2013
Study Tour Syllabus Checklist
(includes standard syllabus checklist items)
1. Course information
a. Course Title
b. Number
c. CRN (TBA)
d. Location
e. Time
f. Semester
g. Year
h. Department
i. Study tours: Specify exact dates of departure and return,
j. Dates and locations (classrooms) of any required pre- or post-travel meetings.
Since proposals almost always are submitted before schedules are set—the room
numbers may not be true. But AA insists upon room numbers.
2. Instructor contact information
a. Name
b. Office phone
c. Office location
d. Email address
e. On-site cell number (if desired)
f. Study tours: Office Hours for period of semester when tour leaders are on
campus—you’ll almost certainly be on campus for the Spring semester, so please
list your usual office hours.
3. Course description: catalog description. Sorry, but AA insists.
a. Study tours: cite the catalog boilerplate: “Credit will vary. Subject matter will vary
within the department’s field of study,”
b. then add the same description used on the Request to Offer a Study Tour Course
form.
4. Prerequisites: see catalog.
a. Study tours: Same prerequisites as used on the Request to Offer a Study Tour
Course form.
b. Study tours should always require “Permission of the instructor.”
5. Objectives: An objective is a description of what you want your students to be able to do
or know—for example: “The student will write a research paper” or “The student will be
able to define the attached list of literary terms.” A table for generating objectives can be
found at the AA website:
http://broncho2.uco.edu/academicaffairs/FORMS/Writing%20Effective%20Instructional%20Obj
ectives.pdf
6. Transformative Learning Objectives (see Liberal Arts website for guidance)
a. Study tours:
2013
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Global Competency”
Leadership (such as the directed learning days),
Wellness walking, comparison of lifestyles;
Discipline Knowledge museums, reading, site tours
Research post-tour paper, student experts on site
Service learning
7. Textbook information: titles, authors, edition, ISBN
a. Study tours: Specify which texts are required to be read before the tour and which
are to be taken on the trip. Notify students of course-pack, if required, and
whether it should be brought on the trip.
8. Other supplies required
a. Study tours: List supplies needed to complete the academic work of the course
(e.g., camera, notebook, also WebCT access). A complete packing list is not
necessary on the syllabus. If special clothing—business attire, e.g.—or
equipment—laptop or camera, e.g.—is required for certain venues or activities,
note here.
9. Course outline: due dates of major assignments and exams; date of final exam—See
itinerary for topics in sequence. Post-trip meetings in homes cannot be listed as official
meetings.
a. Study tours: A list of cities or locations is not sufficient. For peer review, list
major sites to be visited each day, as well as a theme or objective for that day
(e.g., “Reading an archaeological site,” “Medieval architecture of Paris,” “Food
culture of Tuscany”). List assignments or activities students will complete in
connection with visits. Remember to note due dates of any assignments to be
turned in after the trip is over.
b. Refer to Itinerary at end of syllabus
10. Grading and assignments: Number of exams, points for each exam; description of
required work, assigned points or percentages of required work)
a. Study tours: The College website urges instructors to be as specific as possible
about grading criteria such as “class participation.” Articulate which behaviors
on the trip will be considered part of a participation grade.
b. If a tour requires or encourages photography, please consult with Photography
faculty about photography etiquette at your destination(s).
11. Grade categories (either points or percentages; corresponding letter grades)
12. If class is offering both a graduate and an undergraduate section, then graduate and
undergraduate requirements should be clearly distinguished in two separate syllabus
documents.
13. Class management information: attendance policies, policies for late/missed work and
exams.
2013
a. Study tours: Spell out expectations of deportment at the study tour locations, as
well as academic penalties for noncompliance. Spell out any dress code
requirements, in general or for special locations. Include a statement about
appropriate behavior during in-class time and during out-of-class time.
b. The student may not withdraw from the course once travel has begun and will be
held accountable for financial obligations and student conduct as a representative
of UCO and the Study Tour. A student may be dismissed from the tour and will be
required to seperate from the tour—preferably by returning to Oklahoma.
Possible text:
Student Conduct and Withdrawal from Course:
Student travellers are expected to comport themselves in a manner that reflects well upon UCO
(and future study tours), allows the student the rest and composure to succeed academically
(awake and on-time) and respects the the needs of other members of the tour group. A student
who cannot comply with this requirement (examples might be: tardiness for group activities,
inappropriate behavior towards fellow travellers, tour leaders, or personnel at visited sites, abuse
or destruction of property, or criminal activity, such as theft, or the use of controlled substances)
may be separated from the tour-preferably by prompt return travel to Oklahoma charged to the
student’s Bursar’s account and expense. Disciplinary action for student misconduct will likely
follow. STUDENTS MAY NOT WITHDRAW FROM THE COURSE ONCE TRAVEL HAS
BEGUN.
Some travellers may make plans to continue their travels in Europe after the tour group returns to
Oklahoma. The tour leaders must know of these plans in order to make sure common group
travel plans for departure will not be affected. Sometimes we can advise you about your posttrip travel plans.
14. A Plagiarism/ Turnitin.com statement
15. Link to Academic Affairs Student Information Sheet
16. ADA compliance cannot be guaranteed beyond the bounds of US law. Consider the
following (adapted from Youngtae Shin’s proposal):
a. “Please be aware that the nature of international travel means that we will be
outside of US legal jurisdiction and cultural practice. Accommodations cannot be
made for all disabilities. Accommodations which you might expect in the United
States of America are not necessarily available in other countries. Some mental
disorders, such as agoraphobia, can leave a traveler frozen in fear in crowded
urban situations, such as public transport in Asia or Europe. Restrooms may only
be accessible via narrow stairways, which might be difficult for the physically
disabled. And some medications may not be legal in other countries. Full and
timely pre-trip disclosure to the professor, while the student can still make some
choices about proceeding with the tour, is recommended for your safety and the
tour’s best interest.”
17. Study tour financial issues:
2013
a. payment schedule;
b. deposit information (amount and date)
c. refund and cancellation policies.
Something like the following is recommended:
18. Study tour Itinerary:
a. attach itinerary here.