Requirements and Expectations for Cross-Cultural Mission Experiences
Applying/Registering
- You must submit your release form in order for your application to be complete. Release forms must be turned in to the Cross-Cultural office.
- If you do not submit your release form, and the course fills up, you may not get in to the course. Preference will be given to those who have completed their application, so the sooner you turn these in, the better your chances of getting into your first choice.
- Registration:
Once the deadline for application has past, the names of those who have applied and turned in their release forms will be sent to the Registrar. The participants will be considered as registered for the course, and the non-refundable deposit will be applied to their student accounts. Course tuition will also be charged to student accounts.
- Approximately one-two months before the departure of the trip, the balance due of the program costs will be charged to your student account.
Requirements
A Cross-Cultural Mission Experience is required for all M.Div. degree students and is a course that fulfills .5 credits for the Leadership for Mission core requirement for M.A. students. This course is normally a first year requirement. If you cannot complete it in the January Term, there may be limited offerings in the summer. If you have taken one Cross-Cultural Mission Experience, you may register for another one as an elective; however, subsidy is limited to those registering to fulfill the Cross-Cultural curriculum requirement.
Deadlines and deposits
Please make every effort to meet the application deadline. These dates are necessary for advance planning time needed by the course hosts. The minimum number of students indicated for each site must apply before a particular experience will actually be offered. There are non-refundable deposits required for all trips: International $250 (unless stated otherwise) and domestic $100. The non-refundable deposit fee will be charged to your student account.
Pre-departure training and Debriefing
Students participating in Cross-Cultural Mission Experiences are required to attend pre-departure and debriefing session before and after the experience. These dates will be provided after your return. Visit the Pre-departure and Debriefing page to learn more.
health form
All participants need to complete and return a Short-Term Off-Campus Programs Medical Report. The purpose of this form is to determine your health history and any special medical needs you may have when you study off-campus. Information provided will be treated confidentially. Any information considered important and essential will be forwarded to your course site leader for the purpose of serving you as promptly and correctly as possible, should you require medical or counseling services during your time off-campus.
Disantling Racism Workshop (DRW)
A Dismantling Racism Workshop (DRW) has been required for M.Div. students completing a Cross-Cultural Mission Experience (CCME) course to fulfill their curricular requirement. Beginning the 2012-13 Academic Year, this will no longer be the case. A number of the CCME courses integrate anti-racism education as relevant to the content of the immersion experience.
Subsidy
Luther Seminary provides a subsidy for all students fulfilling a cross-cultural curriculum requirement. The current subsidy is at least $200 for domestic trips and at least $300 for international trips. This subsidy is applied toward the travel and program cost only. Costs for each experience include regular tuition, travel costs, plus the approximate amount listed.
Withdrawals
If you withdraw from an experience before it begins, your account will forfeit the non-refundable deposit. Adds, withdrawals or changes made after the deadline will entail an additional $100 fee.
Participation and engagement
Every student participating in a Cross-Cultural Experience is expected to fully participate and engage in all activities that are assigned by faculty, adjunct faculty or site facilitator. Unless there is a compelling reason, non-participation or engagement will result in a "fail" grade in this course. Conflicting employment responsibilities outside the Cross-Cultural Experience is not a compelling reason. Your on-site facilitator or faculty person will assess your engagement and participation.
Alternative Cross-Cultural Mission Experiences and Waivers
On rare occasions, alternative Cross-Cultural Mission Experiences not sponsored by Luther Seminary may be considered on a case by case basis and reviewed according to the above criteria. Please know that each year the deadline for submitting petitions regarding alternative J-Term Cross-Cultural Experiences is October 1, and the deadline for submitting petitions regarding alternative summer Cross-Cultural Experiences is March 15. Please contact the Cross-Cultural Education office at cce@luthersem.edu for further information.
In special circumstances, the Cross-Cultural Mission Experience may be waived because of some previous experience(s) that you might have completed. Additional consultation with the director of Cross-Cultural Education must take place and a Petition for Waiver must be filed to initiate this request.
Petitions
