How to Design a Successful Study Abroad Program

Camille Serchukserchukc1@southernct.edu

Planning• Supply and Demand• Logistics• Calendar• Budgeting• Recruiting and Admissions• Preparing to Go• Your trip• After your return

Supply and Demand

• What would you like to do?• Have you participated in study abroad before?• Where are your connections?• Do you speak the local language?• What would best serve your program?• What is the audience for your course(s)?• How many faculty can your program support?

Logistics

• Where will your students stay?• Where will they eat?• Where will your classes meet?• Are you using the resources of another

institution?• What documents will facilitate your access to

sites?• Will you travel once you arrive? How?• Are reservations necessary for visits?

Calendar

• Writing and submitting a proposal• When do you want to go? Summer?

Wintersession? Spring Break? For how long?• Program calendar (itinerary, credit hours,

contact hours, local holidays)• Admissions calendar• Payment calendar (Airfare, housing, other

reservations that require payment in advance)

Budgeting

• Cost of travel, food, housing, visits, classroom• Faculty costs• Course costs (SCSU or host institution)• Anticipating currency fluctuation• Financial Aid• P-card

Recruiting and Admissions

• Recruiting • Brochures and posters• Information sessions• Applications and deadlines (What do you want

to know? What do you need to know?)• How many is enough? Too many?

Preparing to go

• Helping students know what to expect while traveling

• Teaching students appropriate conduct abroad

• Safety and other practical matters• Student medical forms• Setting the tone• Preparing course materials in advance

Your trip

• Local arrangements• Getting the most from your locale• Staying safe• Encouraging independence, within boundaries• When students travel on their own• Morale, homesickness• What can go wrong and how to deal with it

Returning home

• Paperwork and finances• Getting student help to recruit and advise

students in the future• Using information to better plan and budget in

the future

Know yourself

• 24/7 responsibility, as parent, travel agent, concierge, social worker, translator and shopping advisor, IT support, banker.

• Not a time to do research• Not a lot of down time• Every step is your responsibility