroll in CCE150EX?
Are you ready to travel for your CCE150EX Cultural Immersion?
- Make sure you have completed the CCE150 course.
- Complete the optional Rubric form to determine your proposed Cultural Immersion’s eligibility.
- Complete the Proposal of Intent form to submit your Cultural Immersion proposal for approval. Approval of your Proposal will then enroll you in the CCE150EX course.
REMEMBER, the above steps MUST be completed PRIOR to departure for your Cultural Immersion. If you are not enrolled in CCE150EX with an approved Proposal, the trip you are taking will NOT be eligible for your CCE.
Rubric of Trip Eligibility
Proposal of Intent
Steps for Completing CCE150EX following the Cultural Immersion:
Upon returning from your Cultural Immersion Experience, complete the assignments as detailed in the CCE150EX course on Discovery:
- Complete the Post-Immersion Assessment
- Complete the final Reflection Paper
Deadline: The deadline for the post-immersion assignments will be the semester following the Cultural Immersion: January 31 for immersions taken during the previous fall semester or winter break, and August 31 for immersions occurring during the previous spring semester or summer break. Students who do not complete the post-immersion assignments by the deadline will have a hold placed on their class registration for the next semester.
Where Our Students Have Been
Samples of previous Cultural Immersions of our AU students:
Abroad:
- Study Abroad Programs:
- Australia (Brisbane) – CCCUGlobalEd
- Costa Rica (San Jose) – Latin American Studies Program, Veritas
- England (Oxford) – Summer Programme or Scholars’ Semester, CCCUGlobalEd
- France (Franceville) – AU Paris Semester, Chez Vous Summer Study or Semester Program, Jacques LeFevre Institute
- Ireland (Belfast) – Northern Ireland Semester, CCCUGlobalEd
- Ireland (Galway) – An Tobar Nua,Foundation in Christ Ministries
- Israel (Jerusalem) – Jerusalem University College
- Japan (Tokyo) – Tokyo Christian University
- Jordan (Amman) – Middle East Studies Program, CCCUGlobalED
- Kenya (Nairobi) – Daystar University
- Spain (Seville) – Semester in Spain, Trinity Christian College
- Uganda (Kampala) – Uganda Studies Program, Uganda Christian University, CCCUGlobalEd
- AU Travel Courses:
- Brazil – AU Equine
- Brazil, England, Russia, Europe – AU Journalism, i.e. JRN 393 Journalism in Europe
- China, Russia, South Korea – ED393 International Education, AU Education
- England, Italy – AU Chorale
- England & Scotland – THA 393 Acting at the Globe, AU Media Communications & Theatre
- Haiti – COM 397 Communication Field Experience, AU Communications
- Italy, Spain – Language & History Tour, AU Ancient & Modern Languages
- Mexico – MC 360 Underwater Cinematography, AU Media Communications
- Russia – JRN 497 Senior Seminar, AU Journalism
- Turkey – NT 393 St. Paul & the Early Church, AU Christian Studies
- Olympics, Media Comm/Journalism – MC397 Media Industry – Beijing, China (2022), Tokyo, Japan (20/21), Seoul, South Korea (2018), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2016), Sochi, Russia (2014), London, England (2012), Vancouver, Canada (2010)
- AU Athletic Teams Service Trips – Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Trinidad/Tobago
- AU Student Teaching – Australia, Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Senegal, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Uganda
- AU Internships – Canada, China, Haiti, Ireland, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Sweden
- Deese Asbury Initiative Grant – Argentina, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Sierre Leone, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia Uganda, Ukraine, Yemen, Zambia
- English Language Institute China (ELIC) – Hong Kong, China, Cambodia, Mongolia
- Medical & dental clinics – Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, South Korea
Stateside:
- Atlanta, GA; McAllen, TX – AU Athletics
- Peoria, AZ – Native American Reservation Ministries, WGM
- Golden, MO – Kids Across America
- New York City, NY – Urban Ministries, New Hope Intl
- Navajo Nation, AZ – Word Made Flesh
- Camden, NJ; Philadelphia, PA – The Salvation Army
- South Dakota – Native American Reservation Ministries, The Salvation Army
- AU Travel Courses:
- Chicago, IL; Atlanta, GA – SW293 Urban Ministries/Social Justice, AU Social Work
- Alaska – AU Media Comm
- Independently arranged Cultural Immersions:
- PA – Amish community
- AK – Inuit community
- HI – Polynesian community
- MI – Angel House, Muslim community
- FL – Disney College Program – multi-national community
- NC – Cherokee Nazarene Ministries