CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Lee University offers many life-changing experiences for students who choose to attend here, one of these being Global Perspective trips. Many students have experienced the world through the program before and after it became a requirement.
The idea of global perspectives has evolved over the past twenty years with different iterations of the core class and types of trips available. The Covid-19 pandemic affected the program significantly. In order to earn the cross cultural experience credit towards graduation, many students took domestic trips. However, in recent years the list of trips offered has slowly returned to its international roots with trips such as the Honduras medical missions and Jamaica deaf studies trips available.
Dr. Jeff Sargent, director of global engagement and professor of psychology, is excited for students to once again see the world through a new lens.
“I chose to become the director because I want to help as many students as I can to get the opportunity to go over, encounter themselves, encounter another culture, or God's people. Then I hope they hear from God as well while they're doing it. That's my expectation. They will be changed. They will be transformed,” Sargent said.
However, this requires some preparation, both from faculty and students.
Faculty at Lee are hired with the intent to place the best professors in the classroom. Another way to give the students the best Lee experience is by letting these faculty lead them overseas on a trip, Sargent says.
“Something special happens when you leave campus, but it especially becomes a meaningful experience when you get that experience with our unique and gifted faculty on an overseas experience. So that's one of the reasons we emphasize the faculty-led trips,” Sargent said.
Preparation for these trips is not one-sided. Students must prepare for their cross cultural experience by completing GNST-200, the Global Perspectives Seminar.
This class is a core requirement for all students regardless of status or background. However, the Cross Cultural Experience credit can be completed in several ways.
“There are a number of different ways to get that credit. That could be on an individually arranged or faculty led trip or one can also be exempt if he/she has extensive experience in another culture. For example, if they grew up or from that culture, or they spent more than six months in a specific culture,” Sargent said.
A common concern when planning for a global perspective trip is financing. Lee has made faculty-led trips more cost effective by applying 75% of the related tuition cost to the trip, according to Sargent.
“Lee does that to encourage students because we know something special will happen when they step outside of their own culture and they engage another culture around the world. Especially when they're led by one of our gifted faculty members,” Sargent said. “Whether a student gets one hour on a trip or as many as seven hours. Those hours are all required in your 120. Either you pay for them on campus at full price, $1,000 apiece, or you pay for them at a significant reduction –75%– on a trip, and you get to go somewhere with your friends and with faculty.”
Faith Banks, senior business administration major, participated in the 2025 UK semester abroad trip and saw this principle in action.
“I was looking at financial aid, and it just made sense to go abroad rather than to go somewhere for 10 days. I’m still paying a certain amount of money, so why can't I just study abroad and see the world,” Banks said.
She encourages more students to step out and take the trip they’ve always dreamed of, but to prepare before embarking on their cross-cultural experience.
“I think it's so important to do your research before you go into someone else's culture. You want to go into their area and respect them. It's an important life skill to have to know and to recognize the crowd you're in front of and the people you're around because we are not all the same,” Banks said. “These trips help us as students, learn how to respect other people when we go into areas – it doesn't even have to be another country. Whenever we go into a different city, we need to know how to act and give them the respect that they deserve because we are in their area.”
Bank’s story is one of many students whose lives have been changed by their cross cultural experience.
Dr. Robert Barnett, faculty leader of the England Scotland History/Humanities Tour and distinguished professor of history, recalls countless former students who traveled with him and learned something about themselves as well as other cultures.
“I think that the notion of a cross-cultural experience is especially important when you see it from some distance. You can find differences in everything and everywhere, whether it's food or clothing or language, but I think especially now, it is really important for people to see the way that other people live,” Barnett said.
Banks’s worldview was drastically changed after completing her semester abroad. She said she became better socially, spiritually, and academically. The semester she spent abroad allowed her to learn communication and transportation skills as well as expanded her view of the global church.
“I believe it's made me the best version that I have ever been. I came back from this trip better than when I left,” Banks said.
Dr. Sargent implores students to begin preparing for the experience of a lifetime by visiting the Global Engagement office.
“If there are students who have imagined places they'd like to go, then come see us. We want to help you bring that to fruition,” Sargent said.
For more information on cross-cultural experiences, Global Perspectives, or exemptions visit the Global Perspectives Office in Humanities 106 or online.
