Education Abroad Program Development Training

Training for Faculty-Led Education Abroad Programs

Indiana University’s first faculty-led program took place in 1879 when IU faculty began the tradition of taking students to Europe on summer ‘tramps’ to hike 300 miles while studying natural history and foreign languages in Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, and England. A lot has changed since the 19th century - but one constant has been the dedicated energy and enthusiasm that faculty bring to our short-term programs. We thank you and commend you for continuing this long academic tradition at IU!

The role of a program leader is multifaceted and involves various responsibilities related to coordinating and overseeing education abroad experiences for students, including:

• Program Development
• Logistics and Planning
• Student Recruitment and Advising
• Orientation and Cultural Training
• On-site Support for Students
• Crisis Management
• Cross-cultural Communication
• Collaboration with International Partners
• Post-Program Assessment, Documentation, and Reporting

Overall, education abroad program leaders play a crucial role in facilitating meaningful and enriching international experiences for students while ensuring their safety and well-being throughout the entire process.

Although the success of our faculty-led programs abroad depends on the commitment and capability of the program leaders, please remember that you are not alone. IU Education Abroad, with its decades of experience working with faculty leaders, will provide you with orientation and support throughout program concept, development, and implementation. In most cases, you will also have experienced and responsive support from on-site staff to assist with arrival, housing, academics, and emergencies should they arise.

We hope that the role of faculty director will be one you will long remember as you look back on your career. It is our experience that the students on your program will always associate you with one of the most memorable experiences of their lives.  Thank you for your time and commitment!

In order to complete this training, review the following items. You will see navigation at the bottom of the page that will allow you to progress through the training. Just click the button to proceed. At the end of the course, you will no longer see the option at the bottom of the screen.

Watch a video

First, you will watch a video. Note that if you view the video in full screen, it will open in another window, so you will need to be sure to navigate back to the Canvas course window to progress.

Review Resources

At the bottom of each page, you will see resources to review. 

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