Information for Faculty

The Study Abroad office staff encourages proposals from faculty for the development of study abroad programs or exchange partnerships. To support new program development, significant structural changes to existing programs, or to visit potential partner institutions, the Rinker Center is making funds available for site visits to those who are planning such programs. Site visits generally include activities such as touring partner campus and facilities, meeting with potential on-site faculty and program representatives, observing classes, visiting excursion and internship sites, seeing student housing, meeting with students, reviewing risk management and student health support, etc.

Funds may be granted based on reasonable cost estimates and level of funds. The Rinker Center anticipates that the funding will not cover the entire cost of the visit, and encourages additional financial support to come from other sources, such as department or college funds, or private funds.

Full-time Ball State faculty are eligible to apply for a Rinker Center grant. Funds are not for individual research or student attendance at conferences and preference will be given to faculty and staff who have not received prior funding. Only one person per site visit will be funded. 

Funds are provided as reimbursement for expenses upon completion of the visit. Upon selection for an award, the Study Abroad Office will notify faculty of funding decision (cc to College’s Budget Coordinator) and advise them to work with their College’s Budget Coordinator to reconcile expenses and seek reimbursement upon return.

Requirements

• Faculty must complete the a Site Visit Funding Proposal Form and submit to the Director of Study Abroad. Consult with the appropriate contact in your Dean's Office for any additional international requirements/guidelines they may have in place.
• All proposals must clearly demonstrate the purpose of the visit, i.e. for new program/partner development or for existing program restructure. If new program/partner development, the proposal must demonstrate how the location would augment a proposed study abroad program’s course content and/or learning experiences of the participants, the faculty member’s experience and knowledge of the location and local language (if applicable), any existing relationships with universities or institutions in the area (either at the institutional or personal level). If for restructure/revision of an existing program/partner, the purpose of the restructure/revision and how it will add value to the existing program/partner.
• The application must include a preliminary itinerary for the site visit with rational for the location(s) selected.
• The application must include a preliminary budget for the site visit that indicates any shared financial support available (college, department, grant, partner, self-supporting)
• Upon conclusion of the visit, the faculty member will conduct a reconciliation with their college’s Budget Coordinator. The Budget Coordinator will provide a report to the Director of Study Abroad indicating level of approved funding expended.

Award Selection Process

Award decisions and level of funding will be based on the individual merit/strength of each proposal, with a focus on the likelihood of program/partnership success, based in part, on the following components:

• Location
• Faculty Leader’s experience in and knowledge of location
• Disciplinary offering
• Ways in which the proposed program differs from existing overseas study programs
• Student health and safety in location
• Evidence of prior correspondence with relevant parties at the proposed site

Each proposal will be reviewed by a committee of three faculty/staff members of the Global Engagement Committee and the Director of Study Abroad for a recommendation on approval and level of funding provided. Recommendations will be forwarded to the Provost’s Office for official approval. Official approval of funding, and level of funding, resides with Provost’s Office.

Application Deadlines:

Proposals will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are depleted for each fiscal year. Review and approval can take up to 3-4 weeks.

Study Abroad Program Proposal Submission Platform

The Study Abroad Office appreciates your interest in developing a faculty-led study abroad program. We look forward to assisting you in what will be a rewarding opportunity, both for your professional development and the academic development of BSU students.

As you may know, Goal One of Ball State University’s strategic plan states that every student will complete at least one course that includes one of the following high-impact practices (HIP): undergraduate research; immersive learning; study abroad or study away; or a course that focuses on a societal issue or global challenge and that engages students with people across diverse disciplines, cultures, and thought. In order to support this endeavor, the university commits to designating and assessing courses with these high impact practice designations. Beginning in Spring 2023, all Ball State University faculty-led study abroad programs will be designated as high impact practice courses and will undergo development, designation, and assessment to provide student recognition of HIP completion. In order to assist in providing this recognition, Study Abroad asks that you incorporate the following two HIP student learning objectives into your faculty led program course(s):

1. “Students will explain (a) new or different perspective(s) as a result of learning from or with diverse communities or cultures.”
2. “Students will apply previous knowledge or skills to demonstrate comprehension and performance in novel situations.”

Upon completion of the program, you will provide your assessment of the learning objectives for each student, and results will be shared with the Study Abroad Office who will synthesize the results to share with faculty and BSU administration prior to designation of completion on the student’s record.

The study abroad program proposal submission and approval process has moved to an online platform (InfoReady). Please use the link below to log into the platform with your BSU Username and password to submit your proposal.

Faculty-Led Program Proposal (InfoReady)

The components of the proposal may be familiar to those of you who have submitted proposals in the past, and you can easily cut and paste or scan and upload your required documentation. Once submitted, notifications and subsequent proposal approval routing are automated, resulting in clearer and more efficient communications. We also believe the automated routing process will result in a quicker turn-around process for proposal review and/or approval. You may submit your proposal at any time, however please submit in full by the following deadlines to ensure no delays in approval.

• Summer program - September 30
• Fall programs - September 30
• Spring programs - February 28
• Spring break programs - February 28
• Winter break programs - February 28

While we have endeavored to make the process as clear and intuitive as possible, as with any new process, there may be unforeseen issues that will need to be resolved. We therefor ask your feedback on the new process, to ensure we are meeting your needs to provide you with a quicker and easier submission process. 

Thank you, and as always, please do not hesitate to contact the Study Abroad Office with any questions or concerns you may have about this, or any other issue.

Study Abroad Faculty Leader Certification Module

The Study Abroad Office appreciates your interest in developing a faculty-led study abroad program. We look forward to assisting you in what will be a rewarding opportunity, both for your professional development and the academic development of BSU students.

This module was designed in collaboration with BSU Risk Management, Legal Counsel, and Faculty Leaders. It was developed using resources provided, in part, from University of Central Florida, Michigan State University, the School for Field Studies and other individuals and institutions. It is designed to provide you with information and tools you need to incorporate best practices into your study abroad program leadership responsibilities. It is NOT a test, rather this module is provided to help answer questions about your role on the program and serve as a resource to guide your decisions when confronted with program and student challenges. As a Faculty Leader you will find that your responsibilities do not end in the classroom and students will rely on you for all kinds of extra-curricular assistance as they adjust to a new, and sometimes stressful, environment.  You may take and/or access the module at any time, however the module must be completed prior to final proposal approval. 

Please use the link below to access the module and answer the questions at the end of each section before moving forward with the next section. Correct answers will be provided at the end of each scenario. The module is designed to take about 30 minutes, and can be paused and saved prior to completion. Upon completion of the module, notification will be sent to the Study Abroad Office for their record.

Certification Module

While we have endeavored to make the module as clear and intuitive as possible, as with any new process, there may be unforeseen issues that will need to be resolved. We therefor ask your feedback on the module to ensure we are meeting your needs to provide you with information for your program.

Thank you, and as always, please do not hesitate to contact the Director of Study Abroad with any questions or concerns you may have about this, or any other issue.

1. Students begin submitting their applications online.

Student application deadlines:

• fall programs – Oct. 1
• spring programs – March 1
• summer programs – March 1

The director of study abroad will contact the faculty leader to arrange a predeparture meeting to:

• confirm that the program budget is complete and the program has sufficient enrollment
• confirm all documents are submitted
• confirm the final itinerary and emergency contact information (including a 24/7 contact)
• confirm the faculty leader plans for a predeparture orientation with participants
• Register for AXA Insurance “Travel Eye” Campus Connexions to ensure access to emergency medical and travel assistance - Account Creation Guide
• Download Travel Eye app on smartphones to have instant communications and information about local health facilities and security risks.
• Download Insurance ID Card

1. Conduct a predeparture orientation for your participants.

2. Faculty leaders are responsible for keeping the Rinker Center apprised of any changes that occur after the predeparture meeting and before group departure. Any on-site changes or program concerns should be promptly reported to the director of study abroad.

3. The student group departs.

Program Evaluation

Please remind your students to complete the Post Program Evaluation that will be sent to them via their study abroad portal. The evaluation provides invaluable feedback on the student experience.

Expense Reconciliation

Within 30 days of the close of the program, the Faculty Leader should conduct an expense reconciliation with their college’s Budget Coordinator. The reconciliation must be completed prior to submission of the Post Program Report (below).

• Submit all receipts and expense worksheets to the Coordinator for Budgets upon your return. Generally, the account should be reconciled within 30 days of completion. All original receipts should be taped to 8-1/2” x 11” sheets of paper in chronological order (be careful not to cover any text with tape, as that will cause the ink to disappear, and you might not be reimbursed).Total all receipts to get a total expense amount and submit to the Coordinator for Budgets.
• If receipts are missing and the faculty member has information on the eligible expenses, including: date, amount, and reason for purchase, the University allows them to complete a Missing Receipt Form.  The form is signed by the traveler and the Chair.  It is submitted with other receipts for cash advance clearing or reimbursement. 
• Once verified, a Travel Expense Voucher will be prepared.If reimbursement is due to you, the Accounting Office will deposit the funds directly into your bank account.If money is due to BSU, you will need to make a check payable to BSU at that time.Upon conclusion of the reconciliation process, the Coordinator of Budgets will provide the Study Abroad Office a report on total number of participants, a line-item surplus/deficit of program expenses, and a clarification of how the surplus was dispersed or deficit covered.

Post Program Report

Within 30 days of the close of the program, the Faculty Leader should submit a summary report to the Director of Study Abroad that addresses the topics below. Reports must be received by the Study Abroad Office before any future faculty led programs will be approved.

• Name, dates, and location(s) of the program
• Participant selection process (target audience, vetting process, exceptions, etc.)
• Number of participants and an overall description of the group as a whole (credit/non-credit enrollment, graduate/undergraduate, non-BSU students, non-students)
• Description of participant preparation i.e., pre-departure orientation, student arrival and orientation, on-site preparations etc.
• Summary of grade distribution
• Indication of how program met its mission
• Describe any aspects of the program that have changed from the original proposal or a previous iteration of the program
• Provide information on any instances concerning student health and safety, including disciplinary problems: explain incidents that occurred or concerns that you or others might have regarding these issues.
• Overall recommendations for the program in the future
• Budget Reconciliation report indicating approved expenses vs. actual expenses

Note: Reports should be sent electronically (as attached files) to the Director of Study Abroad.