San Jose State University (SJSU) and the Study Abroad and Away office (SAA) are committed to creating and supporting SJSU Faculty-Led Programs (FLPs). FLPs are an exciting and experientially-based approach to offering SJSU courses off-site, both in the U.S. and around the globe.

Interested in developing a new Faculty-Led Program? Review the steps below to learn about the process for developing a program.

1. Self-Assess Your Readiness
   Begin by doing a self-assessment of your comfort level with leading a group while traveling domestically or abroad. Think about your experience and passion for a specific location or country, your leadership skills to manage a cohort of students 24/7, and your ability to manage students in high-risk situations. Download the Self-Assessment Worksheet to review in preparation for the online version that will be part of your program proposal.
2. Review Proposal Guidelines & Handbook
   Prepare by reviewing the FLP Proposing a New Program webpage and the Faculty Leader Handbook. These documents will help you understand the proposal guidelines, eligibility, learning outcomes, risk management, required documents, and resources (i.e. worksheets and samples). Begin to assemble your documents to submit with your online application.
3. Arrange Meeting With SAA
   Set up a meeting with Study Abroad and Away staff (spartansabroad@sjsu.edu) for initial discussions on your vision for the program, cost, approved program providers if applicable, and funding opportunities for a site visit to the proposed program location.
4. Research Site & Risk Factors
   Apply for a site visit grant funded by the Study Abroad & Away office to help cover the costs of a site visit to the proposed location. The visit will help you research and meet with potential in-country partners, vendors, tour accommodations and other student services. Research the conditions and risk factors of the country and region by visiting the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory website and the CIA World Factbook.
5. Identify Costs & Negotiate With Partners
   As you complete your research, identify the costs associated with your program to help develop your program budget. You will be required to submit a program cost form as part of the program proposal process. The program cost form will ask you to outline all projected program costs, including documentation to support those estimates (ex: bids from program providers, screenshots of hotel pricing, flight itinerary search, etc.) If you will work with a study abroad program provider or onsite partners who offer your program services, please contact them at least 2-3 months before the proposal is due to develop a proposal and to obtain a bid for your program needs, which should include proposed costs. This will allow the partner a sufficient amount of time to solidify their quote, tweak the proposal, and position you well to modify your proposal documents to reflect the program you have developed with your partner. Please remember that we need a range of pricing (see below) for different sized groups when working with providers, and faculty costs must be separate from the student costs.
   • 6-9 students: $xxxx
     Faculty price (for 6-9 students): $xxxx
   • 10-11 students: $xxxx
     Faculty price (for 10-11 students): $xxxx 
   • 12-14 students: $xxxx
     Faculty price (for 12-14 students): $xxxx
   • 15-19 students: $xxxx
     Faculty price (for 15-19 students): $xxxx
   • 20+ students: $xxxx
     Faculty price (for 20+ students): $XXXX
6. Talk With Department Chair
   Speak with your department chair to obtain their support for the FLP and to discuss potential course offerings. You may opt to talk with your chair earlier in the process. You will need your chair’s support, as they will have to complete the Statement of Support/Letter of Recommendation that will be emailed to them after you have submitted your application. 
7. Apply On Spartans Abroad Portal (SAP)
   After you have completed all previous steps and required documents, fill out the online application forms and upload your required documents on the Spartans Abroad Portal (SAP). Follow these directions for navigating the online application process.
8. Schedule Budget Meeting
   The Study Abroad and Away team will reach out to you to schedule your budget meeting after your program proposal is approved and the program cost form (along with any applicable provider bids) is submitted and reviewed. Please note this process can take at least 2 weeks from the time of proposal approval and/or submission of the program cost form (whichever comes later).
9. Start Student Recruitment
   Start your student recruitment process by using the official marketing materials that the SAA office will prepare for your program. Recruitment and direct marketing is the responsibility of the faculty leader. SAA will provide marketing materials, but will not be the lead in recruiting efforts for your FLP.

Timeline

The process for developing and launching a Faculty-Led Program involves many components and can take several months from the initial planning stages to when the program runs onsite. Faculty are encouraged to start the planning process 14-18 months in advance of when they plan to run the program.