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Submit a Faculty-led Program Proposal

Planning Your Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program

Submitting a successful proposal for a faculty-led program starts with thoughtful preparation and clear objectives. Whether you’re developing a new experience or continuing an annual trip, this page outlines what you’ll need to submit, tips for creating your itinerary and budget, and the steps to finalize your proposal with the Study Abroad Office. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

First Things First

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Academic Advising for Study Abroad
Developing a Faculty-led Program
Providers for Short-Term Faculty-Led Programs
Submit a Faculty-led Program Proposal
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Study abroad

Providers for Short-Term Faculty-Led Programs

What to prepare before submission

Moving your idea from your notes and conversations into an actual proposal is where OIP – Study Abroad can be a valuable partner. If you haven’t already, it is important to contact the office and begin discussing your program idea with the Director of Study Abroad Programs. That dialogue will help give shape and structure to your idea. Topics like program size, working with a provider, cross listing your course, and marketing and promotion will get the ball rolling. In that discussion you and the Director will also review the timeline for submitting your proposal.

A program proposal consists of four required components:

  1. A program proposal form, with the necessary signatures
  2. A detailed itinerary
  3. A course syllabus
  4. A program budget

The proposal form is where you identify the basic elements of your program: who, what, where and when – the how comes later. This is also where you’ll name the course, and indicate essential elements like number of credits, undergraduate, graduate or both, and also make any cross-listings with other departments or disciplines.

The detailed itinerary and course syllabus are closely connected, as the structure of the program exists within those two pieces. If you’re adapting an existing course then you’ll already have a syllabus to guide the development of your itinerary. Otherwise, if you’re starting from scratch, consider developing these in parallel, as one will surely inform the other.

The program budget is often the trickiest to develop. As this is just a draft, don’t stress too much about making the actual costs and numbers perfect, but rather focusing on obtaining reliable quotes and price estimates for the different components of your program. The OIP – Study Abroad will be relying on you to provide these initial quotes, as the decisions about what elements to include, and how to evaluate their respective costs, ultimately lies with you.

At any point in the process, you can reach out to the Director of Study Abroad Programs for input, guidance or feedback. While you are the engine driving the development of the program, you are not in it alone. And, once you have all of these pieces assembled, you are ready to submit.

Guidelines for itinerary and budget

sign-in using the above program link. You will need to be signed into Via before the above link will work, otherwise you will be redirected to the Via log-in page, and you will need to sign-in, and then reopen the above link.

Complete the application that is attached the above program brochure to submit your program proposal. The application will include links to all required materials.

New programs will need all approvals – although for initial submission, you as the faculty will just need to submit with your Department and Dean approvals. The OIP – Study Abroad will secure the rest. Repeat programs will be approved and being re-proposed for the following year’s application cycle do not need full formal approval for the following two years, but an updated itinerary and budget are required. Department and Dean approval will be sufficient, and the program will go up for the full formal approval process after those two years to ensure the program is still running well and viable.

Please note that if your program is a repeat submission from a previous year you will still need to update your itinerary to reflect new dates, as well as modify your budget to reflect changes in costs or currency fluctuations.

guidelines for faculty-led program leaders
Faculty-led program proposal application

Spring break program, proposal timeline

April 15: All Proposals due to the OIP – Study Abroad through the application on Via.

Late April: Proposals are reviewed by the Director of Study Abroad

Early May: Programs reviewed the Provost’s Office for final approval

Mid-Late May: Faculty meet with the Director of Study Abroad to go over details, program development and implementation timeline, and go over next steps.

Mid July: Program information is released and applications open.

Summer program, proposal timeline

Summer Program Proposal Timeline

October 15: All Proposals due to the OIP – Study Abroad through the application on Via.

Late October: Proposals are reviewed by the Director of Study Abroad

Early November: Programs reviewed the Provost’s Office for final approval

Mid-Late November: Faculty meet with the Director of Study Abroad to go over details, program development and implementation timeline, and go over next steps.

Early January: Program information is released and applications open.