Faculty are key to the sustainable success of study abroad at Baldwin Wallace University. Faculty have a tremendous influence on students' learning and development. In addition to faculty being encouraged to promote study abroad opportunities during their in-classroom interactions with students, they also have the opportunity to work with the Explorations Office to create, plan, and lead a study abroad program. Explorations provides administrative and logistical support for all faculty-led study abroad seminars. Faculty-led study abroad programs are designed to encourage a variety of students to study abroad. These opportunities would not be possible without the dedication and effort of the faculty who direct these programs.
What is a faculty-led study abroad seminar? A Faculty-Led seminar is defined as an off-campus experience that is tied to a BW course in which students and professors travel together, in or outside the United States for an extended period of time. A study abroad seminar can be created around any discipline.
Program Length : Faculty-Led Seminars follow a 3+1 model. This means, there is an on-campus 3-credit hour course + a 1-credit hour travel course. The on-campus course must be a full-semester course. The travel portion of a faculty-led seminar is typically 12-16 days in length (usually in May or over spring break).
Academics
Student Academic Credit: Short-term seminars are 4 credit hours (3+1).
Faculty Teaching Credit : Faculty members leading short-term seminars will count the course(s) as part of their load for that semester. Flexibility will be granted to faculty teaching load to allow attaching the +1 course to the spring semester or to summer.
International Studies Core Requirement and Experiential Learning Requirement (EXP): Any BW Study Abroad Program, approved by the Explorations/Study Abroad Advisory Council, will fulfill the international studies undergraduate core requirement. and will fulfill BW's experiential learning requirement.
Proposal Process
NEW PROGRAMS (At least 3 years in advance)
1. At least 3 years before the prospective date of travel, speak with the Director of Study Abroad for advice about how best to frame the proposal to meet the Advisory Council's criteria for Purpose, Academic Components, Safety, Seminar Balance, and Resources. Note: If the proposal will include a Service Learning course, notify and meet with the director of Service Learning.
2. At least 2 years before the prospective date of travel, draft the proposal and obtain approval from all department/division heads through the appropriate faculty process of the disciplines involved in the prospective seminar. The application can be found on E-trieve.
Note: If new courses are being developed for this seminar or if they include existing courses being modified for I or D designation, obtain approval from the appropriate Curriculum Committee for all of those courses. Seminars cannot be submitted for Study Abroad Advisory Council approval until new courses have been approved by the appropriate committee.
Submit the completed proposal to the Study Abroad Advisory Council for discussion, recommendations, approval, and if/when approved, scheduling. Proposals are due 2 years in advance by the following deadlines:
- SPRING SEMINARS: March 15 (i.e. Applications for Spring 2027 seminars are due no later than March 15 of 2025).
- FALL SEMINARS: October 15 (i.e. applications for fall 2027 seminars are due no later than October 15 of 2025).
**Note: once the application has been approved, all seminar directors must attend an Emergency preparedness/risk management workshop
PRE-EXISTING PROGRAM PROPOSAL
Seminars traveling during the above deadlines must notify the Director of Study Abroad of intent to resubmit a proposal before departure so that it can be included in the vetting process for that semester. Full proposals must be submitted within 60 days of return. *Note: A letter of intent must be filed with the Study Abroad Center to meet the 2-year deadline.