Developing College of Engineering Faculty-Led Embedded Courses
A faculty-led embedded program is a short-term education abroad experience that is offered as a component or supplement to an academic course taught in residence on a Penn State campus or online. The international component is typically scheduled during a semester break, the break between fall and spring semesters, or early summer, and generally lasts one to two weeks.
An education abroad experience of any length can provide students opportunities for deepening intercultural learning and contribute to a student’s academic and personal development.
The faculty leader assumes a great deal of responsibility for the development, proposal, implementation, and execution of a course abroad — including the academic content, travel logistics, international site visits and activities, budgeting and payments, and health and safety of program participants. Global Programs provides a detailed list of faculty responsibilities in developing a course abroad.
Although there is much work to be done with leading a course abroad, you will have support and resources available throughout the planning and implementation. The first step is to consult with the associate director for Global Program Innovation in Global Engineering Engagement who will work in collaboration with the Education Abroad staff responsible for faculty-led programs. The associate director can assist faculty to conceptualize program abroad development to realize academic vision; guide you through the Education Abroad proposal process; enhance course subject matter by creating global learning frameworks and outcomes assessment; facilitate and support planning, such as developing a budget, and administrative logistics prior to and upon return from a course abroad.
Special COVID-19 Considerations
Penn State Global Programs has developed a set of resources to provide a framework and guidelines for program protocol during the COVID-19 crisis that includes embedded program leader guidelines and weekly updates.
Additional resources on developing or renewing a faculty-led embedded program are available on the Global Programs website.
Global Engineering Engagement and Global Programs may offer faculty members funding support for the development of a new education abroad program or to make a significant impact on the internationalization of curriculum, including developing a collaborative online international component as part of a course.
