Award for Global Engagement

Kevin Dostal Dauer, coordinator of residential life in the Department of Housing and Residential Life, has made inspirational contributions to international education at the University of Minnesota. He is driven to create bridges around cultural difference, is able to develop strong relationships with units across campus, and has a deep sense of responsibility to developing global citizens. He is committed to creating intercultural learning opportunities for students, engaging in intercultural teaching and learning, and promoting cultural understanding among his colleagues.

Dostal Dauer quickly emerged as a leader who recognized the impact of international students’ acculturation process in transition at a time when there was tremendous growth in the undergraduate international student population in University residence halls. He is tremendously dedicated to the enhancement of intercultural experiences for residential students. He believes that all students should have exposure to global learning opportunities, and that U.S. and international students have a unique chance in college to learn from each other. In this belief, Dostal Dauer designed and developed the Students Crossing Borders Learning-Living Community (SCB), where from 2009 to 2012 more than 425 international and domestic students have explored cultural awareness by living in the SCB community.

He has a strong vision for integrating intercultural learning opportunities among culturally diverse students. He has supported the continual evolution of the International Reception Center and affiliated programs for incoming international students. The program continues to grow and evolve with greater focus on transition resources and programs for students within the residential halls where the International Reception Center is located.

Dostal Dauer persistently champions the sharing of resources and information about intercultural opportunities. He guided the development of a comprehensive electronic newsletter, which was developed to encourage all students, staff, and faculty to connect with the numerous forums on campus to develop their cultural understanding. In addition, he created a student position within Housing and Residential Life to provide regular updates for student community advisers, which resulted in a more supportive culture for international students in residence halls.

He continually explores how intercultural content can be infused into the training and daily work of Housing and Residential Life. He is the founding chair of the Housing International Initiatives team, which promotes cultural understanding among colleagues. He strives to develop his ability to engage in intercultural dialogue with professional development experiences, such as becoming a certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Dostal Dauer has developed numerous partnerships across campus to support internationalization of the University and he is actively engaged in site visits by visiting faculty.

Dostal Dauer believes the residence hall experience can be a positive learning environment, and his pursuit to create a global “home” for all students has been inspirational.