California State University, Long Beach. Division of Student Services California State University, Long Beach Division of Student Services
Skip links
 
Print this pageAdd this page to your favoritesSelect a font sizeSmall fontMedium fontLarge font
 
Vol. 1, No. 2 Fall 2006
IN FOCUS

24th Teamwork Retreat Held

Students, faculty and staff packed up their flashlights, sleeping bags and warm clothes and headed for the mountains for the 24th annual Teamwork Leadership Retreat held October 6 – 8. Nestled in the San Bernardino National Forest, the retreat took place at YMCA Camp Arbolado, a vast expanse of pine trees, hills, trails and cabins.

Aside from the popular Sunday morning hike to Jenks Lake and the myriad outdoor teambuilding activities Saturday afternoon, students benefited from a program designed to create cultural awareness and develop cross-cultural communication skills. The program included a series of cultural simulations designed to test and increase students’ knowledge of the relationship between communication and culture. Staff developed a curriculum of activities involving cultural obstacles, thereby allowing participants to assume the identities of people from different cultures. Relative discussion ensued after each activity, creating new thoughts on the relationship between communication and culture, ideas about how to communicate effectively, and a better understanding of individual backgrounds.

On Feb. 24, President Alexander met with the Leadership Academy students.
The 2006 Teamwork Retreat drew 115 students who participated in activities
designed to promote cultural awareness and develop cross-cultural
communication skills.

When identifying the goals of the retreat, the Teamwork committee developed a set of five learning outcomes that fueled the selection of activities, workshops and discussions. Listed below, the learning outcomes are accompanied by student evaluation statistics:

Teamwork Learning Outcomes

  1. As a result of Teamwork, 90 percent of students identified an increased awareness of their own cultural heritage.
  2. As a result of Teamwork, 99 percent of students identified an increased understanding of the relationship between communication and culture and its impacts on interpersonal communication and relationships among culturally diverse individuals.
  3. As a result of Teamwork, 99 percent of students identified an increased understanding of the role of cultural patterns that affect, or relate to, individuals’ verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
  4. As a result of Teamwork, 98 percent of students indicated an increased ability to identify obstacles that hinder the development of cross-cultural communication understanding and competence.
  5. As a result of Teamwork, 98 percent of students believe they developed practical skills for effective and ethical cross-cultural communication.

Although these numbers speak for themselves, the committee believes an ongoing education needs to take place for Teamwork to be a true success. Students were asked to develop strategies to put their new understanding into practice, and encouraged to develop new relationships that will enhance their overall involvement at The Beach.

When boarding the charter buses on Sunday afternoon, students were confident, calm and prepared to return to CSULB for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. —Miles Nevin is a coordinator of Student Life and Development.