Program Participants
A faculty-led program can have a variety of different participants. Spouses, children, faculty colleagues, staff, advisors, and community members frequently join programs along with students for personal, professional, or other reasons.
We recommend that programs have a low student/faculty ratio compared to an on-campus course; most programs feature one faculty leader for every ten students. In addition, all programs should strive to include at least one additional faculty leader, assistant leader, or student learning assistant, regardless of the number of students or non-student participants. These additional leaders or assistants not only provide invaluable assistance during tour emergencies but may also help with instruction and management of group dynamics.
Program participants fall into the following categories:
Faculty Leaders
As stated above, the faculty leader is the instructor of record for the program’s course and holds primary responsibility for organizing and executing the study tour. A program may have as many faculty leaders as a department or college sees fit, within financial and logistical reason.
Replacement Faculty Leaders
The replacement faculty leader serves as a substitute for the primary faculty leader in the event he or she is unable to teach the course or lead the study tour after the program is approved. All programs must have at least one replacement faculty leader, as it is the responsibility of the department or college (not Education Abroad) to ensure a program is able to run once the Director of Education Abroad approves it. The replacement leader should be able to step in if needed and should have familiarity and expertise in both the study tour location and academic area of focus.
Assistant Leaders/Student Learning Assistants
The assistant leader or student learning assistant is an individual who does not serve as the primary leader for purposes of instruction but nevertheless assists with academic instruction or logistical support in some essential capacity. Assistant leaders are often faculty members, staff members, graduate assistants, undergraduate assistants, or non-academic professionals. A faculty leader’s spouse or family members may participate as assistant leaders or student learning assistants if their roles are integral to the program’s academic or logistical structure. Faculty must define and justify in writing these individuals' roles as assistant leaders as part of the proposal review process. To cover their travel expenses, assistant leaders or student learning assistants may include these expenses in the Program Budget as a faculty leader or assistant leader expense (and therefore may be passed on to students or non-student participants as a student program expense); their academic department can agree to support the costs of the assistant leader; or they must pay a Program Fee equal to the student program expenses minus the OIP Administrative Fee.
Students
Students, of course, are the primary audience for a faculty-led program. They may be Kansas State or non-Kansas-State students; degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking; and either earning credit or auditing the associated course. All students must pay applicable tuition and fees, and the full Program Fee for the study tour, which constitutes the student program expenses for the study tour that are included in the Program Budget. In addition, all students must complete and commit Education Abroad program applications and gain faculty leader permission in order to participate.
Non-Credit Students
Non-credit students are considered auditors and do not have to complete course assignments. Non-credit students do not enroll in the course for credit, nor pay tuition, but they would still be responsible for paying any program fees.
Non-Kansas State Students
Non-Kansas State students may apply for faculty-led programs if they gain the faculty leader’s permission. These students have to apply through Global Campus to arrange for non-degree-seeking student status, a KSIS account, and enrollment permissions. Kansas State and Global Campus must admit these non-Kansas State students before they may participate in a faculty-led program. If you or any non-Kansas State students have any questions about this process, please contact Education Abroad.
Non-Student Participants
Non-student participants are those individuals who are not the primary audience for but nonetheless join in all aspects of the program. Non-student participants may include, but are not limited to, faculty leader spouses/partners, children, family members, faculty colleagues, staff members, university administrators, non-academic professionals, or community members. All non-student participants must pay the full Program Fee for the study tour. In many cases, the assessed fee may be higher than the standard Program Fee, given increased rates for logistics like lodging. Faculty leaders may not include these individuals' expenses in the program budget, as program fees may not be used for such expenditures. All non-student participants must gain faculty leader permission in order to participate. Non-student participants must pay for their program fees in advance of the study tour directly by check or, if available, through their student KSIS accounts.
Faculty Leader’s Spouses/Partners and Children
As the faculty leader has the primary obligation to his or her students’ academic success and overall well-being while abroad, Education Abroad does not recommend that leaders invite their spouses/partners (unless they serve an integral part of the program as Assistant Leaders) or children to participate in a program’s study tour. That said, it is understandable that many faculty have little choice but to include their family members in the study tour.
If a family member of the faculty leader joins the program in full, Education Abroad will consider that individual like any other non-student participant. If you intend for any family members to participate in your program, you must notify Education Abroad at the time of proposal review and define their role as non-student participants. Like all non-student participants, spouses/partners and children (via the faculty leader) must each pay the full Program Fee for the study tour. Students or other program participants cannot under any circumstances cover the travel expenses for a faculty leader’s family members. If the children are younger than eighteen years of age, faculty leaders must identify a secondary, twenty-four-hour caregiver to ensure the faculty leader is always in control of the program as a whole. This caregiver is responsible for his or her travel expenses like any other non-student participant or non-participant.
Student’s Partner and Children
As students have the primary obligation to ensure their academic success, Education Abroad does not recommend that faculty permit students’ spouses/partners or children to participate in a program’s study tour. That said, students’ family members may participate with the permission of the faculty leader. If they join the program in full, Education Abroad will consider them like any other non-student participant.
Non-Participants
Non-participants are those individuals who may join in some but not all parts of the program. Non-participants often include family members, friends of the faculty leader, or community members who are involved in the study tour for a single event or any amount of the tour short of the full itinerary. As they are not official participants, these individuals do not have to pay any Program Fee to Education Abroad. They are responsible fully and individually for booking their transport, lodging, and other tour logistics separately from the official participant group.
Faculty Leader’s Spouse/Partner and Children
If the faculty leader’s family members join the program only in part, Education Abroad will consider them like any other non-participant. If these family members share lodging with the faculty leader, Education Abroad may only reimburse the leader for costs equal to lodging for one person. The faculty leader or spouse/partner are responsible for the difference. Students or other program participants cannot under any circumstances cover the travel expenses for family members. If the children are younger than eighteen years of age, faculty leaders must identify a secondary, twenty-four hour caregiver to ensure the faculty leader is always in control of the program as a whole. This caregiver is responsible for his or her travel expenses like any other non-student participant or non-participant.
Student’s Spouse/Partner and Children
If a student’s family members join the program only in part, Education Abroad will consider them like any other non-participant.
