Short-Term Study Abroad Program
Proposal Guidelines
(Revised Fall 2012)
Short-term programs are faculty-led programs that usually range in time from 2 to 4 weeks in length.
The purpose of this application process is to ensure consistently high-quality Longwood University study
abroad programs. Program leaders must look to both the academic integrity of the course being delivered
and the quality of the international travel experience.
Academic Component:
The faculty member must ensure that he or she is meeting the contact hour requirement as dictated by
SACSCOC. In addition, faculty members are required to have assessment activities that may include
papers, tests, projects, performances, and presentations. The assessment activities must be consistent
with the academic credits being earned. The faculty member must carefully detail the assessment
methods that will be used for the academic component of the program. Guidelines are available on the
“Faculty Resource” page of the study abroad website.
Travel Experience:
In addition to considering the academic rigor of the course being taught, faculty members must think
about the quality of the international experience being offered. The idea is to give students as much
exposure to the culture, traditions, and lifestyles associated with the destination. There are also
minimum length requirements. Again, refer to the guidelines available on the “Faculty Resource” page
of the study abroad website.
Budgets:
At least two faculty members or an additional adult will go on each international excursion unless the
program is offered in conjunction with a formal Longwood University partner university or institute or
unless a third party provider is being used. In addition, faculty members should make sure that prices
allow for changes in exchange rates and unexpected expenses. This should be considered as budgets are
determined.
Submission Process:
Faculty who wish to lead a short term study abroad program should complete the attached forms and
submit them, along with the accompanying information, to the Department Chair, Dean, and to the
International Affairs office. Later in the process, faculty members will be required to submit additional
materials, including a finalized itinerary, a finalized syllabus, and an emergency plan. Groups will not be
allowed to depart if materials are not submitted.
Short-Term Study Abroad Program Proposal
Proposals will be accepted at any time. Please note that faculty members are not allowed
to market their programs to students until the proposal has been approved.
A. Faculty Information
Name/title of faculty program leader:
Department:
Campus address:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Person/organization serving as second chaperone:
B. Program and Course Information
Program site(s):
Approximate dates:
Course number and title:
Number of Credit Hours:
This course meets a general education goal (other than 9):
 Which goal?
Yes
No
This course is required for a major/minor:
 Which major/minor?
Yes
No
This course is on a choice list for a major/minor:
 Which major/minor?
Yes
No
This program is open to only a specific population:
 Which population?
Yes
No
C. Logistics
1. Indicate your targeted group size.
2. Indicate your anticipated airport location for departure and proposed transportation to the
airport.
3. Explain how the program will be guided--are you using an educational tour company (such
as EF Tours, etc.), local tour companies, guiding the group yourself, etc.?
4. Detail your plan for in-country transportation (bus, train, etc.).
5. Detail your proposed student accommodations (if the course involves a home-stay
experience, describe the length of the home stay and the individuals and/or organizations
responsible for arranging home stays).
6. Detail your proposed faculty accommodation.
D. Staffing
7. Short term study abroad programs must have two adult chaperones (unless the program is
in conjunction with a LU partner university/institute or is through a third party provider).
o How will the second program leader share responsibilities?
o What experiences do the two program leaders have working together?
8. Describe your previous experience teaching courses abroad. (Being new to study abroad will
not prevent a proposal from being accepted.)
o If you are new to study abroad, please describe your international travel experience.
9. Describe any experience you may have in the proposed location(s) and contacts you may
have in the host country or countries. (Lack of experience in the locations of the program will
not disqualify your proposal).
10. What language(s) are spoken in the proposed location(s) of your course? What is your level
of proficiency in those languages?
11. Describe fully your anticipated daily duties/responsibilities while abroad.
E. Risk Management
12. Describe any safety/risk management issues that apply to this program (recreational
activities, independent travel by students, etc.) and how you plan to minimize risks. Note
that students are required to attend the International Affairs’ risk management session.
F. Academic Component
13. What are your goals for the course component of the program?
14. What are the principal instructional methods or pedagogical approaches you plan to use for
the course associated with the study abroad program?
15. Describe the kind of out of classroom work students will be required to do (homework such
as problem sets, reflective assignments, interviews, watching videos, reading, etc.)
16. If the course topic is outside your academic discipline, describe what training and experience
you have to teach this course.
17. Justify why this course benefits from being taught in a study abroad, as opposed to being
delivered on campus.
G. Travel Experience
18. How do you anticipate that participants will interact with the local population?
19. What challenges will there be for students to be able to successfully interact with locals?
20. Discuss a sample of 4 activities that are part of your itinerary and explain how they promote
your learning objectives.
H. Budget
Using the budget worksheet below, provide an estimated per student budget for your
program. The idea is estimate the price that students will be asked to pay. It is suggested
that you base your pricing on a group of 8 students if your program is new. This will reduce
the probability that you have to increase your price later. Faculty members using a third
party provider may simply attach the contract.
I am using a third party provider (EF Tours, Castelbridge, etc.)
Yes
No
STEP 1: DETERMINE COST PER PERSON ON THE TRIP (THIS INCLUDES FACULTY)
Per person cost:
ISIC card (if building in to price):
Insurance you will mandate:
Visa (if relevant):
Airfare from VA:
Airfare within foreign country (list):
In-country travel (list):
Housing:
Included meals (total):
Admission fees/tour fees:
Relevant tips:
Other items:
TOTAL COST per person on trip:
STEP 2: CALCULATE TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR PROGRAM:
o Take per-person cost and multiply by the total number of people on the trip (including faculty
program leaders). This will give you the total expense of the program.
o For example, if the trip will cost $2000 per person and there are 8 students and 2 program
leaders then total expenditure will be $20,000.
The estimated total expenditure for this program is:
STEP 3: CALCUATE COST PER STUDENT (building in a share of the program leaders’ costs):
o Take total expenditure for program and SUBTRACT the amount you would receive from the
Provost to defray costs of a second chaperone (if relevant).
o For example, if you were building your budget based on 8 students and had a second Longwood
faculty/staff member participating as a leader, you would receive $800 from the Provost.
o If your total trip expenditure is $20,000 and you are receiving $800 from Provost then the total
cost to be absorbed by the students is $19,200.
o Divide this amount by the 8 students to get a cost per student of $2,400.
The estimated COST PER STUDENT for this program is:
STEP 4: BUILD IN A CUSHION FOR CHANGING PRICES
o It is suggested that you build in a 5% or more cushion for unexpected changes in price.
o The need for this depends on how much of the trip expense you can lock in at the early stages of
the planning process.
o Cost per student x 1.05 gives you price with a 5% cushion.
o Cost per student x 1.10 gives you price with a 10% cushion.
o For example, using the $2,400 cost per student detailed above, a 5% cushion would mean
charging a price of $2520.
I will be advertising a price of:
I. Integrated Syllabus
You must attach an integrated syllabus for the course.
o Faculty should note that (per SACSCOC), syllabi must provide justification for the
credits earned by students.
o Having clear detail about contact hours, assignments, etc. is crucial.
o Refer to Guidelines for Short-term programs for more information on what does/does
not constitute a contact hour.
o Proposals that do not carefully detail all relevant information listed below will be
rejected.
o It is true that the syllabus for a course offered abroad will look different than a course
offered on campus or online.
o New programs must include a tentative syllabus that addresses the items below.
Finalized syllabi are due prior to departure.
The syllabus should include the following items:
 Course description
 Course goals and objectives
 Required books, readings, etc.
 Required attendance at presentations, events prior to departure
 Details on how within-discipline contact hours will be met (lecture topics for
classroom/meeting time, discussion meetings, guided tours, studio time, etc.) with
specific information on number of hours spent. This could be done in chart form.
 Explanation of how activities are linked to the course objectives and location
 List of other culturally orienting activities
 Assessment method and determination of grade (participation and attendance,
assignments, essays, exams, papers, projects, presentations, journals, or field
observation reports, etc. that are used as the basis of the course grade)
 The detailed itinerary of your travel program
FACULTY EXPECTATIONS
Short Term Study Abroad Program Proposal
Read thoroughly and sign at the bottom.
The quality of short term study abroad programs led by faculty, and the resulting experience of students who
participate in them, depend on the degree to which participating faculty involve themselves in the planning,
recruitment and implementation, as well as the daily operation of the program on site. The duties of on-site
faculty include attention to the administrative details and logistics that make such programs run smoothly, often in
difficult international contexts. Involvement beyond the academic component includes logistics, extracurricular
activities, and the personal lives of the students who participate. In addition to teaching, faculty must be available
to students outside the classroom. Nevertheless, the rewards of this level of involvement are extraordinary and,
to many, provide some of the most meaningful teaching experiences of their careers.
I am committed to serving as one of the leaders of a Longwood University study abroad program and understand
that, if this proposal is approved, I am responsible for and agree to:
1. Conduct marketing of the program and recruitment of students.
2. Screen and interview applicants, as part of the application process, to determine that the focus of the course
and the student expectations are a good match.
3. Make all overseas arrangements (travel, housing, meetings, etc.).
4. Lead the international excursion, plan and teach the course, and lead/accompany students on program
activities, field trips, cultural events, etc.
5. Oversee all aspects of travel, including housing, student conduct, health and safety, crisis management, etc.
6. Abide by the policies and procedures of the sponsoring institutions. Communicate to students that their
behavior will be governed by the policies of Longwood University.
7. Follow all safety and security procedures. Ensure that students complete all appropriate release forms.
8. Notify any sponsoring institutions abroad as well as the Longwood Office of International Affairs of any
emergency situations that arise (student illness, attacks, natural disaster, etc.). Keep in mind how world events
are perceived by parents at home and make sure that the institution abroad/Office of International Affairs
have the facts directly from the faculty.
9. Ensure that students complete and submit program evaluations.
10. Submit all required materials to International Affairs including: a) copies of passports and ISIC cards for all
travelers, b) emergency plan, c) detailed final itinerary, d) finalized syllabus, e) budget reconciliation upon
return within 4 weeks of returning.
11. Meet the academic expectations for courses offered for credit. This includes completing required withindiscipline contact hours, having reasonable assessment activities, and generally maintaining the expected level
of rigor.
I have read the “Short-Term Study Abroad Programs Guide for Faculty Directors” and understand the level of
commitment and responsibilities required of me and I agree to meet these obligations.
Faculty Member Signature: _____________________________________ Date: _______________
Department Chair Recommendation and Approvals
Recommendation for:
(Faculty member)
The contents of this recommendation will be kept in confidence in the Office of International Affairs. This form
may be reviewed by the Dean of the appropriate College, the Director of International Affairs and by the Vice
President for Academic Affairs.
The following are important criteria in assessing appropriate faculty members for study abroad:
 Since faculty participants must be prepared to go beyond the academic portion of the program, they
should have substantial interest in students and a record of working successfully with them. Highly
relevant to assessing this qualification are the applicant’s history as an effective teacher and academic
advisor, the applicant’s experience with students’ larger intellectual and personal development across a
broad range of undergraduate student life, and the applicant’s ability to help students to understand
other cultures.
 Since faculty participants will be responsible for guiding students through their encounters with another
culture, they should normally have knowledge of the language and culture of the host country, including
its academic values and structures.
Please initial the following statements and then indicate your level of support for the faculty member:
I have reviewed this proposal and I am comfortable with:



CHAIR
DEAN or
ASST. DEAN
the quality of the travel experience.
the plan for meeting the contact hours.
the general academic rigor associated with this course.
CHAIR
DEAN/ASST. DEAN
____I highly recommend this faculty member.
____I recommend but with reservations.
____I do not recommend this faculty member.
____I highly recommend this faculty member.
____I recommend but with reservations.
____I do not recommend this faculty member.
I have discussed participation in study abroad
programs with this faculty member.
Yes ___ No ___
I have discussed participation in study abroad
programs with this faculty member.
Yes ___ No ___
Please sign in the appropriate space below:
Department Chair
Department
Date
Academic Dean/Asst. Dean
College
Date
OPS officer (*only if practicum program)
Date
Coordinator of Study Abroad
Date
Director, International Affairs
Date