Resources for Faculty-Led Program Development

A note from Angela Perryman, Director of Study Abroad & Global Engagement: 

Thank you for your interest in learning more about the development of short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs at the University of Kansas. Faculty-led study abroad programs enrich the curriculum, open new doors for students, and provide assurances to other faculty, to the administration, and to students and parents that the program will be of high quality. 

For KU students there are many benefits of participation in a short-term, faculty-led study abroad program. In addition to linguistic, cultural, and comparative learning, short-term programs can offer:  

• Accessibility for those students facing curricular, extra-curricular (Athletics, ROTC, etc.), financial or personal constraints (family obligations, etc.) to longer duration study abroad;  
• Structured and highly supported international study opportunities for those students who may not have significant travel experience;  
• Unique curricular opportunities to study courses/disciplines not regularly offered at KU;  
• Internship or field research experiences;  
• High-touch mentorship experiences with KU faculty and staff. 

While highly valuable to students, the development and leadership of study abroad programs can also greatly benefit a KU faculty member. Specifically, faculty may benefit from the following:  

• Opportunities to highlight and share their international expertise with UG or Grad students;  
• Opportunities to develop or strengthen collaborations with faculty or institutions abroad;  
• Opportunities to pursue research interests abroad, or to explore new intellectual territory;  
• Opportunities to teach new courses and to explore new teaching methodologies and practices;  
• Opportunities to develop deep and rich relationships with KU students;  
• Salary and/or travel compensation for program teaching and leadership. 

Developing a new faculty-led study abroad program is a highly collaborative effort between the faculty director(s), his/her academic department and the Office of Study Abroad. As a comprehensive international research institution, KU’s mission and our core curriculum demonstrates the commitment of the institution to preparing our students for personal and professional lives in a global context. The Office of Study Abroad staff are proud to have an integral role in supporting this goal, and we look forward to assisting faculty and academic departments in the development of international educational opportunities for their students.  

If interested in exploring new program development, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 785-864-3742 or by email at aperryman@ku.edu to discuss your ideas and the ways in which we can support your work. We look forward to hearing from you!