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Faculty Led Programs

Overview 
Faculty-led study abroad programs extend the learning experience beyond the traditional classroom by allowing students to engage directly with the places, cultures, and communities connected to their course material. These programs are intentionally designed to integrate academic instruction with experiential learning opportunities such as site visits, cultural activities, and field-based exploration. By teaching in an international setting, faculty can deepen students’ understanding of course concepts while fostering global awareness and critical thinking. The examples below highlight types of faculty-led programs, past programs, and sample itineraries to illustrate how courses can be structured abroad and to help faculty begin envisioning potential program ideas.

Types of Faculty-Directed Programs

The faculty-directed model is widely used at UM, and faculty members are creative in the development of their programs.  There are several different models in use at the University of Mississippi.

Faculty-Directed Programs Offered in the Summer or Winter Sessions

  • Generally 2 – 4 weeks

  • Programs begin and end on specific dates, sometimes including time prior to the program on the UM campus

  • Faculty member alone assesses coursework

  • Faculty member serves as resident director with additional responsibilities of supervisor, disciplinarian, problem-solver, etc.

Faculty-Directed Programs Offered During Spring Break

  • Generally 1 week

  • Travel to destination country during spring break

  • Accompanied by contact hours before and/or after the travel portion

  • Faculty member alone assesses coursework

  • Faculty member serves as resident director with additional responsibilities of supervisor, disciplinarian, problem-solver, etc.

Faculty-Directed Programs When Faculty Member Is Not The Instructor

  • Faculty member works with Study Abroad Office and partner university in developing curriculum taught by host institution faculty

  • Faculty member serves as instructor of record for UM resident credit

  • Faculty member can review coursework and grades (for example, the summer German language grades assessed by partner institution are reviewed by a UM faculty member to determine grades based upon proficiency level)

Cost-sharing Faculty-Directed Program

  • Two or more faculty members work together to develop programs in the same location

  • Two sets of students go abroad, sharing accommodation, excursion, and transportation expenses, thus reducing the costs

  • Students are assessed by the appropriate instructor alone

  • Faculty members serve as resident directors with additional responsibilities of supervisors, disciplinarians, problem-solvers, etc.

Faculty-Directed Service Learning Program

  • Faculty member establishes a service learning program with the Study Abroad Office in accordance with the Standards of Good Practice

  • Generally non-credit-bearing programs

  • Faculty member serves as resident director with responsibilities including supervising, disciplining, problem-solving, etc. 

  • Occasionally two or more faculty members propose a team-taught course, but the cost of two salaries often make these cost-prohibitive for UM students.  These types of programs would function as a faculty-directed program offered in the summer, winter, or spring break session.
     

    Past Programs & Examples 
    The examples below highlight a variety of past programs and illustrate the different approaches faculty have taken to combine academic instruction with meaningful international experiences.

    Public and Community Health  Cape Town, South Africa 
    Youth, Culture, and Conservation Psychology  Zanzibar, Tanzania 
    Intensive German  Berlin, Germany 
    The Tate, the Tube, and High Tea: Modern and Contemporary Art London, United Kingdom
    Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Indigenous Culture in Mexico Mexico City, Mexico