If you are an O’Neill faculty member on the IU Bloomington or IUPUI campus, we are happy to talk with you about the possibility of creating an international, faculty-led program to call your own.
Our faculty-led programs give students the opportunity to study abroad with O’Neill faculty, on O’Neill courses, with students from across the IU campuses. We currently offer a wide range of program models, but we are also open to exploring new types of overseas experiences for students.
IU Education Abroad have created a training program to help guide new faculty leaders and program developers through the process of creating a faculty-led program. The training program is composed of short, stand-alone video modules that, in total, provide a complete overview of the process.
The Education Abroad Program Development Training is a Canvas site that can be accessed here.
Our Current Faculty-Led Program Models
Spring Break
1st 8-week spring course with 1 week overseas (during spring break) / 3 credits
2nd 8 weeks spring course with 1 week overseas (immediately after classes end in May) / 3 credits
1 week course overseas (during spring break) / 1 credit
Summer
3-week / 3-credit overseas course
6-week / 6-credit overseas course
Winter Break
1st 8 weeks spring course with 1 week overseas (during winter break preceding start to semester) / 3 credits
Please note - planning for a new overseas program should begin roughly 1.5 years before the intended date of launch. The proposal / approval process can take 6+ months. All programs must be approved and finalized by the time fall semester begins the year prior to running the program.
If you are thinking about proposing an international, faculty-led course - please review the steps below and email us with any questions. We take proposals for faculty-led courses every January. Our annual Call for Proposals for faculty-led programs will outline different areas of priority (geographic and academic subject) for the upcoming cycle.
OIO's 2025 Call for Proposals is now open to O'Neill faculty. Our areas of priority for new faculty-led courses abroad are as follows:
Geographic Areas of Priority: South America; Asia; Oceania
Academic Subject Areas of Priority: Energy; Law and Public Policy; Policy Analysis; Public Financial Management
Program Type: In order of need – 1) Spring break, 2) Summer
*We will accept proposals that do not center on the above areas - however proposals that deal with the above areas will be prioritized.
If you are interested in submitting a proposal during this cycle, please find the "O'Neill Proposal" document in the following tab.
Proposals are due January 15, 2024. If accepted, courses submitted in this cycle will run in 2025.
Time frame: 2+ months
After you have talked through your options with the O’Neill International Office, you will need to submit an O'Neill Proposal (two-pages) to be formally reviewed by the O’Neill Overseas Faculty Committee. This proposal will also be reviewed by the directors of each degree program at O’Neill.
This review process will specifically consider the following:
Does the course align with the O'Neill curriculum for a variety of majors/concentrations?
Does the course fulfill an un-met need in O’Neill International programming?
Who can participate? Is it appealing to a diverse group of students?
What is your relevant experience with the topic and location?
Have you already identified a potential university / vendor to partner with overseas?
The length of this initial approval process largely depends on the timing of committee meetings.
Several outcomes are possible during this process:
Full approval (as proposed) by the O’Neill Overseas Faculty Committee and an invitation to begin work on a full OSAC proposal.
Partial approval (with modifications - generally to program timing).
The OSAC proposal writing process is extensive and time-consuming, but the reward of developing a new overseas course is worth the effort! Our office is here to guide you through this process.
An OSAC Proposal will include the following:
Basic Description of the Program
Rationale
Eligibility
Orientation Programming
Educational Program Abroad
Student Learning and Development
Support Services Abroad
Health, Safety, and Security
Supplementary Activities
Room and Board
Student Budget
Program Budget
Program Administration
In addition, OSAC will want the following supplemental materials:
Program Director CV
Full Course Syllabus
Two Letters of Support from the O'Neill Administration
You are encouraged to visit your proposed program location during the proposal writing process to enhance your knowledge. This trip could include meetings with academic partners, vendors (housing, food, transportation, etc.) and networking with potential guest lecturers and organizations you wish for the students to visit.
You will likely find this trip to be crucial to the OSAC proposal process as you work through building the syllabus / itinerary for the program.
Once your proposal is finalized and you have submitted all relevant supporting documents to OIO, our staff will formally submit your full OSAC proposal to the IU Overseas Study Advisory Council (OSAC).
Once the proposal and all supporting documents are submitted - we typically get a response within a few weeks (although this timing varies throughout the year).
Time frame: 1 week
It is very common for OSAC to respond to the proposal submission with a list of questions. These are often things like: "I see you are visiting a peanut farm. How will you deal with students who have a peanut allergy?" or "You are taking the students camel riding - will the students be required to wear helmets?"
We generally try to respond to these questions within one week - however, some questions may involve more in-depth research that can take some time.
Time frame: 1 week - 1 month
If OSAC is happy with our response to the questions, we will generally receive official approve within a week or two.
With this approval comes a list of post-approval requirements - including various trainings, procedures, and ongoing update reports we must complete. Our office will work with you to confirm who holds responsibility for which items on the post-acceptance list.
It is important to note: OSAC approval does not guarantee the program will run. O’Neill has a financial responsibility to ensure the program meets its budget. When we design the budget, you will be given a minimum and maximum number of students. If you are unable to get enough student interest to reach the minimum number, the program will likely not be allowed to run.
Now that we have official approval - we can start the process of confirming all the vendors and partners you have outlined in your proposal!
You will work with O’Neill International's Assistant Director of External Relations to manage all of your bookings, vendors, housing & travel plans, and program finances.
If significant changes are made throughout this process, we will notify OSAC of the changes in an addendum.
The O’Neill International Office holds a variety of marketing events throughout the year to build student interest in all of our overseas opportunities. However, you are encouraged to do some of your own marketing as well (directed emails to students you have had in class, emails to faculty from across campus, class talks, etc.).
The more you help us "sell" the program - the higher the likelihood that it will get enough student interest to meet budget and be viable.
The selection of participants generally happens during the fall semester. You will be given access to review all applications for your program and can interview the applicants if you wish.
Once you have made your selections, the O’Neill International Office will send out official acceptance letters and will work with students to collect all required documents (medical information, passports, liability forms, etc.)
We highly encourage you to get in contact with your accepted students immediately after they receive notice of their acceptance. Staying in contact helps with student excitement and generally leads to less students withdrawing before a program begins.
All students will be required to complete an online Health and Safety Course. In addition, you are required to host at least one program specific orientation for your program (many program directors hold several sessions before departure).
The O’Neill International Operations and Compliance Specialist will work closely with you to determine some of the location specific content that needs to be included in your orientation sessions.
As a program director there are a variety of trainings you are required / encouraged to attend.
OVST Program Director Orientation (required)
O’Neill International Program Director Training (required)
Online CSA Training (required)
First Aid / CPR Training
Various workshops that will be offered by O'Neill International on a variety of topics: program finances, managing student mental health issues, etc.
The whole process has built up to this!
You will be supported by our office the entire time you are on the ground with students. Depending on the size of your program, you will likely receive at least one (maybe two) staff support who will live with the students and help manage the day-to-day issues so you can focus on the academic components of the course.
Within one month of the close of the program, you will be required to submit a summary report to the Office of Overseas Study (OVST) that addresses the topics below. The O'Neill International Office will review the report and handle the formal submission on your behalf.
Selection process (target audience, vetting process, exceptions, etc.)
Number of participants and an overall description of the group as a whole (credit/non-credit enrollment, graduate/undergraduate status, most common major, class standing, distribution by campus, etc.)
Pre-departure orientation and preparation of students
For programs that fall under the IU Programs Involving Children policies, confirmation that institutional protocols were followed
Educational program
description of courses offered (content, level, credits, teaching methods, etc.) for credit-bearing programs only
distinctive features, strengths, and weaknesses of the educational program
impact and influence of the overseas setting on the educational and intercultural experience
description of reflection activities and how those impacted the student learning experience
description of field trips and excursions and how they served the program mission
recommended changes
Summary of grade distribution
Description of program facilities, student housing, and meal arrangements
Issues concerning student health and safety, including disciplinary problems: explain incidents that occurred or concerns that you or others might have
Describe any aspects of the program that have changed from the original proposal or a previous iteration of the program
Overall recommendations for the program in the future
When the program would take place again
Reflections on any issues or concerns that were raised by the Overseas Study Advisory Council during the program approval process
Program schedule indicating daily routine and calendar of whole program
Course syllabuses
If the program used service-learning as a teaching strategy or engaged students in volunteer experience, please include a letter from the host community or host organization(s) which outlines the outcomes and benefits to the host community
Handbooks or handouts distributed to students prior to departure
Student evaluation forms (Overseas Study has a standard form you may use.)
