What is a Field Study?

A Field Study is a short-term (typically one week to three weeks, though length can vary) faculty-led travel course that usually integrates experiential learning at the program site (whether domestic or international) with more traditional classroom experiences and assignments.  A Field Study can be a component of a semester or Maymester course, or it can be a stand-alone, credit-bearing course (usually for 2 or 4 credits).  It may also be non-credit bearing—as in a service-learning alternate spring break program.  A Field Study is designed and led by one or more Rollins faculty members and typically involves about 8 to 20 students, depending on the number of faculty participating in the trip.  On a Field Study, the faculty leader(s) take primary responsibility for the group of students, make most on-site logistical arrangements themselves, or by contracting with a third-party provider (a tour agency for example), and are with the students for a bulk of the time abroad: the faculty director teaches the course (for credit-bearing experiences) and also leads and/or participate in all program activities and excursions.  The Office of International Programs provides oversight for the program, handles the on-campus logistics and administration for both faculty and students, assists faculty as needed with program arrangements, handles the finances for the Field Study, and provides support and coordination in the event of any emergencies or problems.

• PLEASE NOTE: A Field Study Program is quite different than a traditional study abroad program.  For information about development of traditional summer and semester programs, please go to Program Development.

Field Study Faculty Director: Role and Responsibilities

On a faculty-led field study program, the faculty director is the primary (and often only) Rollins representative.  We expect that the faculty director for a field study program will:

• Lead the program and teach the course
• Be available to students for reasonable needs relating to academic, health, emotional, travel and logistical issues
• Be accessible at all times as the primary emergency contact on-site
• Be housed with or near the student participants
• Participate in all program activities and excursions

For a full discussion of Field Study Faculty Director responsibilities and the responsibilities of International Programs for a Field Study, please view the Field Study Guidelines.  All faculty and staff members proposing a new field study course must read these guidelines.

Resources for Field Study Faculty Directors

Pedagogy and Curriculum

While the following resources are focused on particular academic fields, the broad concepts and approaches are relevant to any field study course.

• "Developing a Faculty-Led Short-Term Study Abroad Program: An Evolutionary Process", Mills, LaVelle H., The Journal of International Management Studies, Volume 5, Number 2, August 2010.  Full text available via ProQuest.
• "Study abroad learning activities: A synthesis and comparison", Duke, Charles R, Journal of Marketing Education; Volume 22, Number 2, Aug 2000. Full text available via ProQuest.
• "Assessing the Field Course Experiential Learning Model: Transforming Collegiate Short-Term Study Abroad Experiences into Rich Learning Environments," McLaughlin, Jacqueline S., and D. Kent Johnson, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Jourrnal of Study Abroad, Voulume 13, November 2006. 
• "Tools for Developing Short-Term Study Abroad Classes for Geography Studies," Stanitski, Diane, and Kurtis Fuellhart, The Journal of Geography, Volume 102, Number 5, Sep/Oct 2003.  Full text available via ProQuest.

Risk Management

• "Risk Management in Study Abroad: Lessons from the Wilderness," Ritchie, Mark A., Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Jounral of Study Abroad, Volume 9, Fall 2003.
• "Over-stressed, Overwhelmed, and Over Here: Resident Directors and the Challenges of Student Mental Health Abroad," Lucas, John, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Jounral of Study Abroad, Volume 18, Fall 2009.