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Office of International Programs

Faculty Resources

Learn more about Field Study proposals and program development below. For information about campus internationalization, resources to support and ehance global learning, and opportunities for global engagement including grant programs visit the Rollins Center for Global Initiatives

Faculty-Led Program Proposals

Field Study: a short-term (typically one to three weeks) 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, makes on-site logistical arrangements themselves or by contracting with a third-party provider, 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. Feel free to take a look at our collection of examples of 2 and 4-credit field study syllabi with itineraries.

Note about Domestic Field Studies: Field studies to destination within the United States must also work through our office. Since the process can be a bit different for domestic field studies, we recommend that you contact Giselda Beaudin, the Director of Global Initiatives, prior to developing and submitting a proposal. If you are considering a shorter field trip (day trip or 1-2 night overnight trips), there is a separate process for domestic travel with students through MyRollins - find out more here.

Faculty-Led Approved Summer Program: a three to eight week faculty-led study abroad program that is hosted by a foreign institution or a third-party study abroad provider.  The Faculty Director teaches and/or provides academic oversight for the program in addition to collaborating with the program host and IP for administration and logistics.  The program has been appropriately vetted by faculty and administrators from Rollins and there is usually a detailed agreement between Rollins and the study abroad program partner.  When students participate on such a program, the program partner is essentially acting as the “home campus,” and has an infrastructure in place to effectively manage risk and provide appropriate student support.  The quality of the academics must be carefully reviewed and documentation gathered to ascertain the appropriate credentials of non-Rollins program faculty if necessary.  These programs should be developed with the intention of becoming ongoing programs since they take a substantial amount of work to establish.

For both kinds of faculty-led programs, IP 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 and budget, and provides support and coordination in the event of any emergencies or problems. 

Please contact IP for information about the compensation structure and other details about developing and leading a program. 

Resources for Program Leaders

Conflict Resolution Reflection and Intercultural Learning resource packet.  Please note that the Director of International Programs also has a small collection of resources that can be lent to Faculty Program Directors.

The Forum on Education Abroad Curriculum Toolbox is an online resource center for faculty and others leading and developing education abroad courses and programs. Please contact the Director of Global Initiatives for login information.

Faculty-Led Approved Summer and Field Studies Proposals

Field Studies and Faculty-Led Approved Summer Programs are selected on an annual basis for the following academic year.  Please read the paragraphs above or contact IP if you aren't sure whether your program is a Field Study or an Approved Summer Program. 

Eligibility

  • Tenured faculty
  • Tenure-track faculty who have been at Rollins at least three semesters by the time of travel
  • Non-tenure track faculty, visiting scholars, emeritus faculty, and full-time staff members must generally co-lead with a tenure-track or tenured faculty member
    • Exceptions for non-tenure-track faculty who have taught at Rollins College for 6 years, and full-time staff who have been at Rollins for 6 years will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Global Initiatives Committee if there is a compelling reason for the exception.
    • Full-time staff members are eligible to lead no-credit field studies
  • PLEASE NOTE: Documented problems on past programs may make an individual ineligible to lead future programs

Proposal Process

  • Field Studies: Program Leaders must submit the appropriate proposal document by the established deadline
  • Established Faculty-Led Approved Summer Programs: IP reserves up to three places each year for established faculty-led approved summer programs. In lieu of a proposal, the program leader report and student evaluation summary for the previous program year will be reviewed.
  • New Faculty-Led Approved Summer Programs: IP reserves up to 2 places each year for new faculty-led summer programs.  Faculty Directors must develop a proposal with IP and submit it by the established deadline. Once a new program has run successfully twice, the program is reviewed to become an established program.
  • All proposals are reviewed by International Programs and the Global Initiatives Committee.  Programs that have secured outside or College funding to support the program and/or student participants will have that taken into account when reviewing proposals.  If selected, new programs are passed to the Curriculum Committee for formal approval.

Proposal Deadlines

February 20, 2024 for December 2024, January 2025, Spring Break 2025, and Summer 2025
Deadline will be similar for programs in the academic year 2025-26.

Proposal Documents

  • Field Study Proposal: Click on the three dots on the upper right to download the document. You will need to save it to your computer in order to edit it.
  • Faculty-Led Approved Summer Program Proposal: please contact the Director of Global Initiatives to discuss your proposal
  • Sample Field Study Syllabi and Global Experiences Index for reference when developing proposals and new programs

Semester Programs

Approved Semester Program Development

  1. A faculty member makes a connection with a program or institution and discusses developing a new semester program with the Director of Global Initiatives.
  2. The Director of Global Initiatives will first research the potential program to determine if the program aligns with the Strategic Plan for International Programs and meets basic standards for new programs including: sustainability; fulfillment of clearly defined need(s); quality of student learning; marketability; alignment with IP and College mission.
  3. The Director will then present this basic information about the potential program to the Global Initiatives committee for review and discussion. For new exchange programs, at this phase, the Director will also present the same information to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services for review and discussion.  The Office of International Student and Scholar Services may also consult with Admissions.
  4. Based on this review and the recommendation(s) of the Global Initiatives Committee (and Office of International Student and Scholar Services, if applicable), the Director determines whether IP will support the program proposal.  If IP will not support the development of the program, a clear rationale will be provided.
  5. If the initial proposal is accepted, IP will work with the Global Initiatives committee, relevant faculty and staff, and staff in IP to do the following:
    1. Establish a timeline for program development. Typically the timeline is nine to twelve months or longer. For exchange programs, this timeline must be determined with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.  In addition, the Office of International Student and Scholar Services will consult with Admissions regarding an appropriate timeline.
    2. Research the program extensively including consulting with faculty across campus as necessary, conducting a risk assessment as necessary, and conducting a site visit
    3. Develop a complete program proposal. For exchange programs, development of the exchange program terms is done in consultation with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.
    4. Submit this complete proposal along with the cover sheet for the “Creation and Revision of Academic, Non-Credit and Collaborative Programs” to the Curriculum Committee and respond to any questions or concerns raised by the members of the Curriculum Committee.
    5. If the proposal is approved by the Curriculum Committee, the Chair of that Committee signs the cover sheet for the “Creation and Revision of Academic, Non-Credit and Collaborative Programs” and submits it, along with the meeting minutes indicating approval, to the appropriate Dean and Provost who determine any need for further approvals from the Planning and Budget committee, President’s Staff, President and Trustees, as well as potential need for SACS notification.
  6. If all approvals are granted, IP staff then develop a complete program agreement that is reviewed by: Risk Management and the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (for exchange programs).
  7. Once a signed agreement is on file, IP (and the Office of International Student and Scholar Services if exchange) opens the program to students.