Develop a Faculty-Led Program
Are you interested in leading a short-term study abroad program? Faculty-led programs are the most popular way for Adelphi students to study abroad.
Ideal faculty-led programs not only offer students an international experience but foster in-depth exploration of an academic topic with an expert in the field. Faculty leaders should have intimate knowledge of the destination that boosts the academic components of the course and facilitates unique access to local sites and culture. The Center for International Education (CIE) is especially seeking programs with staying power that will become permanent courses.
In an effort to keep faculty-led programs affordable for our students, faculty are encouraged to plan programs with a student cost of $4500 or less (not including tuition).
How to Propose and Renew Faculty-led Programs
- April 1: Deadline for all new programs, plus all repeat programs except summer
- October 1: Deadline for repeat summer programs
All new programs must submit the following five components of the Faculty-led Study Abroad Program Proposal to cie@adelphi.edu by the deadline:
- Part I: General Information Form
- Part II: Syllabus, Itinerary and Short Answer Questions
- Part III: Budget (please email cie@adelphi.edu to make an appointment to discuss the program budget)
- Part IV: Faculty Agreement
- Part V: Department Approval
All existing programs must submit the following components of the Faculty-led Study Abroad Program Proposal to cie@adelphi.edu by the deadline:
- Part I: General Information Form
- Part III: Budget (please email cie@adelphi.edu to obtain the most current copy of your budget)
- Part IV: Faculty Agreement
- Part V: Department Approval
- Updated Itinerary
- Updated Syllabus
The Center for International Education will provide the committee with the most recent faculty program reports and student evaluations.
Approval Process for Faculty-Led Programs
The Faculty-led Study Abroad Committee with representatives from faculty and Center for International Education will review all programs based on the following criteria:
- Course Design
- Course Leader Qualifications
- Feasibility
- Affordability
- Long-term strategy
- How the program fits into the University’s overall internationalization strategy
- How the program differs from existing opportunities in the industry (e.g. CIE would like to invest in programs that can not be duplicated by off-the-shelf providers.)
The Center for International Education welcomes the opportunity to work with faculty on conceptualizing new programs and look forward to reviewing program proposals.
FAQs for Faculty-led Study Abroad Programs
Faculty compensation is composed of the following components:
- Salary determined by Department Chair and Dean (e.g. overload or load)
- Course leaders are paid an additional $75 stipend per day to compensate for the round-the-clock responsibilities
- Meals and other expenses are reimbursed up to $75/day upon submission of receipts per the Adelphi University travel policy
Both faculty leaders receive a $75 stipend per day and $75/day allowance for meals and other expenses per the Adelphi University travel policy (and reimbursed upon submission of receipts). Salary is determined by the Department Chair and Dean and may vary depending on how responsibilities are allocated.
For example, if one course leader only participates in the “travel” portion of the course with no pre-departure or grading responsibilities, that person may be paid less. Also, if a course leader is responsible for “crowd control” and does not contribute to the instruction, it is possible that the person would only receive the $75 stipend and daily allowance.
For courses that take place during intersession and spring break, faculty expenses, including teaching credits, a $75/day stipend per faculty member, up to $75/day of per diem (reimbursed with receipts as outlined in the Adelphi University travel policy) and visa fees are the responsibility of the department of prime. These expenses total approximately $10,000 for two faculty members leading a 3- credit, two-week course or $5,000 for two faculty leading a 1-credit course. Chairs must request funds in a specific budget line (generally 4141) during budget preparation to cover these expenses. Faculty airfare and lodging are generally covered by student fees. Faculty expenses for summer programs are funded directly by student tuition.
Be sure to discuss future programs with the appropriate Chair/Dean to ensure faculty expenses are included in the December budget discussions.
Please email cie@adelphi.edu to schedule a budget meeting.
The Center for International Education facilitates the administrative and logistical work associated with faculty-led programs. This includes:
- coordinating the program proposal and evaluation process
- advising on program development, including connecting faculty with program providers and assisting with program itinerary development
- marketing faculty-led programs; overseeing the budget
- collecting student applications
- collecting all fees related to program activities from the students
- managing vendor payments
- giving a mandatory pre-departure orientation
Adelphi generally requires two leaders for each faculty-led program. Upon approval from CIE, programs that work with a provider/university and have sufficient on-the-ground support (in case of emergency) may travel with one faculty member. Faculty may elect to hire someone from the destination country to support the program (in a teaching and/or supervisory capacity). Adding a third faculty member may be necessary for programs with more than 20 students and field-based programs, subject to departmental approval.
Yes, graduate and undergraduate students may travel together on a faculty-led program if:
- the course is a graduate-level course. (Undergraduate students may take graduate courses for credit toward their degree, but the reverse is not true. Graduate students may never apply undergraduate credits to a graduate program.)
- the course is cross-listed as both graduate and undergraduate, with more advanced expectations and learning experiences for the graduate students. In this case, both courses must be reviewed by the appropriate Dean and the graduate course must be approved by the academic affairs process prior to being reviewed by the Faculty-led Selection Committee. Faculty would be compensated for one course.
- independent study courses may be possible.
Yes, non-Adelphi students can travel on faculty-led programs and pay Adelphi tuition per credit. The best way to recruit non-Adelphi students to travel on a faculty-led program is through the faculty leaders’ personal networks and connections at other universities.
Faculty-led study abroad courses follow the Minimum Class Size Policy issued by the Office of the Provost that establishes the following minimum class enrollments:
- 100-200 level courses = 12 students
- 300-500 level courses = 8 students
- 600+ level courses = 5 students
Often, a travel contract associated with the program may further dictate the enrollment target. Faculty leaders together with CIE staff will determine the minimum enrollment for a program to run during the planning stages. CIE reserves the right to cancel programs that do not reach the student minimum by the agreed-upon deadline.
It is recommended that at least one faculty leader travel on a flight that corresponds with the program’s start and end dates. If students book their own tickets, CIE will share faculty flight information in case students would like to travel with a faculty member. All faculty flights must be purchased in accordance with the Adelphi University FARG policy.
No, all students must take the course for credit.
CIE strongly discourages accompanying persons on international programs. Should a faculty member go against this recommendation, he or she must ensure that any individuals under 18-years old are accompanied by an adult (distinct from the faculty member). In addition, any accompanying persons cannot participate in day-to-day program activities, including group dinners, transport, site visits, excursions, etc., as they are not enrolled in the course and are not covered by the University insurance. All expenses and travel arrangements of accompanying persons are the sole responsibility of the faculty member.
Any Adelphi employee, including adjuncts and administrators with relevant credentials and experience, is able to lead a faculty-led study abroad program. The Faculty-led Study Abroad Committee carefully considers course leader qualifications and long-term program strategy in the review of program proposals. All course leaders must participate in training prior to leading a course to another country.
If a faculty leader is unable to accompany the program, CIE will work with the remaining faculty member and department to determine the most efficient way to find a substitute. Each candidate must submit a resume and paragraph summarizing the skills and experiences that make him or her suited to lead the program (e.g., knowledge of course material, language skills, travel experience, experience leading groups, etc.).
The final candidate must be approved by the remaining faculty leader, chair of the department and Senior Assistant Provost for Global Affairs.
There are several models for faculty-led programs including:
- Intersession & Spring Break: Course instruction takes place primarily during the travel component of the program. Course credit is part of the spring semester and fulltime undergraduate students do not pay extra tuition as long as their total credits for the spring semester do not exceed 17 credits. For this model, faculty expenses, including teaching credits, a $75/day stipend per faculty member, meals ($75/day per diem per the Adelphi University FARG policy) and visa fees are the responsibility of the department of prime. The department of prime must set aside these expenses in their budget. (Example: Experiencing London Theatre)
- Summer: Course instruction takes place primarily during the travel component of the program. Students pay the Adelphi University tuition rate per credit. Faculty expenses are supported directly from student tuition for this course and the department of prime does not need to secure funding in its budget. (Examples: Adelphi in Florence; Adelphi in Crete)
- Hybrid Model: Instruction takes place both internationally and in the United States. U.S.-based instruction may take place before or after travel and could be online. Travel must take place during the same semester as instruction and may not overlap terms due to financial aid regulations. See above for term-specific information in regards to the budgeting of faculty expenses and course credit. (Examples: Literary Cities designed by the English Department; Online course conducted over the summer that concludes with 10 days of travel in late August.)
- Two Separate Courses in Different Semesters: Faculty may consider designing a program that consists of two courses in separate terms. For example, faculty could teach a course in the fall that is a prerequisite for an internationally-based course that takes place during intersession. If any portion of the course takes place during the summer, students would be charged tuition.
View a list of active faculty-led study abroad programs maintained by the Center for International Education.
The University-Sponsored Travel to High-Risk Destinations Policy defines restrictions on University-sponsored travel to High Risk Locations for students, faculty, and employees, outlines requirements for petitioning to participate in university-sponsored travel to such locations, and establishes protocol for sudden changes in travel restrictions. Adelphi University does not support student participation in university-sponsored international activities to High-Risk Destinations.
Adelphi University defines High-Risk Destinations as locations categorized as Level 3: Reconsider Travel or Level 4: Do Not Travel by the U.S. Department of State or classified as Watch Level 3: Avoid Non-Essential Travel by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exceptions to this policy will be considered only for locations categorized as Level 3: Reconsider Travel by the U.S. Department of State upon submission of the Petition for International Travel: Risk Assessment Form
Yes. Faculty should follow the standard process posted on the intranet for submission of courses satisfying general education requirements. Here are a few notes regarding the process:
- Special Topics courses are eligible to fulfill General Education requirements. Faculty should follow the standard request process. Once approved, the special topics course will only “carry” the general education designations for one semester.
- Requests for Distribution or Learning Goal credit can be made only by Department Chairs or Dean’s designates (program directors, etc.).
- The PATH leadership asks that requests be made by the deadlines below; however, the Center for International Education (CIE) advises faculty to obtain approval prior to submitting the faculty-led program proposal in order to include this information in marketing materials.
- For the following fall semester and winter intersession: February 1
- For the following spring semester and summer sessions: September 15
- Requests are to be made electronically to the Associate Dean for Academic Operations and General Education in the College of Arts and Sciences at augeneraleducation@adelphi.edu.