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CROSS CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
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What is the Cross Cultural Experience (CCE)?
- As an incoming student at Cal Poly -- whether first year or transfer students -- you must attend the Week of Welcome (WOW), which is an orientation program. The Cross Cultural Experience is an opt-in, alternative version that covers the Week of Welcome requirement for first year students!
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- “Celebrate Diversity. Cultivate Community. Create Memories.
This Week of Welcome option seeks to form a community for students who identify as a member of an underrepresented group including, but not limited to: various racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, citizenship, sexual orientations, and economic class.” - from the CCE Website (linked at the bottom of this webpage)
Why is CCE different from general wow? Why should I participate in CCE?
- Incoming students may choose to participate in the Cross Cultural Experience for various reasons. Like Week of Welcome (WOW) orientation groups, every CCE group will have two student leaders. CCE leaders are trained specifically to support underrepresented minority students through intentional training and dialogue. Leaders are also equipped with information regarding campus resources that support these students. Additionally, many CCE leaders hold various underrepresented identities, which allows them to give personal advice and guidance to aid new student success!
How does CCE relate to PolyCultural Weekend?
- Like CCE, PolyCultural Weekend strives to build both a strong community and a smooth transition for students who visit and attend Cal Poly. Additionally, many current students who are involved in PCW also choose to be part of the Cross Cultural Experience. This year, we plan to create collaborative programming between PCW and CCE during the Week of Welcome. And so, we strongly recommend that students who attend PCW also sign up for CCE!
Who can sign up for CCE?
- The Cross Cultural Experience is open to all incoming first year students -- regardless of whether you hold underrepresented identities! CCE can unfortunately be mislabeled as an act of segregation. On the contrary, CCE is an opt-in version of the Week of Welcome. This means that students must actively sign up for the program; they will not be automatically assigned. After choosing the Cross Cultural Experience, students often find that their WOW groups are more receptive to new conversations surrounding identity and various campus issues. This ultimately leads to greater feelings of comfort and potential to grow.
How do I sign up for CCE?
- If you have already signed up for the Week of Welcome through the general track, you can still switch into CCE up until WOW begins! However, it is strongly recommended that you switch into CCE as soon as you make your decision. This can be done by completing the Orientation Request Form linked at the bottom of this webpage.
- If you have yet to sign up, go to your Cal Poly Portal and click on the “Orientation Events” tab. When registering for the Week of Welcome, select the “Cross Cultural Experience” as your group preference!
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