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Freshman Seminars Abroad

    Freshman Seminar Abroad

    Freshman Seminars Abroad are a joint initiative between the Learning Abroad Center and the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost.

    Program Leaders teach the seminar on campus during spring semester and then lead students abroad during spring break.

    Proposal and Review Process

    Features

    • Taught exclusively to first-year students
    • Combine on-campus instruction with learning abroad during spring break
    • 3 credits at the 1xxx-level
    • Fulfill a liberal education theme and/or writing intensive
    • No prerequisites
    • Enrollment of up to 20 students
    • Open to UMTC first-year students from any college
    • Require round-trip group flights for students and program leader

    Model

    • Provides the highest level of support from the Learning Abroad Center for program development, administration, and implementation
    • Follows a pre-established program timeline and framework
    • Engages leaders in a cohort of peers also leading programs abroad
    • Provides support to leaders who may have limited experience leading programs abroad
    • Embedded program (abroad and on-campus class component), part of leader's semester teaching load (salary is paid by department/college/unit)

    Structure

    Freshman Seminars Abroad require at least 45 hours of classroom instruction and excursions. 
    They include:

    On campus (preparing to learn abroad)

    • Pre-departure orientations to prepare students for learning abroad (i.e., health and safety, travel hints, course information)
    • Community-building activities

    Learning abroad

    • On-site orientation (i.e., local context)
    • Excursions/site visits/academic tours
    • Reflection and discussion
    • Lectures by program leader and guest lectures by local experts
    • Reading and journaling
    • Free time

    On campus (post-learning abroad)

    • Coming home workshop (study abroad reflection, discussion regarding skills gained from learning abroad, goal setting for future international experiences)
    • Final assignment (journal, take-home essay, paper, exam, presentation, group project, digital story, etc.)

    Locations

    Program locations are chosen in consultation with the Learning Abroad Center. Factors taken into consideration are availability of partners that can provide strong on-site support, appeal to first-year students, relevance to program topic, distance, safety, and cost. 

    For spring break, locations in Europe and Latin America are preferred due to travel time. For winter break, travel to Asia, Africa, and Oceania is possible.

    Program Leader Experience

    The Learning Abroad Center facilitates pre-departure and re-entry programming and all on-site arrangements, including:

    • Academic and cultural advising for students
    • Financial aid advising
    • Marketing and recruitment
    • Design and production of all printed materials
    • Application and registration processing
    • Pre-departure orientation and re-entry workshop
    • Travel, housing, and some meals
    • Classrooms and other necessary instructional support
    • Other related activities

    Leaders are actively involved in the planning and recruitment for their Freshman Seminar Abroad. Once on site, leaders participate in all course-related activities in addition to teaching their course.

    Because program leaders interact with diverse student groups, it is important for instructors to think about how their own background, identities and privileges influence how they interact with and educate students. In addition, program leaders should consider how they plan to encourage program participants to think about their own positionality and identities while learning abroad.

    Program leaders are to attend the University-required Health & Safety Leader Training facilitated by GPS Alliance's International Health, Safety, & Compliance office. Additionally, leaders will be invited and encouraged to attend the LAC's Excellence in Leading Learning Abroad Series.

    Co-leaders

    These seminars are designed for one leader to travel with a group of students and all seminars work with organizations that provide assistance to the leader once the group arrives in the host country.

    Freshman Seminars Abroad have small budgets that are strongly affected by the addition of a co-leader. Two leaders or the addition of an assistant will add cost in the following areas: airfare, housing, salary, fringe benefits, food, entrance fees, ground transportation, and international insurance.

    If you would like to add another leader or teaching assistant, additional expenses must be covered by the co-leader's college, department, or personal means. To lead a program, both leaders must have permission from the departmental chair.

    Proposal & Review Process

    Deadline: February 1

    Learn more about the Proposal & Review Process. 

    Proposal and Review Process

    Contact

    Lindsey Lahr, Freshman Seminars Abroad Program Director
    Amy Garwood-Diaz, Freshman Seminars Abroad Associate Program Director
    Whitney Westley Fisher, Freshman Seminars Abroad Associate Program Director