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:

• 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.
• Foreign Language Skills - While not always necessary, preference may be given to those who can communicate in the host-country language.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.