Short-Term Study Abroad Program
Proposal Guidelines
(Revised Fall 2011)
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 SACS. 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
Telephone
Campus address______________________
__________________
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_____ Anticipated price for student ___________________________
Check all that apply:
 This course meets a general education goal (other than 9): ________________________ (list)
 This course is required for a major/minor. ________________________________ (list major)
 This course is on a choice list for a major/minor: ___________________________ (list major)
Check one:
 This program is open to all students.
 This program is open to only a specific population. (Provide details below.)
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 experience 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.). 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. You are required to meet the required contact hours (where contact hour is defined as a 50
minute period) as dictated by SACS. Currently, 45 contact hours are required for a 3-credit
class (which translates into 37.5 full hours of instruction). These contact hours must be in
the discipline. (You may not count hours used for orientation, safety briefings, free time,
getting from one place to another, etc.)
Please provide a detailed outline of how these contact hours will be met. Be sure to indicate
any activities that will take place prior to departure. (A chart is acceptable.)
17. Detail the assessment activities you will use to formulate a grade for the class.
18. If the course topic is outside your academic discipline, describe what training and
experience you have to teach this course.
19. Justify why this course benefits from being taught in a study abroad, as opposed to being
delivered on campus.
G. Travel Experience
20. How do you anticipate that participants will interact with the local population?
21. What challenges will there be for students to be able to successfully interact with locals?
22. Provide a tentative day by day itinerary for the program. Include any museums, cultural
events, and tours that you anticipate including. A finalized itinerary will be due closer to
departure.
H. Budget
23. Provide an estimated per student budget for your program that includes airfare, housing incountry transportation, admission fees, meals that are included, visas (if required),
insurance, and share of the costs for the program leaders. The idea is estimate the price
that students will be asked to pay. (It is understood that the budget might change
somewhat during the planning process.)
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.
a. Faculty members using a third party provider may simply attach the contract.
b. If creating an estimate, refer to the budget worksheet at the end of this document
for assistance if needed.
I. Integrated Syllabus
Please attach an integrated syllabus for the course. For repeat program, the finalized syllabus
should be attached. For new programs, a draft of a syllabus may be used. You will be expected
to submit a finalized syllabus at a later date.
Short-term study abroad programs set themselves apart because they attempt to integrate
traditional classroom education with experiential learning and site visits. It is very important
that you demonstrate how the location and local resources enhance the learning objectives of
the course.
The syllabus should include the following items:
 Course description
 List of the course goals and objectives
 Required books, readings, etc.
 Required attendance at presentations, events prior to departure
 A detailed program itinerary with locations, activities, and dates, and amount of time
spent on activities
 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
 Explanation of how these activities are linked to the course objectives and location
 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)
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: _______________
Short-Term Study Abroad Program Proposal
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
Study Abroad Budget Worksheet
To get a preliminary cost estimate, you can use the following template to help you. Unless you plan for
fewer students, base your budget on 8 students. The cost may go down if you have larger groups.
Any funds not spent will be refunded at the conclusion of the program. While OIA realizes that some
prices may change, this budget should reflect how the cost per participant is set. Faculty members using
a third party provider need only to submit agreement with the price of the program included.
Per person cost:
Airfare
Visa
Housing
In-country travel
Admission fees
ISIC Card
Any planned meals
Insurance required
Other items
<sum>
Total per person
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CALCULATING TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR PROGRAM:
Total per person x _________ (total group size including program leaders) = __________TOTAL
EXPENDITURE
CALCULATING COST PER STUDENT (building in a share of the program leaders’ costs):
TOTAL EXPENDITURE / group size = _______________________ COST PER STUDENT
CALCULATING PRICE PER STUDENT (costs plus 10% cushion):
Cost per student x 1.10 = __________________________ PRICE PER STUDENT