Information for Faculty

• Faculty are important partners in the success of UChicago Study Abroad. Our unique model of integrating the College curriculum with learning in situ started with the Barcelona: Civilization in the Western Mediterranean program in 1997 and has expanded to 50+ locations around the world. Student participation in study abroad is among the highest of our peers, nearing 50% of the College population.
• Faculty across all divisions are needed every year to teach on our pre-existing UChicago faculty-led programs. If you would like to be considered to teach abroad, please contact the relevant study abroad program faculty director to indicate your interest.*
• Faculty should consult with their department before committing to teaching abroad. Divisional Dean support is required for faculty who wish to teach more than once per year in study abroad. Faculty cannot be on leave or teach an on-campus course during the quarter they teach abroad.

*Instructional Professors and Other Academic Appointees whose contracts are governed by a collective bargaining agreement can currently only teach abroad during the Summer or September term.

• Administration: Faculty-led study abroad programs are financed, organized, and managed by College Study Abroad.
• Compensation: Faculty teaching in Study Abroad are not on leave; they are teaching a College course on a condensed schedule, before and after which they are usually on campus. Faculty continue to receive their regular salary, housing arranged by the College, flight reimbursement, and a per diem.
• Calendar: Study abroad courses are 27 contact hour, three-week intensive courses. Quarters abroad typically align with the on-campus calendar, with courses running from weeks 1-3, weeks 4-6, and weeks 7-9 (though some programs’ calendars may be slightly adjusted due to local holidays).

Example schedule in a quarter:

• Cohort Size: Applications for Study Abroad can be competitive, as cohorts are capped at 26 students or fewer. Students take one intensive course at a time while studying abroad, typically in the mornings. They also take a language course that meets throughout the quarter, typically two or three times a week in the afternoons.
• On-Site Support: Each program site has on-site staff to support program operations. The number of staff and the structure varies by location. On-site staff, along with our office, arrange classroom space and housing, manage the budget and finances, plan and execute logistics for program excursions, and act as the local emergency contact.
   
  In Paris, the programs are supported by the Center staff. Programs in other locations typically also have a program assistant (who is often a UChicago graduate student). The program assistant lives with or near the undergraduate students and provides help with cultural adjustment and extracurricular student support.

• Each program has a designated Study Abroad program manager in our office who will be in touch with you ahead of the program to share program and planning details one to two quarters ahead of the quarter in which you are teaching. The respective program manager’s name and contact information can be found at the top of each specific program’s page.
• Students attend between one and three required pre-departure orientation meetings. The program manager will invite you to attend the meeting that covers the curriculum in order to meet the students and give a general overview of your course themes and objectives.
• Please make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your intended date of return to the United States. If you need or think you need a visa, please let us know so we can discuss the application procedure.
• The College provides your housing abroad, covers the cost of your economy round-trip airfare to and from the program location, and provides a modest per diem to defray the cost of meals and local transportation while teaching abroad. Senior Associate Director Kylie Zahora will be in touch with further information ahead of your teaching abroad.
• The University cannot accommodate additional expenses related to accompanying family members, such as travel costs or any special housing arrangements that may be needed. For both practical and legal liability reasons, we ask that family members not participate in program-organized excursions, especially those that involve travel or ticket booking.
• All faculty, students, and staff at the University receive travel assistance through International SOS. This program provides coverage of some costs associated with medical emergencies, illness, and security issues overseas, as well as useful contacts for assistance with medical or legal issues. The International SOS program does not remove a traveler’s obligation to have separate and full medical insurance while abroad.

Scheduling and Structure:

• Courses typically run for three weeks and, depending on the location, meet three to five times weekly for a total of nine hours per week (for a total minimum of 27 contact hours).
• The program site should inform the course and vice versa. Excursions in and around the city, and occasionally beyond, should be an integral part of the syllabus and curriculum. These can happen the same day each week (e.g. Thursdays) or can take the place of a classroom lesson, depending on the program location.
• All UChicago faculty-led study abroad courses are capped at 26 students or fewer. Under graduate division funding models, Study Abroad courses do not qualify for course assistants.
• The intensive nature of the three-week study abroad course has both advantages and challenges. Some advantages include building stronger relationships between students and faculty, allowing students to focus all their attention and energy on one subject at a time, and higher student motivation. Some challenges may include pace and time management, limited ability to cover broad swaths of content, absences causing a bigger academic impact (since missing one class meeting can be equivalent to missing an entire week of class on campus), and assignments and expectations needing to be adjusted to fit the intensive three-week course.

Assignments and Grading:

• Short papers, group presentations, and in-class exams are effective formats for evaluation. Students should have clear, manageable deadlines since classes meet more frequently. Library access abroad is limited.
• All assignments and assessments must be completed within the three-week course. Deadlines that run into the following professor’s three-week course are not feasible.
• Study Abroad uses standard UChicago letter grades. Pass/Fail, Incompletes, and Withdrawals are not allowed in Study Abroad courses. Grades are submitted through Faculty Access.

Curriculum and Local Engagement:

• The program location should be an essential aspect of your curriculum. We encourage you to incorporate at least two or three local excursions. Honoraria are occasionally available for local guest lecturers and experts.
• Our local staff have significant experience planning excursions and site visits. Please let us know as early as possible if you would like assistance identifying excursions for your curriculum.
• Sample syllabi and opportunities to connect with colleagues who previously taught in your program are available. Please contact the relevant program faculty director or Study Abroad program manager.

Course Materials and Technology:

• We suggest putting all readings on Canvas and/or keeping reading lists (especially book orders) modest. We will ask you to share your syllabus and book list before the pre-departure meeting in the quarter before you teach abroad.
• Classroom facilities vary by program, but generally include a suitably sized room, wireless internet, and AV for media. The program manager can provide details.

For additional course development support, please consult the following resources:

• The program faculty director (for best practices and sample syllabi)
• The College Center for Teaching and Learning
• The relevant Study Abroad program manager

We encourage you to teach on one of our many pre-existing faculty-led programs. Faculty who would like to propose a new College Study Abroad program are welcome to contact Assistant Dean and Executive Director Elana Kranz to discuss their ideas. Final proposals are due by August 1 of the academic year prior to the academic year in which the program would run (i.e. at least one year in advance). New College Study Abroad programs are subject to approval by the Office of Study Abroad at the direction of the Dean of the College. Factors considered include, but are not limited to, student demand (both for the proposed program and across Study Abroad programs generally), faculty support (availability of enough faculty to teach regularly), local resources (e.g. staff support, student and faculty housing, classroom space, etc.), logistical feasibility, health and safety considerations, and budgetary and staff capacity in Chicago.

• List of Program Faculty Directors
• List of Programs
• Our Staff