Questions to Consider:
1. Characteristics of a Successful Faculty Leader: Do you have what it takes?
- Are you adventurous? Flexible? Adaptable?
- Do you enjoy spending time with students in non-academic setting and helping them with non-academic matters?
- Do you have a sense of humor?
- Are you a good organizer and bookkeeper?
- Do you have the time to do this?
- Does your status at IUP enable you to be away and get paid extra?
2. Program Site Selection: Where should you go?
- Where in the world have you lived and traveled?
- Where do you feel comfortable leading a group?
- What sites relate best to your discipline area?
- What sites might appeal to students?
- Where do you have professional contacts?
- Where does IUP have contacts or infrastructure?
- Where is IUP under-represented?
3. Term Selection: When should you go?
- Is your site more pleasant in winter or summer?
- Do you have other obligations during either term?
- When can your host(s) best accommodate the group?
- Studies have shown that typically more winter programs run vs summer programs.
4. Design of Course Menu: What courses should you teach/offer?
- Do any of your usual course offerings lend themselves to being taught at an international site?
- Will you be able to cover necessary course material abroad?
- Is there someone at the host institution who could teach/co-teach?
- Should the program be cosponsored? (i.e., sociology/cultural anthropology)
5. Definition of Target Audience: Who is your target audience and how will you recruit them?
- Is the program relevant only to a specific major or other group?
- Can you target feeder courses?
- Is the program targeted to too wide an audience?
- How will you recruit?
- Will it be dual listed (undergrad/graduate)?
- Will you recruit outside of IUP?
- Will you offer a noncredit option?
6. Choice of Program Excursions: Where should you go?
- What excursions make sense from a cultural standpoint?
- What excursions make sense from an academic standpoint?
- What excursions give the most bang for their buck?
- Did you plan in free time for more touristy excursions?
7. Group Size/Capacity: What size group is right?
- How many students can your host site handle?
- How many students can your course handle?
- How many students can you handle?
- Have you discussed minimum number of students with your dean (for a contract)?
8. Financial Considerations: Can everyone afford it?
- Will the program fee be reasonable?
- Will other expenses be reasonable?
- What about faculty compensation? (i.e., enough students to cover costs of faculty leader?)
Adapted from University of Delaware Study Abroad