Faculty-Led Freestanding Programs

what is a "freestanding" program?

A customized or faculty-led freestanding program is a single course or compilation of courses related to a theme or topic, where the Penn State faculty/program leaders deliver all or nearly all academic content during the course of a global experience.  Such programs almost always occur during summer since the length of the education abroad experience typically lasts 3-8 weeks (and typically 3-9 credits).

A customized freestanding program can enhance the international offerings within a particular academic department, can support internationalization strategic goals of a college, and can allow for students from a variety of disciplines and majors to study engaging topics together in an international context.  The program leader assumes a great deal of responsibility for the development, proposal, implementation, and execution of the program - including the academic content, travel logistics, international site visits and activities, budgeting and record keeping, and the health and safety of program participants.  This may seem like an overwhelming list of responsibilities, but there are a number of support resources to help the program leader throughout the entire process.

There are many important steps to developing a new customized freestanding program, and the process and official proposal procedures are outlined for review.

When Can a Freestanding Program Occur?

Since customized freestanding programs usually last several weeks, the vast majority of such programs are offered during Penn State's summer semester. Programs can be planned in such a way where the education abroad experience crosses over semester dates from Maymester to summer session one and/or summer session two without academic or registration issues.  It is also possible to plan such a program during fall or spring semester, though it is rare that this arrangement works well for faculty leaders, who often have on-campus teaching obligations for other coursework and cannot spend 12-15 weeks abroad during fall or spring terms.