REQUIRED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION:

• Syllabus

• Preliminary budget

• Itinerary

For your academic course, you may need to seek approval from one or all of the following committees, depending on the status of your course:

• University Curriculum Committee

• Course Approval Committee

• General Education Committee

Timing Considerations:

• Committees meet once per month during the school year, so getting started on these approvals early is recommended. 

• Academic approvals must be completed before your course can be advertised to students. 

• Academic approvals can be pursued simultaneously with your study abroad programming development.

Please reach out to Brittany Boehm (brittany-boehm@bethel.edu), Assistant Project Manager, to get started and learn more on what specific forms and approvals you may need to seek.

• Many forms can be found here: https://www.bethel.edu/undergrad/academic-affairs/curriculum/forms 

• General Education tag information can be found here: https://www.bethel.edu/undergrad/academics/general-education/courses-categories 

When drafting your Proposal, consider the following:

• Evaluation rubric: This rubric will be used by INTSAC to evaluate your proposal. Please refer to it frequently when developing your proposal.

• Syllabus: It is important that you demonstrate how the location and local resources enhance the learning objectives of the course. Faculty leaders should formally identify lectures, readings, site visits, group discussions/reflection times, and cultural activities that are required parts of the course. NOTE: Faculty-led programs are academic programs. Mission outreach programs cannot be considered to receive academic credit.

• Duration: While there isn't a specific program length requirement, courses delivered off-campus must adhere to the same high standards of development, content, and delivery as courses taught on Bethel campus. For every credit awarded, a total of 45 contact hours must be documented through a combination of in-class and out-of-class engagement that aligns with the learning outcomes. Bethel's "Credit Hour Policy" here.

Breakdown of Contact Hours:

• Class Time: Include all hours spent in formal instruction, such as lectures, seminars, and discussions.

• Assignment Investment: Factor in the typical time students need to complete assignments and projects that reinforce the course material.

• Guided Experiences: Count hours spent in structured, guided activities that support learning objectives within the host country, such as site visits, cultural immersion programs, and workshops led by experts.

Note: General time, including travel, open touring, and meals without an organized agenda, should not be included in the contact hours calculated for credit.

Any new or modified programs, as well as programs proposing to shorten their duration, are required to provide an explanation of how they will meet the established credit hour requirements. We will document this information for Higher Learning Commission (HLC) compliance purposes.

• Itinerary: be sure to add the following: 

  • The length of time in each location. 

  • The various educational activities (lecture titles and topics, readings, site visits, group discussion/reflection time, cultural events, etc.). Clearly demonstrate how these activities are linked to the course objectives and location. 

  • Other culturally orienting activities. Describe provisions made for immersing students into the local culture and ensuring interaction between students and locals. 

  • The length of time spent in these activities. Contact hours, defined as the time when students are engaged in the objectives of the course, must be equivalent to or more than those on the home campus. 

  • The amount of unstructured time each day. 

• Enrollment: Please use your budget as the main criterion for the size of the group. Although international faculty-led programs with lower than 10 participants are unlikely to be approved, participant number variation (10+) is acceptable as long as the program budget breaks even/doesn't result in a program deficit. Please note that typically, 10 participants are required for a group travel arrangement by travel/flight agencies; program providers may require a minimum of 10 or 15 program participants. The International Programs Office and the Office of Academic Affairs make the final decision on whether a course should go in September. This decision is based on enrollment and current events in the proposed region of study.

• Marketing: Consider ways you plan to market your program/recruit students. Please connect with the study abroad office to establish a marketing plan for your FLP. Proposed marketing strategies could be accessed here. 

• Approximate Cost: Please provide an approximate per student cost using this budget worksheet. It is understood that changes will occur as more planning takes place in the months leading up to the course. Final course budget will be due mid September and must be approved by the Associate Dean of International and Off-Campus Programs (as well as the Business Office). 

  • While reading, signing, and including a link to a signed copy of this FLP Budget Protocols document is part of your proposal, you should not stop at one read of that document. This document provides clear guidance as well as sets standards for fiscal responsibility, timelines, processes, and more. Global Operations Coordinator at the International and Off-Campus Programs Office will be one of your key partners in all things FLP-finance related. 

• Contracts: contracts from all service providers including housing, facilities, food, transportation, etc. need to be obtained and vetted through the Associate Dean of International and Off-Campus Programs. In most cases, University Provost is the final signee on all contracts.

• Statements of Participation: Each course should develop statements of participation-conditions that are necessary to meet when participating in your course. Statements should include an understanding of what types of activities will be involved through the preparatory and travel stages of the course. These should be developed prior to marketing your course, and will be included in the course description. In their post-program evaluations students note not being prepared to walk long distances daily, for instance. If walking long distances every day is part of your itinerary, please list this under your statements of participation. Please consider these participation statements carefully - providing a comprehensive list of these statements not only informs the applicants but also empowers you to continue with your programming as planned. A sample listing of these statements in other Bethel FLPs here.

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

For your academic course, you may need to seek approval from one or all of the following committees, depending on the status of your course:

• University Curriculum Committee

• Course Approval Committee

• General Education Committee

Timing Considerations:

• Committees meet once per month during the school year, so getting started on these approvals early is recommended. 

• Academic approvals must be completed before your course can be advertised to students. 

• Academic approvals can be pursued simultaneously with your study abroad programming development.

Please reach out to Brittany Boehm (brittany-boehm@bethel.edu), Assistant Project Manager, to get started and learn more on what specific forms and approvals you may need to seek.

• Many forms can be found here: https://www.bethel.edu/undergrad/academic-affairs/curriculum/forms 

• General Education tag information can be found here: https://www.bethel.edu/undergrad/academics/general-education/courses-categories