Faculty Led Short Term Study Program Guidelines

A faculty led short term study program is an academic experience involving both traditional learning and experiential learning opportunities in an international setting. The primary purpose of the faculty led short term study program course is to help students apply first-hand international experience to their own academic development. A secondary goal is to use the program experience as a method of providing international experience and development for Northwest’s faculty. Consequently, as the faculty director prepares the course proposal, particular attention should be directed toward a clear statement of how the faculty led short term study program meets these goals.

Eligibilty

Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in order to be eligible to participate in the faculty led short term study program. Due to potential liability issues, all Northwest students who are in the short term study program must enroll in the course. Additional short term study program participants who are not Northwest students must seek enrollment exception from the Study Abroad Office.

Course content

It is imperative that the academic integrity of the course be upheld by ensuring that it has as much rigor as any traditional course. As short term study program courses are bearing academic credit, the course proposal must include a syllabus that clearly states the course requirements and how students will be evaluated. Course requirements such as reading prior to departure, written assignments during the stay abroad, short term study program journal, or any other means of evaluation should be included in the syllabus. Assigned reading materials or text should be appropriate to the academic content of the course.

It is the responsibility of a faculty member's department Chair and Dean to monitor the academic legitimacy of the proposed short term study program. If, in the opinion of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and/or the Dean of the faculty member’s college the academic content of the proposed study does not meet acceptable criteria, the proposal will be returned to the short term study program director for revision.

Budget

Short term study program budgets are to be completed on the forms provided by the Study Abroad Office. These include two types:

Budget guidelines prepared for package short term study program arranged by companies external to the university or
Budget guidelines for self-planned short term study programs.

Assistance in developing short term study program budgets can be obtained through the Study Abroad Office. Short term study program which do not use these forms will not be approved.

Fundraising

Fundraising for the short term study program will be approved by the Faculty Director’s and chair of the department. The Faculty Director will report to the chair of the department the funds raised by the different student activities. The Chair, in conjunction with the Faculty Director, will determine how those funds will be distributed.

Short term program deadlines

For maximum exposure, and advertising benefit, it is important for the short term study program to be included in the Study Abroad Programs List, the Study Abroad Fair during the fall, and in Summer Course Offerings. Submit your Faculty Led Short Term Study Program Proposal Form, course syllabus, and estimated budgets for approval by your department Chair, Dean of the College and Dean of Arts and Sciences to the Study Abroad Coordinator, Union 2080 – IIC, ext. 1499, jpuriel@nwmissouri.edu as soon as possible, and no later than October 31 for the short term study program departing during the summer trimester. Short term study program departing during the spring trimester, the deadline to submit Short term study program proposal, syllabus and estimated budgets is July 1.

Northwest Missouri State University