Faculty

We have the great fortune to be at an institution that deeply values international education. Preparing students to be global citizens requires a diverse faculty with strong intercultural skills and an eagerness to engage globally in research, teaching and collaborations.  It also requires skilled and knowledgeable advisers who are passionate about international education. 

All faculty and our academic advisors can encourage students to gain international experience by participating in one of our reciprocal exchange programs, intensive language programs, faculty-led programs, internships or international service learning opportunities  

Faculty interested in getting involved globally may want to explore teaching, conducting research or participating in a professional development seminar overseas. The U of A offers over 40 short term faculty-led programs every year in more than 25 countries. In addition, faculty may apply for grants to serve as visiting professors with our partner institutions.

International Independent Travel Registration

 

Role of the Academic Advisor

One of the greatest barriers to study abroad is the perception that the credit earned abroad will not apply towards degree requirements and will extend the time needed to graduate. Academic advisors play a critical role in helping students assess how credits completed during a study abroad program may apply towards the student’s major, minor, or general electives. Planning is key.

The Initial Advising Process

As incoming freshmen, students should be encouraged to consider study abroad as part of their undergraduate experience. Advisors from every discipline should point out the value of making this type of investment. Study Abroad takes considerable planning and advisors can look at their overall degree plan and help students see when it would make the most sense to study abroad and what degree requirements might be best met while abroad. Strategically planning course selections as a freshman and sophomore can allow for a semester or year long study abroad program.

Advisors can also encourage students to learn as much as they can about study abroad opportunities and to review the process of researching, applying, and preparing to study abroad. Students just getting started can meet with peer mentors who will help them review options and understand the process so that they can become better equipped to meet one-on-one with a study abroad advisor.

Credit Pre-Approval Process

Academic advisors are asked to review course descriptions and determine how courses taken abroad might be applied towards a student’s degree plan. The pre-approval of credit to be transferred in from a study abroad program is essential to a student’s ability to secure financial aid and scholarships.

Prior to meeting with an academic advisor, students may use the Registrar's page  to look up the appropriate U of A equivalent courses (look for the name of the institution providing the transcript in both English and the institution’s foreign language title if you unable to find it in English). If courses are not listed on the Registrar's database, students should work with the appropriate department by sharing course information (course number, description, and/or syllabus) to determine the appropriate equivalent. 

Advising a Returning Study Abroad Student 

The study abroad process doesn't end when a student gets home! Students who complete coursework at a foreign institution often need advising help upon returning from study abroad. The student's complete academic record with transfer credit from a host institution may not be updated until three to four months after the program ends.  Students may need help processing overrides for courses with prerequisites they completed abroad. Transfer credits may also need to be manually entered in to the students degree audit.

Useful Resources

In addition to leading a U of A study abroad program, faculty and staff interested in teaching, conducting research, or gaining professional experience abroad should carefully consider the opportunities below. 

Fulbright Scholar Programs

The U.S. Fulbright Scholars program offers nearly 470 teaching, research or combination teaching/research awards in over 125 countries, varying in duration from 2 to 12 months. 

Fulbright International Education Administrators Seminars

The International Education Administrators (IEA) seminars help U.S. international education professionals and senior higher education officials create empowring connections with the societal, cultural and higher education systems of other countries. These seminars are typically 2 weeks long and deadlines vary by country. 

Visiting Professor Programs

Faculty Development Seminars

  • Council for International Education Exchange (CIEE) offers 1-2 week long seminars in 20+ countries during the summer and in early January to assist faculty in enhancing their syllabi, internationalizing the curricula, and increasing global understanding. 
  • USAC Faculty International Development Awards are available to faculty to enroll as a full participant in a summer study program; grant covers most expenses. Contact Director of Study Abroad for details. 

Study Abroad Staff Grants

USAC offers Study Abroad Staff Grants (SAS) for university staff to spend 2-4 weeks at a study abroad program site. Application deadline is mid-February. Contact Director of Study Abroad for details. 

 

 

Developing a Short-Term Faculty Led Study Abroad Program

Proposing a Program

All University of Arkansas faculty who intend to lead, co-lead and/or teach a University of Arkansas study abroad program must complete the appropriate Study Abroad Program Proposal through the HogsAbroad online portal. All programs and participating faculty must get the approval of their college, department chair(s) and dean(s), and are subject to review by either the International Education Advisory Council (IEAC) or the Rome Center Academic Advisory Committee.

Effective fall 2020, the University of Arkansas will launch a new General Education Core Curriculum which includes a global learning standard (Goal 4: Expand diversity awareness, intercultural competency, and global learning; Learning Outcome 4.1). New programs and repeat programs are strongly encouraged to clearly link their course offering(s) to Learning Outcome 4.1 so that students may receive core credit for participating in your program.

Special Note for Repeat Programs

Effective fall 2019, the IEAC approved a three-year renewal process for repeat faculty-led programs as long as their are no significant program changes, which are defined as:

  • A significant Change in location (e.g. different country)
  • A significant itinerary change
  • A change in academic content
  • A change in on-site support
  • New faculty leadership

In other words, a faculty-led program may be renewed on a three-year basis without the high level of scrutiny at the college/university levels.