Study Abroad Overview

The Office of Diversity and International Affairs (ODIA)

Mission, Objectives and Purpose - The experience should be aligned with the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan - Engagement KPI of increasing opportunities for TSU students to study abroad and increasing our international student enrollment by enhancing campus opportunities for international learning and engagement.

A. Institutional Policies: Is the program aligned with the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan of TSU?
B. Purpose: Does the program have a clearly-defined purpose and clearly-defined academic and/or experiential goals? List the purpose and goals.
c. Appropriateness: Is the focus of the program appropriate to the site chosen? How?

Student Learning and Development - The program should be reviewed for its stated educational purpose for fostering student learning and development.

Student Development: Does the program provide opportunities that encourage student development (e.g., leadership skills, service orientation, maturity, tolerance for ambiguity, growth in cultural awareness)?

Learning Outcomes:Does the program foster discipline-specific and/or interdisciplinary learning outcomes appropriate to the curriculum, site, and program goals? List the learning outcomes.
Language and Intercultural Development:Does the program provide language and intercultural development opportunities?
Intra-Personal Development:Does the program include opportunities for reflection during and after the experience? How will the reflections be documented?
Assessment:How will the student learning outcomes and overall student experience be assessed at the program’s conclusion so that subsequent programs are improved?

Academic Framework (for programs offering credit) - There are clearly stated and publicly available policies on academic matters related to this experience.

Academic Credit: Has the program been approved for academic credit according to TSU academic policies?

Length: Is the length of the program appropriate to the amount of credit granted?
Academic Guidelines: Are policies on enrollment changes, withdrawal, the awarding of academic credit and grading clearly stated?
Academic Evaluation: Are students evaluated by methods that measure how the site is used effectively in the integration of readings,site visits, discussions and cultural activities?
Field Study: Does the program make effective use of the host locations for structured experiential and service learning?

Extra-Academic Framework - The program has clearly stated policies on non-academic matters related to the educational experience abroad.

Faculty and program sponsors should carefully consider the number of sites proposed to visit, their geographical proximity to each other and the time spent traveling between them. More emphasis should be given to having full, in-depth experiences at each site rather than on “seeing everything” by visiting multiple sites and spending only short amounts of time on each site. Visiting a large number of sites and/or countries does not necessarily provide an optimal educational experience.

For volunteer programs, the program should be offered in collaboration with well-established, trusted, and known community-based agencies, private firms, or other organizations located in the host communities.
Will the program have an opportunity to visit another college or university? Is this an opportunity to tell the TSU story, recruit international students, and discuss areas of future collaboration (teaching, research, exchange, MOU)?

Preparation for the Learning Environment Abroad - The program participant should get orientation support that is consistent with the program’s mission and the needs of its students.

Orientation: Will the program provide orientation for students prior to departure and upon arrival that includes discussion of the academic program, health and safety issues, adjustment to the host culture, and information about the host location and society?

Ongoing Orientation: Will the program provide students with a continuous“orientation” to the host culture by providing them with information about the host location and culture in order to maximize their experience and learning?

Student Selection and Code of Conduct - The program should maintain, and make publicly accessible, its commitment to fair and appropriate policies regarding student selection and conduct.

Student Selection: Are the prerequisites, recruitment and selection processes transparent, published, and fair and consistent with general institutional standards?

Diversity/Non-Discrimination: Does the program welcome and act with respect towards students regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, or national and ethnic origin.
Code of Conduct: Will the program inform students of its student code of conduct,disciplinary processes and the consequences of violations prior to the beginning of the program, and consistently applies them during the program?

Health, Safety, and Security - The program has established and continuously maintains effective health, safety, security and risk management policies, procedures and faculty/staff training.

Safety and Security: Have the program participants signed up to the U.S. Department of State “Smart Traveler” program?

Health: Is the program leadership aware of student health issues prior to departure and is well prepared to handle student, faculty, and staff health issues that may arise.
Insurance: Do students have health insurance coverage that is applicable “in country” and in the countries visited by the program?
Emergency Communications: Does the program have adequate emergency communications plans?
Student Emergencies: Does the program have emergency contacts for individual students in case of emergencies?
Group Emergencies: Does the program have emergency contacts and contingency plans in case of an emergency that impacts the entire program?
Emergency Procedures: Are students aware of what to do in the case of emergencies?

Ethics and Integrity - The program is organized in conformity with ethical principles and practices by using the Code of Ethics for Education Abroad as a guide.

Cultural Sensitivity: Does the program act with sensitivity to and respect for differences between local cultural norms and those of the home culture?
Does the program provide an orientation of students, faculty and staff so that they are aware of applicable host and home country ethical and legal practices, and understand the host society, in order to avoid actions that negatively impact that society or the image of the host country?

webpage contact:
ODIA