Lead a Study Abroad Program
Lead a Study Abroad Program
Leading a new faculty-led program abroad is a complex but also very rewarding experience that takes about a year of planning and preparation prior to departure.
There are several factors you should consider when developing a new program such as personal commitment, college support, program models, cultural immersion, safety, and cost. Here are detailed resources to help you explore what it means to create an impactful program abroad. We’ve also created a Faculty Director Checklist to help you manage your program.
Things to Consider
From personal commitment to cultural immersion, there are important topics to consider when developing a program such as:
- Am I prepared to commit a lot of time and energy into planning and leading this program?
- Will this count toward my load or will it be overload?
- Have you spoken to your Department Chair and are they supportive? Have you discussed how this would count toward salary/overload?
- Does the course(s) need to go through curriculum committee? What degree requirements would it count toward (perspectives, minors, immersions, majors, electives, etc.)? Are there any required pre-reqs?
- Who is your student target?
- Which faculty-led program structure is best for this course? What are the effects of the program structure on things like grading, billing, financial aid, etc.?
- Do I understand the expectations outlined in the Policies section of the RIT Global website?
- Is the location safe? Is it on the U.S. State Department Travel Warning List?
- How will the culture enhance the learning objectives? How will I incorporate host culture into curriculum?
- What are the language requirements?
- Where will we stay and how will those arrangements be made?
- Will I work with an in-country partner organization?
- Are visas necessary?
- Can students with special needs be accommodated?
- What excursions will there be and how will they complement the program?
- What is a reasonable cost to students? What will these costs cover?
Timeline
Whether designing a new program or renewing a previously established program, a full year of planning is necessary to secure appropriate permissions, evaluate risk, plan logistics and effectively recruit students to participate.
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12 months before departure:
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11 months before departure:
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10-9 months before departure:
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8-7 months before departure:
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6 months before departure:
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4 months before departure:
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3 months before departure:
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2 months before departure:
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*Keep in mind that fall programs and travel enhancement programs may require a longer timeline.
Faculty-Led Program Models
When developing a program, you have five faculty-led program models to choose from. The program model you select will depend heavily on the curricular needs of the program, the support from your Department Chair and Dean, your personal travel availability and student needs. Each model has unique characteristics that will affect timing, financial aid availability and cultural immersion so it is important to work closely with your college leadership and the Education Abroad office to understand the best program model.
Use the Program Type Chart to help determine the best model for your program.
Site Visits
We strongly encourage faculty-directors to conduct an in-person site visit in an effort to better understand how to integrate the culture into the curriculum, to evaluate the site for safety concerns, to make connections and do some logistic and budget planning.
The International Education and Global Programs office offers site visit grants. For details about the grant application process and expectations, go to the International Research page.
Policies
RIT Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs are unique and customized to provide invaluable international experiences for RIT students and the RIT community. The unique nature of study abroad requires some customized policies to better equip faculty and staff with tools to create safe and impactful programs.
Learn more about faculty-led study abroad policies
In general, we abide by RIT’s policies and procedures and recommend that you familiarize yourself with the policies that are especially relevant to study abroad. Failure to comply with these policies could prevent you from leading a program.
RIT Policies
Program Development and Budget Process
Now that you have a solidified program idea and have done some preliminary research, it’s time to formally develop your program. This information is designed to help you understand the proposal and budget process. The Education Abroad office is here to walk you through each step.
Marketing and Selecting Students
Most often, a minimum of eight students is necessary to run a program. Getting eight students to make the commitment can be harder than you might think, and a majority of programs run with 8-12 participants. We recommend one faculty member per 8-10 students, so a large group might require a secondary faculty/staff member. This information will provide some tools for determining your target student population, understanding the student application process in the Compass, and familiarizing yourself with important factors such as billing and registration.
While Abroad
While you are abroad, it is important to stay in contact with the Education Abroad office. Keeping us in the loop on any issues that arise will allow us to provide you with resources to assist you. In addition, sharing some of the things students are doing as part of your program (projects, research, cultural excursions, etc.) is always encouraged.