Call for 2024-25 winter and summer interim off-campus program proposals

The Off-Campus Study Advisory Committee (OCSC) is planning for the 2025 interim and summer off-campus programs and invites proposals for new and previously offered interim and summer programs.

The OCSC will review proposals at their first spring meeting and select courses for the off-campus interim sessions in January and May/June 2025. We especially encourage proposals for the winter interim session, as interest often exceeds spaces in courses.

Successful course proposals will: demonstrate the connection between the program itinerary and the course content; include an immersion component such as service learning, fieldwork, host family stay, or other meaningful interaction with locals or local setting; and will enhance the diversity of programs offered by Lafayette in terms of subject matter and destinations. Interdisciplinary courses are encouraged.

Interim off-campus courses are typically team-taught, preferably by two members of the Lafayette faculty, with each faculty member receiving an overload stipend. Courses with strong in-country support through an approved program provider could be considered with one faculty leader. Each course involves approximately three to eight weeks of intensive off-campus study, at an international or domestic location, in January or May/June.

Responsibilities for faculty directors include:

• Development of the course syllabus, program budget (template provided by International and Off-Campus Education (IOCE)), and program travel itinerary;
• Maintenance of relationships with on-site service providers or in-country contacts and guides as needed;
• Submission of risk mitigation plans to the International Risk Committee as requested;
• Recruitment of students at the annual study abroad fair in the fall semester and holding informational sessions as needed;
• Conducting 2-3 program-specific pre-departure meetings with program participants (covering such topics as program itinerary, course syllabus, assignments, rules and expectations, and specific country information, e.g., cultural considerations, travel visa requirements, currency, banking, communication, health and safety, etiquette, packing tips, etc.);
• Directing the program on the ground and remaining available for the students 24/7 for the entire duration of the program;
• Performing all the administrative duties associated with directing the program per College-wide financial policies and requirements (i.e., accurate receipt-keeping, timely submission of expense reports, etc.);
• Assisting the Off-Campus Studies Committee with the assessment of learning objectives and other limited tasks as needed;
• Participation in an IOCE-led faculty leader training before departure.

Interim off-campus proposals adhere to the following guidelines:

• Support the mission of the College.
• Foster one of the following interim program student learning outcomes, which may be in addition to clear program-specific learning outcomes:
  • Identify and explain key aspects of local cultural or historical contexts, socio-political/economic structures and institutions, and/or natural environments and landscapes;
  • Demonstrate the ability to navigate language, cultural or business practices, interpersonal relations, and/or problem-solving in local contexts.
• Be of an appropriate duration (a minimum of 17 days on the off-campus site, not including time spent traveling to/from the site).
• Be as cost-effective as possible to ensure accessibility to under-represented and lower-income students (per-student program fees currently range between $5000-$8000 for 1-credit courses, more for 2-credit courses). A budget is not required at the time of proposal submission.
• Be taught by at least one full-time, active faculty member at the College.
• New programs are strongly recommended to be developed in partnership with a reputable study abroad program provider. Rochelle Keesler can provide suggestions.

If you are interested in offering an interim off-campus course in January or May/June 2025, please submit the following to IOCE:

• A tentative course syllabus in Word format, which should include:
  • course objectives
  • learning outcomes (please indicate which of the two interim outcomes above your course will address)
  • academic honesty statement
  • course reading list
  • grading policy
  • description of site-specific activities and resources to be utilized while off-campus.

Note: You must submit a syllabus whether the course is new or has been taught in the past, and instructors must be identified at the time of the proposal. Proposals that do not include a syllabus will not be considered.

• A preliminary day-by-day program itinerary (if the course was previously taught, please submit an updated itinerary for 2025). Keep in mind the academic calendar when creating your itinerary.
• Please indicate whether the course is already approved by FEP and for which CCS attributes if any. Courses that FEP has not yet approved will only be approved conditionally by the committee until FEP approval is finalized. In that case, faculty should indicate which CCS attributes, if any, they anticipate receiving for the course. Course proposals for new courses are due to FEP by March 31, 2024.

Proposals should be submitted in electronic format ONLY (please save them in Word document format for easy sharing amongst committee members and copying/pasting of information onto the IOCE website for the program brochure). Please email your proposal to Rochelle Keesler at keeslerr@lafayette.edu.

The deadline for proposal submissions is January 15, 2024.

If a course is selected, the instructors will work with IOCE over the spring semester and summer break to develop the budget and plan the program logistics. Both the budget and the program itinerary will be finalized by May 2024 for the winter 2025 programs and by June 2024 for the summer 2025 programs.

Additional resources:

• For more information about interim off-campus programs as they relate to faculty expectations, please refer to the Provost’s website.
• More general information, as well as program examples, can be found on IOCE’s website.
• To discuss a proposal idea or best practices on program/budget development, please feel free to contact Rochelle Keesler at keeslerr@lafayette.edu.