Location of Program:
Submitting Unit:
Date Submitted:
FORM 501: OVERSEAS/OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES PROGRAM
This form is used for all semester/year programs held overseas or off-campus, and for full reviews of
international summer programs (ISPs). All courses or programs with more than two weeks of offcampus travel or instruction must be reviewed by the Off-Campus Studies Panel.
NOTE: Proposal and any attachments should be sent by dean or dean’s designee via email to the Curriculum
Coordination Office (curriclm@usc.edu). All relevant documents, including this form and items listed in Part II,
should be attached (preferably as separate Word documents) to one email sent by the dean. Preliminary review of
new programs by Douglas Burleson (burleson@usc.edu) is encouraged, and of reviews/renewals is welcome.
This form has three parts:
PART I.
PART II.
PART III.
BASICS: please fill out part I which provides basic information about the program.
CHECKLIST of items needed: Additional documents and items needed for requests for new programs
and for revisions or renewals of existing programs.
INSTRUCTIONS: Further explanation of the information which the Off-Campus Studies Panel needs in
order to evaluate the program.
PART I. BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT PROGRAM:
Name of Program:
(eg, USC department, city, and university or organization offering courses)
USC Program director(s):
Position at USC:
Email:
Staff coordinator:
Email:
Phone:
Type of program:
[ ] Summer (International Summer Program or ISP)
OR
[ ] Semester/Year program:
[ ] Semester only
[ ] Semester or year
[ ] Year only
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If semester:
[ ] Either fall or spring
[ ] Fall only
[ ] Spring only
Action (if a renewal includes a significant revision, check both):
Semester/year program:
[ ] New
[ ] Revise
[ ] Review and Renew
ISP (International Summer Program):
[ ] New
[ ] 5-year review and renewal
Note: If you wish to terminate a program, the dean should send an email with explanation to the Curriculum
Coordination Office; no 501 form is necessary.
USC department/school in charge of program:
[ ] College Office of Overseas Studies
[ ] Annenberg School
[ ] Viterbi School of Engineering
[ ] Gould School of Law Graduate and International Programs
[ ] Marshall Undergraduate Program
[ ] Other USC department. Specify:
[ ] Marshall MBA program
[ ] School of Architecture
Who runs program and provides transcript:
[
[
[
[
]
]
]
]
USC (USC runs program and offers USC courses) (See ** below)
Direct enrollment in an overseas university
Program run by a US university. Specify: _____________________________________________________
Program run by an overseas organization (indicate below:)
[ ] CIEE [ ] IES [ ] SIT [ ] SFS [ ] Other:_____________________________________
Student level:
[ ] Undergraduate
[ ] Graduate
[ ] Both
Location:
Country:
City:
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University or educational
organization providing courses:
(If USC, see ** below)
(If program is in residence at several sites,
or if students may take courses at several
institutions, list all of them.)
** If USC courses are offered: List USC courses to be offered (for new program). If this is a renewal or revision, list
courses that were offered and indicate if there will be any changes. Please provide course ID, title, and units.
Schedule:
(dates of summer program, or number of weeks of classes, and of exams, for semester/year program):
Effective date:
Semester of first (for new) or next (for renewal) offering
Number of USC units that can be earned per semester/year:
Maximum
Minimum, if relevant
NOTE: The maximum number of units to be earned is n+1, where n=the number of weeks of the program.
Endorsements:
List the dean who will approve the program, and any additional affected schools or departments whose
endorsements will be provided (as attached memos or emails):
Dean of offering school:
Additional affected departments or schools:
Note: If you provide your additional information as a separate document, you may delete Parts II and III below in order to
shorten the 501 form that you provide. Alternatively, you may include responses within Part III.
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PART II. CHECKLIST OF ITEMS AND INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED
(For further explanation, see Part III below)
For new program:
[ ] Memo from the relevant dean describing the goals of the program, the academic purposes of the
program, and how it fits into the major or minor.
[ ] If relevant, memos (or emails) of support from chairs of departments offering the program, or whose majors
the program benefits.
[ ] Description of program (if not included in the dean’s memo), including rationale, courses, units and
articulation, faculty, co-curricular information, student qualifications (see III for specifics)
[ ] Catalog copy. Show where in the catalog verbiage will be put (in the section on “International Study
Options” and/or in the description of the school or department offering the program).
[ ] For ISPs, provide the verbiage (if any) that will be included in the Schedule of Classes description of
International Summer Programs.
[ ] Course syllabi of USC courses, and of non-USC courses if relevant.
For revision or renewal:
[ ] Memo from the relevant dean describing the goals of the program, the extent to which the program is
meeting those goals, academic purposes of the program, how it fits into the major or minor, and any
changes being proposed.
[ ] If relevant, memos (or emails) of support from chairs of departments offering the program, or whose
majors the program benefits.
[ ] Report from the resident program director, faculty member responsible for the program, or from the relevant
department chair regarding execution of the program, description of any program changes (academic and
co-curricular), a discussion of any difficulties encountered, and recommendations for future improvements
and/or program modification. The report should address any significant concerns raised by students in their
evaluations.
[ ] Report from the staff coordinator overseeing the program.
[ ] Student course/grade information: for each semester since the last OSP review, list courses taken, and
grades granted by USC (CR/NC for non-USC courses). (List students as #1,# 2, #3, etc. Do not include
any identifying information about students—no names, IDs, etc.) (If large numbers of students have
attended since the last review, a summary of data may be appropriate.)
[ ] Student evaluations for each semester since the last OSP review (using the standard quantitative form with
questions added specifically for the site): Provide a summary analysis of the evaluations and a summary of
the quantitative evaluations. Also provide the qualitative responses in the students’ own words. If possible,
use the Qualtrics online survey, which provides various reporting options.
[ ] Catalog copy (current catalog copy, indicating changes, if any).
[ ] For ISPs, provide the verbiage that will be included in the Schedule of Classes description of International
Summer Programs.
[ ] Course syllabi of USC courses, and of non-USC courses if relevant.
[ ] Copy of information given to students (for the most recent semester) including materials on academic
programs, courses and instructor, housing and living arrangements, and any information about local
conditions that is relevant. If extensive materials are provided (eg, about travel, visas, budget, etc), please
excerpt only the relevant academic and co-curricular information.
REMINDER: USC LEGAL REQUIREMENTS:
USC requires certain documents (e.g., Travel Release Form, Medical Treatment Authorization Form) for all
students studying overseas, and also requires a roster of students which must be provided a minimum of 7 days in
advance of departure. Further details are available at the website of Student Support and Advocacy, Division of
Student Affairs, www.usc.edu/student-affairs/programs/ssa/overseas_resources, or call (213) 740-2421. (This is
not part of the curriculum review process; we are just reminding you about it.)
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PART III. INSTRUCTIONS/GUIDELINES
For new programs or 5-year reviews, all the information listed below should be provided in the proposal. It can
be part of the memo or report from the dean, program director, or staff coordinator, or can be provided as separate
documents, so long as it can be easily reviewed by the Off-Campus Studies Panel. Please paginate the entire
proposal for easy reference. For minor revisions, or for ISP renewals for chair only, you only need to provide the
information relevant to the request, including (for ISP “in-between year” renewals) the starred items above.
A. RATIONALE AND DESCRIPTION:
Rationale for offering program:
Include academic aims, relevance to students’ major/minor, reasons for choosing this location and institution,
academic standing of institution, etc. If program is being revised, describe and justify revisions. If program is
being renewed, justify renewal and explain any changes being planned.
Description of program:
Overview of program, including any information not provided elsewhere on the form regarding where and for
how long students will attend classes, any special activities such as internships or specialized field trips, etc.
B. COURSES:
If USC courses are offered:
--List all courses that will be offered (course ID, title, units, instructor) and indicate if any are required and how
many must be taken:
--Attach syllabi. (If new courses are being proposed specifically to be offered overseas, a 301 form is also
needed. The course request will be considered by the appropriate subcommittee.)
If non-USC courses are taken:
--Who offers courses (explain whether one or more institutions offer courses)
--Provide list or examples of courses students will take
--Provide sample schedule(s)
--Provide sample syllabi, if useful for evaluation of program
--Articulation: how units translate into USC units; minimum grade for CR. (Discuss with Shelby King
(shelbylk@usc.edu) in advance)
--What language are courses offered in (for non-English speaking country)
Note: If students take a combination of types of courses (eg, some through an overseas organization and
some through a local university, or some USC courses and some local university courses), please explain and
provide information about both types.
C. FACULTY:
--If regular USC faculty are present or teach courses, explain their role
--If USC hires local faculty to teach USC courses, explain how faculty are selected and their qualifications.
--If an organization such as CIEE, SIT, IES, or SFS hires local instructors to teach courses, describe qualifications
of instructors.
--If students take courses at an accredited institution, explain whether they take: (1) regular courses with native
students, (2) courses specifically for overseas students, or (3) courses taught in English for native (non-Englishspeaking) students and visiting students. Describe qualifications of faculty, if not obvious from quality of
institution
D. CO-CURRICULAR INFORMATION:
--Housing (explain whether homestay, dorm, hotel, or apartment; location; safety; assistance provided in securing
it; possibility for interaction with native students or local community)
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--Who provides student services, such as assistance with registration and personal concerns (explain if this is
provided by USC faculty or staff, an overseas organization, or personnel from the university in which students
enroll directly)
--Excursions that are part of program (if any)—provide itinerary, explain purpose, who arranges them, who
escorts students
--Library facilities
--Computer access
--Health facilities
--Contact with local students and community
--Any information available regarding accessibility and resources for students with disabilities.
E. STUDENTS:
--Number of students attending or anticipated per semester or year (including maximum and minimum, if
relevant):
--Target audience (for whom is program intended, who will benefit most):
--Admission requirements:
--Language requirement (for non-English speaking countries)
--Major or minor (explain if program is limited to certain majors or minors)
--GPA
--Other requirements (eg, required preparatory courses)
--Procedure for selecting participants (eg, interviews, application)
Additional Information for departments offering International Summer Programs
See “Information for departments offering ISPs (International Summer Programs)” on the Curriculum Website.
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