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Faculty Information
Grant Proposal and Application
The 2025 CGE Faculty-Led Short-Term Study Abroad Faculty-led Application is NOW CLOSED!
Click the tab below to access the application and info packet for your future reference.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Chris McGrew at chris.mcgrew@indstate.edu or by calling 812-237-4325.
Why Lead a Trip?
Developing and leading an ISU program abroad gives you the unique opportunity to interact with students in ways that you may not have experienced on campus. You will be serving both as the course instructor as well as the faculty-led program “director”. You will see your students grow in the short time that you are abroad together, and you will have a lasting impact on their education, their lives, and their overall international perspective. As a faculty member, you play a crucial role in supporting “Study Abroad”. You have the strongest voice in getting the message to students that studying abroad should be an important component of their undergraduate education at ISU. Many ISU students have never been abroad, and the possibility of a short-term program with a faculty member and other ISU students may be the only way to take the first step!
Faculty lead study abroad programs for several of the following reasons:
- Experiential Learning to broaden students’ interest in their field of study
- To link academic learning with practice in field of study
- Interacting with students at multiple levels (as teachers, mentors etc...)
- Building up credentials for tenure track and senior positions
- Networking with foreign institutions (research projects...)
- Promoting Indiana State University abroad
- Thinking “Globally” outside the box!
Faculty Directors Responsibilities/Qualifications:
1. Group Leadership Skills - A Faculty-Led Director is expected to have experience leading student groups/activities/classes and have international experience in the countries on the itinerary. The Faculty-Led Director is the person who must enforce rules and regulations. If a student on faculty-led trip is disruptive and not behaving in a way reflective of university expectations, the director would be expected to advise students of possible consequences. These consequences could include working with the Center for Global Engagement to return the student to the United States. This extremely rare occurrence would require the director to make alternative flight arrangements for the student and accompany the student to the departure airport.
2. Foreign Language Skills - While not always necessary, preference may be given to those who can communicate in the host-country language.
3. Planning and Attending Group Meetings -The Faculty-Led Director will need to be able to plan and conduct information sessions and work with the CGE Assistant Director Faculty Initiatives regarding student costs and payments, and coordinating pre-departure orientations. It is important for the Director to have several "get to know" sessions prior to departure.
4. Documentation - Documentation is very important for academic, risk management, and financial reasons. To insure this documentation of the experience, the university requires both the Faculty Led Director and the Center for Global Engagement to distribute and collect a number of forms and documents. Students are not allowed to participate in these experiences without the completed forms. Therefore directors are required to work with the Center for Global Engagement to follow-up with students to collect missing or late documents and forms. The willingness and availability for the director to work with the Center for Global Engagement is essential.
5. Trip Logistics -It is mandatory for the Faculty-Led Director to travel with the group on all scheduled activities from departure to return. The Faculty-Led Director is responsible for all of the following:
- Meeting the students on campus or at airport to distribute airline tickets
- Traveling with the faculty-led group from departure to the return to the U.S. and cannot expect to stay-on in the destination after the last date of the trip.
- Leading the group through all of the trip’s logistics such as on/off buses, in/out of taxis, check-in and check-out of hotels, arranging for group dinners, etc.
- Assisting students during the trip who are in need of medical or other type of help
- Making decisions about what to do when obstacles arrive such as bus/rail strikes, plane delays, lost wallets, passports etc.
6. Emergency Protocol and Communication - In the event of an emergency while the group is traveling overseas - the Faculty-Led Director must be in touch with all necessary parties to decide what the group will do in the event that plans must be changed. Before the trip departs, the Director and CGE will meet to discuss rules and regulations, safety and security procedures, and common situations that arise with group travel. Indiana State University has certain responsibilities and legal obligations for our faculty and students who travel abroad on university business. It is important that care is taken to systematically check on issues of safety which includes a check for travel advisories of the U.S. Government for foreign destinations.
Risk Management
Your first responsibility in an emergency is to safeguard the well-being of program participants. As faculty director, you are responsible to manage whatever emergencies occur on your F-L program. Should you be rendered unable to carry out your duties, you will need a back-up. During the proposal process you were required to designate a Co-director in advance. Now that your faculty-led proposal has been approved for upcoming travel, preparing a contingency plan that addresses procedures in case of absence or incapacity of the faculty director will need to be completed.
Risks exist on virtually any type of travel; be it domestic or international. Being proactive is crucial. If the risky activity is NOT related to the course, it should NOT be included in the program. High risk activities such as mountain climbing, bungee jumping, scuba diving should be avoided.
Crisis planning, preparedness, response, and management are vital to the success of any faculty-led experience. Faculty directors are pivotal in handling abroad emergencies! Not having a crisis plan in place puts everyone at risk including your students, your co-directors, your university, and lastly YOU.
Consider the following when creating a risk management plan - note: the Faculty-Led office’s role is to provide assistance, guidance, and support as you develop and lead your course-base experience abroad.
- The Faculty director will develop a strategic plan to manage on-site emergencies for possible risks including student issues from illness to disciplinary actions, emergency evacuation due to political unrest, natural disaster, terrorist attack in program city, group housing reassignment, etc. Working with your co-director if a situation arises where one of the faculty needs to be away from the group to assist a student with a medical or conduct issue to ultimately accompanying the student home to ISU.
- Identify an emergency evacuation plan that includes at least one alternative site that will accommodate housing for the group. Students should be made aware of a meeting point during on-site orientation—know immediately where to go during an emergency.
- You are serving as an on-site advisor for your students: mental health issues, medications, sexual harassment, student conduct, cultural adjustment, crime, emergencies, etc. As you develop your plan for the ISU program, use the ISU Student and Faculty Code of Conduct as a reference to make sure to adhere to university policies. In case of student misconduct issues such as alcohol and drug usage, skipping class or planned excursions, tardiness these matters need to be immediately addressed onsite. Failing to have a set plan to address these types of situations can disrupt the educational experience for the participants.
- Risk management protocol plan should include:
1. Communication with students and university
2. Physical health and medical strategy
3. Abidance of the ISU Code of Conduct
4. Title IX and Clery Act
- In the plan, explain your process in decision making during an emergency:
1. Assessment: first step - “How” serious is issue
2. Securing Students: administer any first aid, calling for assistance
3. Communication: FERPA
4. Documentation: If a crisis should occur—keep a written record of all steps taken.
Non-Participant Travelers:
1. Approval for Travel: All non-participant travelers on CGE Faculty-Led Short-Term Study Abroad Programs must be approved by the Faculty Director of the program and the Associate Dean. If approved, the Faculty Director must submit, in writing, the approval to Center for Global Engagement, Dr. Chris McGrew at Chris.McGrew@indstate.edu. Risk management protocols must be in place for non-participants and departmental waivers signed.
2. GeoBlue Worldwide Insurance: Non-participants, including dependents and spouses, will now be responsible for purchasing insurance, separately/independently of the Faculty-Led program. Upon request, a GeoBlue online registration link can be provided. Payment is due upon completion of the application. Prices differ for non-participant insurance.
All ISU Faculty-Led programs must be registered with the Department of State - STEP - Student Traveler Enrollment Program.
All ISU Faculty-Led programs are covered under GEOBlue Insurance that provides emergency medical assistance and evacuation due to political unrest or natural disaster.
Again, being proactive to anticipate the “what ifs” and “just in case” will be well worth the effort if an emergency or minor disruptions occur while on your faculty-led experience. The Center for Global Engagement will assist you in creating a risk management plan conducive to your abroad location.
For many ISU students this could be the trip of a lifetime! Don’t fall victim to underestimating the challenges of faculty-led travel. As a faculty leader of a group of ISU students on a course-base experiential learning program, the experience can be rewarding both professionally and personally. The rewards definitely outweigh the challenges!
Handbook
COMING SOON
Attention Faculty! For ISU Students that cannot fit in a traditional, semester-based Study Abroad, as an ISU Faculty member, why not provide a Faculty-Led Short-Term Study abroad program? How it works, ISU Students will travel with an ISU Faculty who has the expertise and experience in the abroad location and will relate the course objectives into the cultural immersion of the program from learning about the local culture and customs to visiting historical and famous sites. Programs are based on an ISU 3-credit course with a customized travel component. Providing experiential learning programs allow ISU students to learn and travel with fellow students.
ISU Advantage Experience Grant for 2025 Faculty Led
The application for faculty led trips taking place in 2025 is found at https://www.indstate.edu/education-abroad/faculty-led/faculty-info, and is due on January 31, 2024.
If you have any questions or if you are unable to attend any of the meetings and would like to meet to discuss your ideas, please contact Chris McGrew at chris.mcgrew@indstate.edu.
