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Program Proposal Guidelines

Faculty-led Education Abroad Program Proposal Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in leading a summer or short-term education abroad program and for your efforts towards greater internationalization of UNCW.  All faculty-led, credit-bearing programs involving UNCW students abroad must be approved by the Office of Education Abroad after review by the International Programs Advisory Committee (IPAC).  

Before submitting a proposal, please review the guidelines below. Faculty members proposing programs are invited (and first-timers are required) to meet with Kara Pike Inman, Director, Education Abroad (pikek@uncw.edu, or 910-962-3685) for guidance. A complete Faculty-led Study Abroad Program Proposal consists of the five parts described below. Use the parenthetical questions and comments to guide you as you prepare the proposal as they reflect the criteria used by the IPAC to review proposals.

Please view the Faculty Resources page for updated proposal timeline information.

1. Faculty-led Study Abroad Program Cover Form
Proposals will not be considered unless the Cover form is complete and includes all requires signatures.

 2. Faculty-led Study Abroad Program Budget Form
Is the budget realistic and feasible, given the time allotted and the expected expenditures? Is the program likely to attract enough students to support the budget and justify your academic area’s support for the class(es).

3. Clear, detailed and realistic daily itinerary. Include excursions and site visits. Differentiate program time from “free time”.

4. Syllabi of course(s) to be offered on site (Be sure to outline learning outcomes and sources for achieving those outcomes on the syllabus.)

5. Program Design Statement which addresses the following:

  • Program and course objectives, including rationale for chosen location
  • Degree of immersion in culture and language on site
  • Plans for program promotion
  • Plans for pre-departure and in-country preparation of student
  • Overview of how safety, health, and security will be managed on-site (e.g. Where can student receive health care? How will accommodation and local transportation be handled with safety in mind?) Identify risks associated with program site and activities and how that risk will be managed.
  • Description of housing arrangements for participants and leaders (it is recommended that faculty leaders be housed with or nearby participants. If housed at a distant location, justify.)
  • Summary of faculty expertise and experience that is relevant to the program (e.g. What is the faculty member’s teaching and/or research area of expertise? Does the faculty leader show a thorough understanding and knowledge of the location/culture to which she/he intends to go? Does the faculty leader(s) have any previous experience in planning/leading study abroad programs? If so, what is his/her success rate in terms of recruiting, program excellence,
    in-country support and student evaluations (if available)?
  • Clarify the role all UNCW faculty/staff going with the program, especially but not only, those included in the program budget. Who is the program leader (ultimate responsible party, and typically there for the duration of the program)?
    Who will be instructor of record for any UNCW-taught course? If other UNCW faculty/staff are associated with your program abroad, what is their role?
  • Please avoid program dates which conflict with UNCW’s class schedule. If your program dates would require participants to miss class at UNCW for missing class, how will you minimize the impact of these absences?

Include in your response how many days will be missed, what, if any, provisions have been made to  compensate for the absences, and why travel on these dates was chosen. In reviewing study abroad proposals, IPAC may consider additional criteria. For example, is it attractive enough and of sufficiently broad interest? Is it in direct competition with another program offered during the same time period, and if so, can both programs recruit enough students? Completed proposals should be sent to Kara Pike Inman at pikek@uncw.edu. Again, thank you for your interest in leading an education abroad program!