Resources and TIPS for Developing Short-Term Programs Abroad
Juniata Center for International Education, 3/08
Resources:
http://www.juniata.edu/departments/international/faculty/initiatives.html (Juniata CIE
faculty initiatives web page)
The Guide to Successful Short-Term Programs Abroad (eds. Sarah Spencer & Kathy
Tuma): a NAFSA publication available in the CIE.
Faculty who have led programs before
Tips from the Experts:
1. Read the students’ applications for the trips, noting anyone who will have a birthday
while you are traveling. We did little celebrations (card signed by everyone and a cake).
2. Read the students’ applications for the trips, noting food and other allergies, also, food
preferences (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, etc.). If you have group meals or if you are making
restaurant recommendations, it is useful to know.
3. Pre-departure orientation is a great investment and can prevent a whole host of problems.
Do as much as you can with the students, before you leave. Orient them to field trips,
excursions, the culture, language, life style differences, etiquette, acceptable behavior,
review the course syllabus, distribute course assignments, expectations, etc.
4. Address good manners (e.g. greeting and thanking meal hosts). Don’t assume anything (I
did and regretted it).
5. Tell the students not to forget their prescription drugs and to carry them in their hand
luggage. (I had a student announce after we arrived that she had forgotten her
prescription meds.)
6. Be explicit about what to pack -- good walking shoes isn’t sufficient information.
7. No large suitcases. Tell the students they have to carry their own. “Can you carry all
your bags at once up and down 3 flights of stairs? If not, you’ve brought too much –
repack.”
8. Take a digital camera with video capability; pass around to various students during the
trip; use images and footage to promote program next time.
9. Make sure you find someone to cover your home concerns (bills, watering plants, etc)
10. Have students leave a copy of the numbers on all credit cards, ATM cards, etc. that they
will take along. If they lose them, it will be easier to cancel them (I know from
experience).
11. Type up a small card (wallet size) with key phone numbers on it (your cell phone, the
housing office, hotel, or other accommodation number, number of a local taxi company,
the cell number for your in-country host, if applicable). Give two to each student- one
copy in their wallet and give another copy to their parents. Parents like to have contact
numbers – can they reach you when you are abroad if they need to get a message to their
children. It is also helpful to have emergency contact numbers on campus. So if nothing
else they can call someone on campus who can help them connect with the group abroad.
12. Think about how students will notify their parents of their safe arrival. Will each one use
your cell phone to make a quick call? Can you get phone cards and access to a phone for
them to use? They will want to call their parents right away.
13. If jet lag will be an issue, try to get the students on local time as soon as possible. We
flew overnight and landed just after dawn. After arriving to our accommodations, I gave
them 1.5 hours to unpack and freshen up. We had lunch and then we took them on a
walking tour all afternoon to keep them awake (and wear them out). By evening, most
were ready to go to bed and they re-set their body clock quickly. If they were to sleep
during the day, they’d be up all night and the next day would be lost.
14. Have a system for getting in touch with all the students should there be a change in plans
or if there is information you want to distribute.
15. Tell students not to go out, especially at night, alone. Always buddy-up.
16. Give them warnings about drugs and drinking to excess, plus telling them not to “defend”
America, esp. in a bar.
17. Build in free time for the students, but after they are well oriented to their environment.
18. To keep students focused on cultural opportunities (museums, dance or theater
performances, etc.) tell them you will reimburse them for the entrance fee, provided they
bring you a receipt. We found that students really took advantage of this and it structured
free time in a productive way.
19. Monitor their work throughout the trip. If they are keeping a journal for the course,
collect them at various times during the trip and write your reflection on what they’ve
said. If you have one large assignment due at the end, get them to give you drafts of parts
of it during the trip. It will help keep them focused, academically, throughout the trip.
You might want to think of small assignments due each week.
20. Be organized - have a system for monitoring the budget and keeping track of expenses
and receipts.
21. Don’t forget to have fun! Part of the adventure is being able to roll with the punches and
solve problems creatively. We have pushed a bus to get it started, replaced a lost
passport, re-booked airline flights, filed police reports, and visited a hospital emergency
room. Be flexible and laugh – it will all work out.