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Develop a Faculty-Led Program

Developing and leading a faculty-led education abroad program enables you to travel abroad with your students while teaching about a topic relevant to your expertise and the location. These courses are typically offered as one to three credit hours and are usually one to three weeks in duration. A faculty-led program can be embedded within a full semester course or held as a stand-alone course during winter, spring, or summer break. As you develop your faculty-led program, be sure to review the University Policy for Education Abroad and International Travel and the resources below.

Faculty-Led Education Abroad Manual

Application for Education Abroad Program Registration

Benefits of Faculty-Led Programs

For students, faculty-led programs provide an opportunity to learn in context. Because faculty-led programs tend to be shorter in duration, they can also help open opportunities for students to study abroad when they may not have otherwise been able to due to academic, personal, or financial circumstances.

For faculty, these programs are a great opportunity to network and collaborate with international experts in the field as you conduct site visits, engage in research projects, or connect with Kent State alumni abroad. Faculty-led programs can also provide a way to hold joint programs with international partners and colleagues by opening opportunities for co-teaching, faculty exchanges, or being a visiting lecturer.

For Kent State, faculty-led programs help to advance the university’s strategic priorities and initiatives. These programs are also a great way to help further internationalize the curriculum.

Start Developing a Faculty-Led Program

To assist you in your program development, the Faculty-Led Education Abroad Programs Committee has created a Faculty-Led Education Abroad Manual. The manual contains detailed information on the planning process, helpful worksheets, and the official program registration form. 

If you have additional questions or would like to meet with an Education Abroad Advisor to further discuss your program, please contact edabroad@kent.edu.

Risk Management for Faculty-Led Programs

As a faculty leader you must prepare yourself as much as possible for crisis management.  The Office of Global Education has created a risk management and emergency response manual, as well as training programs for faculty leaders. The manual can help you prepare yourself and your students before going abroad, as well as give advice on steps to take in case of an emergency. You will receive an updated copy of the manual before you lead a program abroad. Please contact edabroad@kent.edu for the latest version.

For the safety of your students, it is also essential that you create an Emergency Action Plan before departing on your faculty-led program and that you follow standard emergency procedures while abroad. Please contact edabroad@kent.edu for the latest version.

Financial Aid for Faculty-Led Programs

Deposits

If your program requires a deposit before the term begins, and the student plans on using financial aid to pay for the deposit, they can reach out to the One Stop for Student Services or visit the Student Financial Aid webpage for information on applying for additional aid. Students can find more information on the Education Abroad and Financial Aid website.

Summer Billing

Please note that in the summer, there are no payment plans, and intersession students will not see their financial aid disburse until 10 days before the start of Summer I classes (after intersession has ended). This could affect students who are expecting a financial aid refund to use towards their education abroad program.

Marketing Faculty-Led Programs

There are many methods to share information about your faculty-led program with students; however, we often notice that the most effective methods are those which allow you to speak with students personally. This allows your passion for the program to shine through and gets students excited to participate.

In addition to flyers and emails, some great methods include:

  • Sharing information about your upcoming program with your current students
  • Reaching out to colleagues to ask if you can do five-minute classroom presentations in relevant courses
  • Presenting your program to relevant student groups
  • Hosting an event related to culture in the location your program will be
  • Holding an interesting lecture on the topic of your program
  • Attending internationally focused events hosted by your college or Education Abroad (Education Abroad hosts a Showcase in September and I Heart Travel week in February)
  • Participating in Instagram or Facebook Live sessions hosted by your college or Education Abroad
  • Doing personal outreach to interested students