�� - faculty support

Departmental Services

nicolerh — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 21:00:10 +0000

Our department is here to support faculty and staff that are interested in leading a program through CALS ��. Below are the services that our department provides to faculty and staff to help implement new and existing programs to students. Please feel free to contact us or stop by 0018 Curtiss Hall to learn more.

New Program Development

Program Types: short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs, exchange programs, service-learning programs and internships
Advise on program creating and development
Funding support for new program development
Facilitate travel logistics
Provide guidance on program proposal and approval process
Review existing CALS and ISU relationships for collaborative opportunities
Develop and manage exchange programs

Program Coordination

Program Portfolio: faculty-led short-term study abroad programs, student exchanges, and internship
Facilitate travel arrangements and in-country logistics
Advise on visa applications and requirements
Manage program evaluations
Present safety and travel tips at pre-departure orientations
Manage CALS study abroad student scholarships
Create online program information brochures and budget sheets
Manage online application process
Share application status with program directors

Risk Management

Monitor safety and health issues at program locations
Coordinate with ISU Office of Risk Management on 24/7 emergency response
Distribute emergency contact and response documentation
Facilitate On Call International Emergency Insurance

Faculty Support

Prepare and train program leaders
Provide guidance on policy and procedures
Coordinate financial processes
Coordinate travel processes and logistics

Marketing and Outreach

Share student experiences abroad via social media
Host annual CALS �� Fair
Participate in ISU �� Fairs
Present in classes about study abroad opportunities
Participate in CALS Career Fairs
Present at Junior visit days
Coordinate recruiting efforts with study abroad alumni
Meet with prospective students interested in study abroad opportunities
Invited presentations for departments and student organizations

Click here for some program director highlights from faculty and staff that have led travel courses through our office.

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faculty and staff

new program development

program coordination

Tools/Resources for Program Directors

adminn — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 15:52:07 +0000

PROGRAM VISION

Intro to Travel Courses PPT
Travel Courses 101 Tutorial (Warren Dolphin’s adapted information)
Site Visit Considerations
Funding Proposal
Education Abroad Committee (EAC)

FORMING THE GROUP

ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION

Sample Acceptance Letter
Passport/Travel Clinic
Sample Behavioral Expectations Agreement (This agreement was created by students themselves with the help of an outside facilitator to guide the discussion.)
Reflection Guide
Sample of Reflective Writing Grading Sheet
Travel Course Packing List
Orientation Activity – Case Studies on Incidences (Orientation case study 1, Orientation case study 2)
TSA’s What Can I Bring?

TRAVEL

Program Director Handbook (financial management procedures)

POST TRAVEL

Evaluation Form (developed by the CALS �� Office)
Sample of Program Final Report

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Tips for Faculty

adminn — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 15:47:30 +0000

Creating a Faculty-Led Travel Course 101

If you are considering creating a course abroad for the first time, we recommend you contact the CALS �� office. We can set a meeting time to discuss the dynamics of your course and the kind of services you are interested in, as well as program timeframes, details and make some lists of next steps. It would be important to have an idea of what you want students to learn and how you want them to learn it, then we can discuss how to make that happen in another country. Contact Jodi Cornell.

One of our former experienced faculty leaders, Warren Dolphin, biology, created the timeline and tips you will find below. It is a step by step guide for developing a faculty-led travel course.

9 to 12 months in advance of trip

A. Program Vision & Curricular Issues

How will students receive credit for the international experience?

Create a list of academic outcomes for the experience and adjust the goals of trip to achieve the outcomes
If a course is approved by University Curriculum Committee, it will satisfy the International Perspectives requirement for graduation, adding an incentive for students to take the class. Note: A 3 credit course would be the minimum to satisfy the IP requirement
Decide the number of credits to be granted (1 credit per week of travel is a reasonable standard), can combine pre-departure course contact hours and field trip contact hours. A 3 credit course is the norm.
If approved by the departmental curriculum committee as counting in major, then it satisfies other requirements and adds another incentive
Establish prerequisites that limit site-seers but which are not too limiting

Develop a rough syllabus for a pre-trip seminar or course

Academic background topics so students can appreciate goals of travel
Possible basic language instruction if applicable
Information on what to take, how to pack, and how to act
Consider using guest lecturers on campus who can add expertise to student preparation, including the ISU travel nurse

Identify resources on campus

College �� Office
�� Center
Faculty Partners (co-leaders, who know the host country)
Experienced Program Directors
Service Providers

Identify resources overseas

Faculty Partners
Former Graduate Students/Colleagues
Host Institution
Service Providers

B. Translating Concepts to Reality

Begin organizing logistics.

You are a general contractor making all arrangements for travel, hotels, buses, etc.
Contract with a commercial travel agent to provide basics of travel and living and you fill in with more specific instructional activities
Use contacts at universities or agencies in country and have them set up the entire experience with your input on academic content
CALS faculty should schedule an appointment with the CALS �� office, 294-1851 or jcornell@iastate.edu, 0018 Curtiss Hall, to learn more about the services provided. Non-CALS faculty should check with their own college international office or study abroad office.
Revisit outcomes of the course and consider the kinds of activities and/or visits that will achieve those outcomes

Tips:

Look at a map of a country or region to be visited and decide on a travel route (with alternatives) to and through the region, specifying key locations and people to be visited
Decide on approximate itinerary-- inclusive of dates, cities and events to be visited; anticipated activities and sites to give students a sense of what the trip is about. Try to set some concrete goals for each day, e.g. travel from xxx to xxx; or "to see the interior aspect of a rain forest and to investigate the concept of canopy biology"
Lay out a tentative itinerary with one third day resolution; do this for morning and afternoon and evening. Set up instructional goals and list in the itinerary. Look at the itinerary and determine what is needed to accomplish goals, e.g. bus from xxx to xxx, guide in forest, and return transport. Pay attention to how you will feed, bed, instruct and transport group during each day. Group meals are nice in some remote locations or when itinerary requires it, other times students can get meals on their own so that they have a chance to mingle in the culture. If the duration of your trip allows, try to balance program time with free time students will have on their own. That way they are more receptive to group activities that follow.
- Sample Itinerary 1
- Sample Itinerary 2
Use the EAC Program Planning & Approval Form’s budget form to help determine the program fee. It is better to estimate high costs at this point rather than low.
- Planning & Approval Form (Faculty must contact Jodi Cornell before starting a proposal)
Do a risk assessment on each phase of trip and review activities for potential liabilities taking steps to minimize. Use licensed carriers where possible. Add these risks to the risk section of the Program Planning Form

Then:

Meet with the CALS �� Office to discuss:

Contents of application form that the students will complete which will assist you in the selection process
Setting up an account to receive student payments
Assistance in completing the Program Planning & Approval Form
Help in advertising
Information on insurance
Work out how bills will be paid from trip account

Dates for required submission of proposals are about 9 months in advance of the course traveling abroad. Check the Education Abroad Committee website. This makes your trip an approved ISU course offering. Seek funding from your department and college to defray some of the course costs. Some programs have received funding from organizations affiliated with the scope of the course.

6 to 9 months in advance -Forming the Group

Recruiting:

Work with the CALS �� office to prepare a one-page flyer with a program description, estimated costs, time of informational meeting for students to attend and your email address.
Go to appropriate classes to advertise the course
Send a short announcement of the program to departmental colleagues and to appropriate departmental/program communication specialists and post it on appropriate websites. Audience is not only students who will take trip but should be parents as well who will have questions about the course.
All courses will have an electronic brochure created for them as part of the application, the CALS �� office will create this for all CALS programs. It is possible to set up a “virtual” trip by creating a list of links to hotels, museums, cities to be visited. Please share this information with the CALS �� office so we can refer students.
All advertising materials should have your email address on it with a note to contact you immediately so that students can be put on an email list for further contact information. As list grows, send periodic announcements to keep students interested. Schedule at least two information sessions on different days of the week, late in day to give trip overview and answer questions. Include the website of your electronic brochure through ISUAbroad so students know where to apply.

Student Selection:

Once you have completed the selection of applicants, send a letter of notification of acceptance including information about getting a passport and when you may contact them again with the orientation class meeting date, time, and place.
Students are registered for pre-departure course by the CALS �� office after they are accepted and committed to the program.

3 to 6 months in advance - Administrative Issues

If needed, talk to your Department Chair and College about a summer salary for you (if applicable) and other co-leader covering period of trip and some time before and after when you will be doing paper-work related to trip
Contact service providers (hotels, buses, airlines, guide services, etc.) and get firm estimates of costs with amount due to make reservation and date of full payment. Investigate refund policy and latest cancellation dates. Inform students about refund policies and that late cancellations may well forfeit earlier deposits. Always ask about free of charge policy because many hotels will give a free room of leaders if group size is 20. This also applies to airline tickets. The CALS �� office can get airline quotes for you. Update budget form with latest prices.
You may need to make deposits at this time. Advance payments can be made with credit cards (University T&H Cards), wire transfers, or checks. The CALS �� office can assist you with all these things. Additional information on pre-payments can be founds, /pre-payments.
To determine exact cost of trip, sum up group expenses to get a total budget. Subtract from total any funds that you have raised on campus such as group leader grants. Divide remainder by number of students paying to arrive at per student cost (this can be done using the budget form). This is the program fee and will be added to the students’ U Bills the semester of travel. Program fees are billed through the CALS ��. CALS �� will confirm fee amounts with you by accounts receivables deadlines (Fall billing due – first week of July; Spring billing due – first week of December; and Summer billing due – first week of April). When students pay their bills, money is automatically routed to your study abroad account. In addition to program fee, there are also tuition/fees (for summer programs that will be charged to students' Ubills too), and out-of-pocket expenditures.
Consider how you want to evaluate the trip. If you need a baseline, consider doing some pre-trip evaluation during the orientation. If you are interested in using the post-trip evaluation developed by the CALS �� office, please contact Visha Arumugam.

4 to 5 months in advance - Pre-departure Orientation

At a minimum, the pre-departure orientation must cover health, safety and risk issues. The CALS �� Office can assist with this preparation. General travel tips, money issues, local language and cultural preparation are important as well. Technical background will help students develop a context for what they will experience and learn on the trip. You can do this alone or invite in guest speakers. The seminar allows the group to get to know each other and allows you to set the tone for the trip, i.e. it is a course, not a vacation.
Previous leaders have built in student ownership by having students complete assignments on trip locations, flora, fauna, geology, weather, politics, economics, and general tourist information. Have the students send links to you and insert in a trip web page or Facebook page that you develop. Some groups have had student “reporters” that take responsibility for weather reports, current events and interesting news from the host country.
For example, Warren Dolphin, former international field trips in Biology program director, had students prepare a 10-page research paper with 10 references on some topic that relates to trip. These are called 10 X 10 papers. He suggested topics but was open to students proposing one. One-page outline was due in third week, 6-page outline in 6 week and paper is due about tenth week. Papers are read and commented on and returned to students before end of seminar. Students prepare a 20 to 30 minute talk on based on their paper. Talks are delivered on-site in country to group (sometimes with outsiders listening in) at a location that is appropriate to topic chosen, e.g. those choosing a Great Barrier Reef topic deliver their talks on the fore deck of the dive boat during a rest period between dives.
Share with students your concerns about the trip and have them participate in developing a sensible code of conduct for the trip. Responsibility should be on the students and not always on the leader. Be sure to address expectations around alcohol and disruptive behavior.
Layout a detailed itinerary with objectives, logistical information and day-to-day activities. Include phone, emails or links of locations where appropriate. This list can be shared with parents, etc. before you go on trip.
Arrange extracurricular meetings so that group members can get to know one another. Have a student social committee to plan some games. Use it as an opportunity to share travel tips: packing, communication options, gear to bring, extending trip afterward, etc.
As trip dates get closer watch currency exchange rates.
If visas are needed for the country visiting, begin paperwork process for this. One service we have used successfully in the past is Perry Visa International, http://www.perryvisa.com if you need a service. The CALS �� office can assist with this as well.

1 to 2 months in advance

Using the information in the application forms the CALS �� office will prepare an emergency packet of information: Emergency contact information for all students (part of application form); Medical information for all students (part of application form); copy of passport/visa of all participants (can help with replacement if lost).
Purchase or collect gifts for hosts
Attend program director training. To register, contact Shelley Taylor.
- CALS �� will assist you in applying for an Event Card (Purchasing card) to use during your program.
- Decide how much cash you will need (university cash advance before trip, or ATM withdrawal in-country).
- Finalize any advance payments, take receipts or confirmation with you
Consider what your financial needs will be on the trip
Submit final itinerary and contact information to the CALS �� office

During Travel

During trips, keep students informed of each day’s activities and the goals of those activities through daily morning briefings
Consider reflection activities throughout the trip to maximize learning
Keep excellent records on expenditures (keep all receipts, and take blank receipts as well). Additional information can be found, /keep-your-trip-expenses-organized.
Encourage students to post program experiences on social media using #CALSGlobal
Keep excellent records of incidences, review emergency procedures and student conduct policies.

Emergencies:

In the event of an emergency situation, it is the first responsibility of the Program Director to provide for the immediate safety and security of all participants.
In the event of an emergency situation, it is the second responsibility of the Program Director to immediately contact ISU via the ISU Global Emergency number which is 515-294-7700 or CALS �� personnel.

0 to 2 months post trip - Wrapping it up

Submit receipts to appropriate Account Specialist and reconciliation upon return. More information can be found, /post-trip-getting-your-money-back.
Post photos and comments on appropriate websites or social media sites. Helps to bring closure for group and sets up advertising for next group
Submit a narrative report that summarizes the trip activities and suggests any changes that you might make for next time. If unexpected risks were encountered describe with suggestions for future minimizations. Be sure to evaluate educational value as well as travel arrangements.
Organize a reunion picnic to share photos and stories when convenient

Tags:

�������� - faculty support

Departmental Services

New Program Development

Program Coordination

Risk Management

Faculty Support

Marketing and Outreach

Tools/Resources for Program Directors

Tips for Faculty

Creating a Faculty-Led Travel Course 101

9 to 12 months in advance of trip

A. Program Vision & Curricular Issues

B. Translating Concepts to Reality

6 to 9 months in advance -Forming the Group

3 to 6 months in advance - Administrative Issues

4 to 5 months in advance - Pre-departure Orientation

1 to 2 months in advance

During Travel

0 to 2 months post trip - Wrapping it up

�� - faculty support