Location

Philipsburg, St. Johns, Basseterre, Charlotte Amalie, Cape Liberty, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, USA

Program Description

One important factor in being an effective leader is having a high level of cultural competence. Cultural competency can be defined as the ability to understand, appreciate, and interact with people from cultures different than your own.

With over 20 different nationalities represented in the workforce of one ship, the cruise industry is the perfect environment to observe intercultural experiences where the US context is not the norm. As a part of this course, students will learn about cultural competency in the workplace and how increasing this competency can increase leadership effectiveness.

This course will take place on an 11-day cruise. Students are expected to attend required cruise sessions intended for students to learn about the organizational structure of the cruise ship and class sessions. Cultural exploration days will take place when the ship is at port and will include a combination of faculty-led and student-led experiences. In addition to the time on the cruise, please plan for two additional meetings outside of the course time:

1. A meeting during the Fall Semester
2. A meeting prior to embarkation

Watch this short video to learn more about students' experiences during Leadership at Sea:

Location Description

Cape Liberty, New Jersey; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Johns, Antigua; Basseterre, St. Kitts; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Cape Liberty, New Jersey

Director

Gilpatrick Hornsby | hornsbgd@jmu.edu | Hospitality Sport and Recreation Management

Tiffany Hornsby | hornsbtc@jmu.edu | Graduate Psychology

Accommodations

Housing will be provided on the ship. Students will share a room with other participants.

Meals will be provided on the ship. Students will have an included meal plan but can also visit specialty dining options at their own expense.

Additional Items to Consider

Passports are not required but strongly encouraged.

Pre-program work required.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0

If taking HON 300, students must be a part of the JMU Honors program.

Open to all undergraduate majors and class levels.