Faculty-led study abroad programs are short-term programs that are academic in nature and designed to give students hands-on international experiences that relate to their academic goals.
It is important to take into consideration the type of student who you will be targeting for this program. Are many of your students non-traditional? Do they work full or part-time? Do they have families or children? If you answered yes to any of these you should plan to keep your trip between 10 and 14 days. If your students are more traditional (live on campus, have more flexibility) – you should plan your program in any length up to one month.
Study abroad programming is credit bearing. Once your program/course is approved, that course will be part of your teaching load (or overload). Expenses such as airfare, lodging, meals, etc can be covered for each faculty leader by building them into the program budget. Faculty travel funds could also be used for a faculty-led study abroad program. Consult with your division travel committee representative about faculty travel funds.
Faculty-led program budgets are NOT based on per diem rates because the money is coming directly from the students. Faculty should budget a fair amount of money for their meals and exact cost of lodging when building the budget to keep the program cost as low as possible for students. Typically, for faculty-led programs abroad we will budget $40-$70/day for faculty meals.
You need 12+ months in advance to plan and implement a faculty-led study abroad program. Additionally, before you begin the process you will need to attend the MCC Faculty-led Study Abroad workshop. The workshop is required for all faculty who wish to lead a study abroad program. The workshop is offered once per semester. Contact the International Institute for more details.
All faculty-led study abroad is credit bearing now at Mott so students may be able to access their financial aid and scholarships to pay for their study abroad course. Study abroad courses generally have a course fee attached which covers the cost of the travel programming. Students should contact the Financial Aid office for specific questions they might have in regards to their scholarships and awards.
There are many ways to consider keeping the cost of the program down.
No. The study abroad coordinator will help to smooth the process for you. There are also many private providers that work to help you customize your program and reduce your stress. These providers do not typically impact the cost of the program very much because they work with hotels and transportation services and get commission from them. The trend in study abroad for faculty is to take advantage of the providers who are here to help you.
