Hopeful cross-cultural encounters to support student well-being and graduate attributes in higher education

The impetus to ensure Australian students, once enrolled, complete their university qualification has become more pressing. Student retention impacts funding in a tight fiscal environment and is used as a benchmark for quality performance. Evidence of increased levels of psychological distress in university students threatens this retention. Risks to student well-being can be compounded for diverse and international students with vulnerabilities that include social isolation, negotiating cultural difference, and marginalization. This article reports on the evaluation of an extracurricular program available to all students in an Australian university that enabled respectful interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue, called Finding Common Ground. The program sought to reduce social isolation, support mature religious expression, counter marginalization, and strengthen graduate attributes. The research highlighted hopeful and surprising cross-cultural encounters, impacted positively on student well-being, enhanced cross-cultural learning, and disrupted the propensity for polarization or “silence” in university (and social) discourse on religious beliefs.