Minutes and Report
April 21, 2010
10-12 AM
WPH-603
I.
Minutes of meeting of March 24: Approved with correction that Norm Hollyn was present, not absent.
II.
Review of trips two weeks or shorter:
See minutes of March 24 (attached) for more details of discussion at February and March meetings. At the March meeting, it was:
Moved and approved : OSP review should apply to all credit-bearing courses that include an international travel component, except for thesis or dissertation work.
Discussion 4/21 : Should this have been implemented immediately, for summer 2010 courses?
Steve has been asked to review syllabi of 499/599’s and new courses with short trips, but perhaps this should not have started before OSP had determined our procedures for review. Steve said that the number of such proposals would probably become a trickle for the rest of the semester, so he was willing to continue if there weren’t too many.
How to implement this: a) 501 Form for review of short trips (draft attached) b) Survey of university units to determine who offers credit-bearing courses involving international travel:
Discussion 4/19 : Steve asked for advice regarding what should be asked in this survey.
The main purpose is to determine how many such courses there are, so we’ll know how big a job it will be to review them. We should ask as little as we can in order to help us determine this, and not request full details: course name/number, units, how long abroad, location(s) abroad, number of students, UG/Grad, purpose (this might be a checklist, eg, internship, language immersion, cultural exposure, etc), is there a url (Adam Clayton
Powell’s website needs url’s), contact person. We might do this survey electronically
(eg, survey monkey). c) Procedure: who must review, how often, how fast
--How to handle 499/599 forms for which departments expect rapid turnaround; eg, can any approvals be acted on by the department without waiting for the UCOC meeting, or after the last UCOC meeting? Can reviews be based solely on a syllabus (not a form)?
--How to handle courses sent to other subcommittees which involve trips.
--Who can review? Chair only? Chair plus one? Delegate to other panel members?
--How often would reviews need to be done (after 3 years, 5 years, other?).
--“Blanket approvals” of a standard syllabus to be offered in different locations in the future: are we concerned only that health and safety issues are addressed, or also that there is academic justification for the locations chosen?
Discussion 4/19 : Decisions deferred until we have results of survey, which will not be till Fall.

Off-Campus Studies Panel Minutes and Report
April 2010
Page 2 of 6 d) What programs to review:
--Do we agree with UCOC that Marshall and Annenberg short trips don’t need to be reviewed?
Discussion 4/19 : No. This exemption was not requested by these schools, and they may serve as a model for other schools.
III.
“”In-between chair only” review of Established International Summer Programs (ISPs)
Revision of 501 form to use for the “in-between chair-only” reviews of ISPs.
See attached draft of questionnaire provided by John Murray.
Discussion 4/19 : Many suggestions were made, which John will incorporate in a revised version.
The first page will be the basic information from p. 1 of the 501 form, and then there will be a number of short-answer questions, primarily asking about changes or significant problems.
Departments will also be asked to provide student program evaluations (including qualitative responses—however, a summary is not required), syllabus, and description to be put in the
Schedule of Classes, if any. No director’s report or list of grades is required, though a general question about grades is asked. (It is presumed catalog copy will not change.) (Note: this does not apply to the “full review” done every three years, or sooner if requested by OSP.)
IV.
Review of overdue OSO programs:
Procedure for review during the summer.
Discussion 4/19 : Steve assigned the proposals that have arrived to date; a few more are expected.
V.
Posting information regarding best practices.
How to implement the suggestion made at the March meeting:
It would be good to have a website with ALL information about going overseas, including curricular. Student Affairs provides information about health and safety, but nothing that might help faculty or staff planning trips to find housing or internships, determine what organizations might be useful to work with, etc. Marshall has lots of documents they might share. We also want to publicize Student Affairs’ database, which faculty and individual students going to do research or internships may not be aware of.
Discussion 4/19 : See item VII.
VI.
Student Evaluations a) 501 form for semester/year/ISP programs does not ask for original student responses, only for summaries and for quantitative data. However, student responses are on the Qualtrics forms used by most schools, and they have been provided by some schools. Should these responses be requested or required?
Discussion 4/21: We are not interested in the USC course evaluations, but we think student program evaluations are very valuable. We like seeing the students’ own words (ie, the qualitative responses), as well as the summary of quantitative responses. We also want departments to provide a summary. The 501 form will be revised to request all of this. However, we did not discuss item (b) below.

Off-Campus Studies Panel Minutes and Report
April 2010
Page 3 of 6 b) Qualtrics information has been provided in different formats by different schools (LAS,
Marshall, Annenberg). Do we have any preference? c) Should there be an attempt to combine quantitative data from all programs into one spreadsheet to allow cross-program and cross-school comparisons? If so, who would do it and pay for it?
Discussion 4/19: OSP would like this to be done. Adam Clayton Powell said the new Provost might be interested. This information might be posted on his website, along with any best practices we agree on (item V above). Steve should email Powell regarding these two items.
Present:
Steve Bucher
Stacey Geck
Norm Hollyn
John Murray
Adam Clayton Powell
Erin Quinn
Mark Robison
Edwenna Werner, Staff
Absent:
Ted Lee
Anjali Maya Naskar
Cauligi Raghavendra
Gordon Stables
Andrea Torres

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April 2010
Page 4 of 6
DECISIONS MADE BY CHAIR PLUS ONE REVIEWER
4/29/2010
I.MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Three new semester International Exchange Programs (IEP) Eff. Term: Fall 2010
A.IEP Beijing, PKU (16 units)
Approved for 3 years. PKU has the top-ranked business school in China (Ghanghua School of Management).
Students choose from 12-15 advanced business courses taught in English (plus additional courses for those fluent in Mandarin). Students live primarily in dorms. The International Affairs office provides support and excursions, and Guanghua School of Management offers orientation.
Chair comments: The program objectives are sound, although the course syllabi are lacking the detail USC students will expect. Perhaps this can be addressed in orientation sessions.
B.IEP Bangkok, Chulalongkom Univeristy (15 units)
Approved for 3 years.
Business majors (and possibly minors) attend classes taught in English at
Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. (This is in addition to the IEP program at Thammasat University in
Bangkok.) A choice of 30-40 business classes, especially in finance and marketing, are taught in the BBA
(Bachelor of Business Administration) International Business program at the Faculty of Commerce and
Accountancy. Students take five 3-unit courses. Chulalongkorn is considered Thailand's most prestigious university. Students live in dorms or apartments. The Chulalongkorn Exchange Program Office provides support, an orientation, and some excursions, and there are many clubs.
Chair comments: The International Business Management syllabus is much more detailed than the others submitted.
Perhaps this can be shared as an exemplar with other faculty teaching in the program.
C.IEP Helsinki, Aalto University School of Economics (15 units)
Approved for 3 years.
The Aalto University School of Economics is the top ranked Business School in
Finland. Students select from among 30-40 advanced business courses offered in English each semester.
Students live in shared apartments near campus. They may join the student union. The International Student
Services office offers support, excursions, orientation, and a "buddy."
Chair comments: Overall, the program seems solid and appropriately rigorous.
II. COLLEGE OF LETTERS ARTS & SCIENCES
A.Review six semester/year programs, all effective Fall 2010
1. IES Berlin (16 units per semester/32units per year)
Overseas Studies Office
Approved for 5 years.
Students spend a year or semester in Berlin and take courses at Humboldt University or IES, all taught in German. The first three weeks are intensive German instruction. Fourteen students attended from 2003 through 2009, 12 of whom were German majors or minors. Students live in private
German homes or apartments as "boarders" more than as a "home stay" (meals are not included). Language requirement changed to 4 semesters of German; formerly was 4 semesters for fall program and 5 semesters for spring. An optional week-long excursion is available, along with cultural outings. This will be the only program in a German speaking location, as Freiburg has been closed and Vienna will be closed in the future.
Chair comments: The basic program is very solid, and it's important to maintain this last presence in
Germany.
2. Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan (18 units per semester/36 per year)
Approved for 5 years.
Students take courses at Nanzan University Center for Japanese Studies. Since
2002, 11 students have attended, 2 for a full year. The majority were EALC majors or minors. They take 8 units of intensive Japanese and several additional courses in Japanese or area studies courses in English
(including some fine arts courses such as Japanese woodblock or ikebana). About half lived in dorms and half in home-stays. Students can join clubs and go on excursions.

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April 2010
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Chair comments: The evaluations are solid. Concerns over workload are noted (the non-language courses seem to require relatively little work and a large portion of the grade is based on attendance), and we ask for an update in the next director's report. More detailed syllabi are encouraged, although the syllabi included may be driven by the home institution's requirements.
3. Tokyo International University, Kawagoe, Japan (16 units per semester/32 units per year)
Approved for 5 years.
Students take 3 courses in the small Japan Studies Program (limited to 30 students): an 8-unit Japanese language course (with 3-5 students) and 2 English-language area studies courses (chosen from among 4 alternatives). They interact with other TIU students through clubs and a peer mentor, and all live in a home stay. Since 2008, 42 students have attended, 6 of them for a full year. Three-quarters are
EALC majors or minors. A week-long trip to Kyoto/Hiroshima is included.
Chair comments: The program is well-received. Syllabi are requested for the courses offered rather than just course descriptions.
4. Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan (32 per year)
Year only program.
Approved for 1 year.
Since the 2003 review, 37 students have attended--23 for the year, 14 for the semester. Students enroll in Waseda's School of International Liberal Studies (SILS), a four-year liberal arts college where all classes are conducted in English. Students take classes alongside Japanese students. One third of its very multicultural student body comes from outside Japan, mostly from other Asian countries.
Students take 6-7 units of Japanese language (offered at 8 levels), along with area studies courses.
Students live in the International Students' dorm or in home stays. Students can participate in Waseda clubs but there are no planned trips. The Waseda Center for International Education provides support.
Chair comment: The student evaluations of the academic quality of the program are disappointing, although the number of evals was relatively small. Orienting students to the realities of Japanese universities, as suggested in the 501 form, is certainly important. A higher percentage of completed student evaluations will let us know more clearly if academic quality is a growing issue. There are four students at Waseda in 2009-
10; their evaluations should be reviewed upon their return.
5. SIT (School for International Training)
Semester in Managua, Nicaragua (Revolution, Transformation and Civil Society) (16 units)
Approved for 5 years.
SIT programs are experiential and include field study. Students take intensive
Spanish, a seminar on Revolution, Transformation and Civil Society, a Field Study Seminar, and do an independent study project. All courses are taught in Spanish except the Field Study Seminar. There are excursions to El Salvador and to the Afro-Caribbean coast. Students live with families, including a week in a rural area. Internet access is limited. Since 2004, 15 students have participated, from a variety of majors.
Chair comments: All issues, curricular and co-curricular, are addressed thoughtfully in the Director's report.
This is a valuable program.
6. SIT Semester in Mombasa, Kenya (Islam & Swahili Cultural Identity) (16 units)
Approved for 5 years.
SIT programs are experiential and include field study. Ten students, with a variety of majors, have attended since Fall 2002; the program was not offered during some periods of political tension in
Kenya. Students take intensive Swahili, a seminar on Islam and Swahili Cultural Identity, a Field Study
Seminar, and do an independent study project (ISP). This is USC's only program in a non-Arab Muslim country, and one of only four in Sub-Saharan Africa. Students live in home-stays or in a guesthouse. There are excursions to Lamu island (3 weeks) and Zanzibar (1 week). In both the Nicaragua and Kenya SIT programs, the field study seminar earns 2 units and the ISP earns 4 units, but in Kenya, Swahili earns 6 units and the cultural identity seminar earns 4 units, while in Nicaragua, the Spanish course earns 4 units and the Civil
Society seminar earns 6 units. Limited internet access.
Chair comments: We hope the College can prepare students for the more "non-traditional" teaching methods employed by SIT. Having a program like this in Africa is invaluable. While we recognize that the State Department warning is not the sole factor in deciding to go forward with a program, we would ask for a clear articulation of how the final decision is reached, and an indication of how this rationale is communicated to students considering enrolling. Alternate SIT programs in Africa would be a plus in case Kenya is not available.

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April 2010
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B. Review and revise two semester/year programs, both effective Fall 2010
1. CIEE Liberal Arts Semester Program in Salvador da Bahia ( 36 units per year, 19 for spring only, 21 for fall only)
Approved for 5 years . Since spring 2003, 28 students have attended. Students take an introductory
Intensive Language and Culture Program (ILCP) in either Sao Paulo (winter, 4 weeks) or Bahia (summer, 5 weeks), in Portuguese. They then take Portuguese language, a CIEE course on race or culture in Brazil, and
2-3 regular university courses at Universidade Catolica do Salvador or Universidade Federal da Bahia. They live in home stays. CIEE arranges some trips and opportunities to volunteer. Students can go for the full year (36 units), fall (formerly 20 units being raised to 21 units) or spring (formerly 20 units being decreased to
19). There are 19 weeks in each semester plus the ILCP. Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, is a unique, African- infused region of Brazil very different from Sao Paulo, the site of the other CIEE program in Brazil. Students in the program are more ethnically diverse than in most other OSO programs. Minimum language requirement is 2 semesters of Portuguese or 4 semesters of Spanish.
Chair comments: The perception by students of courses not being intellectually challenging was noted and addressed by the director.
2. CIEE St. Petersburg (17units per semester/34 units per year)
Approved for 5 years.
Courses are taught at the CIEE Study Center at St. Petersburg State University.
The Russian Area Studies Program (RASP) is for students with 2 semesters of Russian who wish to study history, IR and poli sci (taught in English), as well as language. The Russian Language Program (RLP) is for students with 4 semesters of Russian with greater focus on language (all courses taught in Russian). Since
2002, 12 students have attended, three for the year (these did RASP in fall, RLP in spring). Eight of these students had a Russian major or minor. Students live in homestays. This is an island program--students do not study with St Petersburg State University students, but there are CIEE program events for meeting
Russians. Three overnight field trips and various excursions are offered. Peer language partners are provided and volunteer activities are available. Currently, students can earn 32 units per year, or, per semester, 16 for RASP, 18 for RLP. OSO and the Articulation Office propose to change this to 17 units per semester for each program, 34 for the year.
Chair comments: The program is solid and there's value to having St. Petersburg as a destination for students.