Intermediate Cross Cultural Competence and Regional Orientation (AFRICOM)

Fulfills Elective Option for Intermediate Level Certification for all SC Workforce Members

The course will couple cross-cultural competence and a regional orientation, centered on the U.S. Africa Command Area of Responsibility (AOR). The course will first address the general dimensions of culture and cross-cultural communications/consensus-building concepts. The course will delve deeper into AOR characteristics and Geographic Combatant Command (CCMD) theater priorities and then analyze the impact of regional specific culture on security cooperation initiatives. The course is conducted in collaboration with the Naval Post Graduate School (NPS).

The SC-254 fully-online course offerings have both asynchronous requirements, conducted using Blackboard, as well as synchronous requirements, using Zoom, in which the student is required to be present for 3-4 hours per day (notionally 1200-1530 EST). Supervisor approval is required. See Notes section below for further detail.

This course equips the student to apply cross cultural competence concepts and skills as applicable to the security cooperation workforce; identify relevant geographic, economic, historical, societal, and political characteristics within a specific region; correlate regional and transnational security issues with Geographic Combatant Command Theater priorities; and analyze regional specific cross cultural considerations to support the implementation of security cooperation initiatives. During the course students will understand and apply key principles of effective negotiation in a cross-cultural context, examine the effectiveness of communications strategies used to manage intercultural challenges, and explain the reasons for the outcomes of a successful or failed intercultural interaction.

All USG Security Cooperation Workforce personnel requiring intermediate level Cross Cultural Competence/Regional Orientation.

SC-151

See 5. Legacy Course Credit Equivalency Table under Resources, Certification

4 days ILT or 25 hours OLT

This Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) requires students to access the course via Blackboard Collaborate or Zoom. Students will receive instructions upon registration confirmation as to which platform to use. If Zoom is chosen, students must have full Zoom functionality, which requires downloading the app versus connecting solely through a Zoom hyperlink. Please download the Zoom app (https://zoom.us/support/download) on your personal or government laptop or desktop prior to registering for the class. If your government computer does not allow app installation then you must use your personal desktop or laptop. Tablets and phones have limited Zoom capability. Ensure you meet the technical requirements prior to registering.

For the daily synchronous class sessions (up to 4 hours per day) please note, students are expected to attend all lessons and participate in all course activities in order to successfully complete the course. During these class sessions the student will be attend face-to-face online classes, actively engaging with the Professors and fellow students, notionally from 1200-1530 EST. Students may be excused for up to two hours with prior coordination with the class manager but will be required to complete any missed course work as homework. Students who miss more than 2 hours of class will be disenrolled from the course. Likewise, full participation in the final day of class which includes the Capstone Project is mandatory for graduation. Prior to registration ensure you have supervisor approval to attend all class sessions.