Global Seminars are short-term, cohort-based programs that allow students to interact closely with a University of Minnesota program leader. Global Seminars use the host country as a classroom and are experiential and interdisciplinary.
Global Seminars have a dual mission to serve University of Minnesota students and academic departments in the following ways:
Global Seminars typically consist of:
Program locations are finalized in consultation with the Learning Abroad Center. Factors taken into consideration are availability of affiliated partners that can provide strong on-site support, appeal to students, relevance to program topic, safety, and cost.
The Learning Abroad Center facilitates all on-campus and 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 orientations, flights, room and board; classrooms, other necessary instructional support, and other related activities.
Program leaders are actively involved in the planning and recruitment for their program. Once on site, program leaders attend 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.
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.
These programs 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.
Co-leaders or teaching assistants are welcomed if expenses are covered by the co-leader's college, department, unit, or personal means. To lead a program, both leaders must have permission from the departmental chair.
Deadline: February 1 (winter break and May session)
Learn more about the Proposal & Review Process.
Lindsey Lahr, Global Seminars Program Director
Oliver Ferguson, Education Abroad Coordinator
Amy Garwood-Díaz, Global Seminars Associate Program Director
Ashley Metz, Global Seminars Associate Program Director
Maria Mantey, Global Seminars Associate Program Director
Molly Micheels, Global Seminars Associate Program Director
Whitney Westley Fisher, Global Seminars Associate Program Director