Center for Global Education and Experience

Study Abroad Proposal

The staff of the Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE) and the University leadership appreciates your interest in facilitating a faculty-led program that will enhance students’ education at Augsburg and help them to become “informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.”  Faculty members may propose a program to take place during the spring term, the fall term or during the summer term.  Spring break programs and winter break programs should both be proposed within the spring semester term.

Spring Break & Winter Break

Spring Break and Winter Break program offer students a unique study abroad opportunity to incorporate coursework on campus during the spring term with an international experience during Augsburg’s winter or spring breaks.  The courses offered during this time are counted toward the faculty member’s spring teaching load.

Summer

Summer programs may occur during the Summer I or Summer II terms, or span both terms and can vary in length from 2-4 weeks.  Shorter programs are generally more desirable because they allow students to work during the summer months.  Faculty members will receive a stipend for leading a summer study abroad program. 

Fall

If you are interested in proposing a program that occurs during the fall terms, please be aware of conflicts with other courses students may be taking.  Please reach out to the Associate Director of Customized Program about your interest before beginning a program proposal for the fall term:   Director of Global Initiatives at CGEE, Leah Spinosa de Vega (devega@augsburg.edu)

Timeline

Faculty-led programs typically require 12-18 months of advance planning in order to ensure a successful well-recruited program.  The Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE) encourages faculty to keep this in mind during the program development stage and suggests meeting with CGEE and your Department Chair (or Dean, if you are a current Department Chair) with this timeline in mind prior to submitting your program proposal documents.

Proposal Deadline

The deadline for the program proposals is Nov 1st. If the deadline falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the proposal will be due the following Monday. Proposals must be submitted and approved at least one year in advance of the proposed program date. The programs can be proposed to run for one academic year or for two academic years.

Creating a Program Proposal

The Center for Global Education & Experience utilizes a database called Terra Dotta Systems (TDS) to manage the study abroad and study away program proposal, development and management process.  When you are ready to being your program proposal, all materials will be submitted through this online system.
 
There are three stages to the launching of a successful study away program:  Proposal Phase, Development Phase and Implementation Phase. 

Proposal Phase:

During the proposal phase, you will begin to develop your ideas for the study abroad program you would like to lead.  If you would like assistance or resources, please feel free to contact the Director of Global Initiatives at CGEE, Leah Spinosa de Vega (devega@augsburg.edu)  In addition, please make sure to reference your proposal idea with your Department Chairperson and your Dean.

The program information you will be required to submit via an online application to CGEE, will include the following:

• Program Design
• Academic Content
• Health & Safety Considerations
• Program Leader and Program Review Information
• Draft Syllabus (upload)
• Draft Itinerary (upload)

Development Phase:

The development phase comes after the proposal has been received and approved by CGEE and either the Academic Affairs Committee or the Graduate Academic Affairs Committee.  If your program is approved, you will begin to work with CGEE on the finalizing of program details, providing information and reviewing resources to begin planning and recruiting for your program. During this phase, CGEE will provide you with the following resources:

• Tips for recruiting and Marketing your program
• Health and Safety Resources
• Sign your MOU with Augsburg University and CGEE
• Complete your Travel Registration

Implementation Phase:

Once the application deadline has passed and your program has reached its minimum enrollment number, it is time to implement!  You will make sure you have completed your Travel Registration and have submitted any important materials, such as a flight itinerary, emergency contact information and passport copy.

Application Instructions

To start a proposal, choose Start Proposal/Petition and follow these steps:

• Login in using your Augsburg ID and Password
• Select the available term for your program
• You will then be taken to your application home page and can begin  completing tasks, under “Questionnaires.”
• After you have completed your entire application, CGEE will send a PDF copy of your proposal to your dean and chair, along with a request for a recommendation

Approval

All faculty-led study abroad/study away program must be approved by the Center for Global Education and the faculty member’s academic department.  Requests will be reviewed initially by the Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE) to assess viability, marketability, operational risk, budget/cost, and the general quality of the learning experience.  This review will also include the Director of Academic Administration, in particular to examine budget implications of the course request, in conjunction with Deans and others as needed. 

Only programs that are viable, marketable, safe and affordable will then be reviewed by the Academic Affairs Council (AAC) and/or the Graduate Academic Affairs Council (GAAC) to ensure academic integrity of all courses taught by the college.  Ultimate decision on course academic rigor lies with AAC/GACC with recommendation from CGEE and Academic Affairs regarding viability and other factors not related to academic content.