Characteristics of a High-Quality Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program
The program topic is relevant and supports the goals of the department, college, and Academic Affairs.
The course content and location appeal to an adequate pool of students to ensure sufficient enrollments.
The location is appropriate for the program in terms of safety, host country partnerships and resources, and language.
The program has been planned with a balance of fiscal responsibility, logistics, and academic content to maximize both the opportunity for student learning and participation by students who may rely on financial aid.
The program provides an in-depth experience in each travel destination.
The program seeks to offer a new opportunity to students, rather than duplicating previously developed offerings.
The program provides substantive orientation programs, including pre-departure and in-country components, to prepare the students adequately for living and studying abroad.
Field trips, site visits, and other cultural activities are integrated into the program to provide an in-depth view of the host country and enhance the classroom experience.
Guest lectures and experiential activities do not comprise an inordinate percentage of the contact hours of any course as determined by the academic department.
Additional opportunities for students to interact with residents of the host country are organized within the framework of the program.
Assessment of student performance compares favorably with the assessment of the same course offered on campus.
A substantive evaluation of the program is conducted after each offering and utilized in planning for the next cycle of the program.
The program uses an itinerary that neither exhausts the participants or the faculty leader, nor inflates the cost of the program unnecessarily.
If accommodations are generally in hotels or bed and breakfast settings, the program strives to maximize additional opportunities for contact with residents of the countries visited.