Faculty Handbook

Guidelines for the study abroad program report

The information you provide is important not only in terms of maintaining and improving program quality, but also for helping inform and prepare colleagues who are now, or will be involved in your program. These reports are due 60 days after the end of your program. In writing your end-of-program report, please address the following topics. In each instance please describe:

• what you did this year
• what worked/didn’t work
• what suggestions you have for next year’s program

1. Recruitment and publicity procedures
2. Program Preparations: pre-departure orientation, student arrival and orientation, on-site preparations etc.
3. Academic Program: Courses offered, number of credits, collaboration with host institutions and faculty/presenters, field trips, etc; please include a statement about the integration of the study abroad program into the departmental/college curriculum and/or life of the unit
4. Assessment of on-site logistics and support: Student housing, classroom space and equipment, housing staff, meals, transportation, excursions, special events, etc.
5. Health and safety issues: What, if any, preventive safety measures do you recommend? Were there any health-related incidents such as accidents, serious illness, and mental health issues? Were there any crimes committed against faculty or students? Were health care facilities satisfactory? What, if any, steps need to be taken to make program sites safer? What political, social, cultural, environmental developments on site warrant special attention for next year’s program? Complete and submit an Incident Report form for any crimes that affected students during the program.
6. Student issues: Could satisfactory solutions be found to most student problems? How could such problems be avoided/minimized in the future? What could be done in the future to enhance the cross-cultural learning component of the program? Which aspects of the culture did students react to negatively/ positively? Were issues of cultural adjustment and re-adjustment discussed with students? Was there a special event marking the end of the program? Could a student with a disability have easily participated on the program? If not, what changes would you make for the future?
7. Program benefits: How has being involved in this program enhanced your professional development; for instance, through research and teaching collaboration with host institution faculty? How does the program enhance participating students’ academic/intellectual, personal, professional, and cross-cultural learning?
8. Finances/budget: What, if any, adjustments need to be made to the budget to improve the program and/or to reflect cost realities in the host country/countries?

Please submit copies of the report to your college’s Study Abroad Deans’ Designee, to your department chairperson, and to the director of the Office of Study Abroad.