The Center for Global Education & Field Study provides in-person "Build a Block Away" workshops in all odd-numbered blocks during the academic year. Faculty are invited to join these 2-hour workshops as they develop a concept for a course into a block proposal.  These workshops cover topics such as: 

• Proposal Development & Timeline
• Budgeting & Setting a Realistic Program Fee
• Working with Partner Organizations
• Hiring an Off-Campus Program Assistant (OPA)
• Effective and Ethical Use of a Program Site
• Understanding College Policies & Practices
• Infusing a Course in Any Subject with Intercultural Learning
• The Multi-Faceted Role of a Faculty Member Leading a Block Away

If you are interested in joining the next scheduled BABA Workshop, please contact the Director of Off-Campus & Global Experiences. 

Recommended Best Practices for Teaching a Course Off-Campus

ACADEMIC EMPHASIS: The program has clearly stated learning objectives and outcomes which make use of the program site for experiential learning and provide an immersion into the program site that goes well beyond the touristic experience and focuses on the academic core of the course. 

AMPLE PREPARATION: Pre-departure orientation provides students not only with course information, but a program itinerary, flight or arrival information, information on lodging, meals, and transportation as it is planned within the program, clear behavioral expectations, a packing list, and discussion of both local cultural contexts for the location as well as some introductory inter-cultural skills development. 

ON-SITE SUPPORT: All programs should have two (2) responsible adults (non-students) representing the college and/or the program on-site at all times.  This is typically either two co-instructors for the course or a faculty leader and a program assistant.  The Off-Campus Program Assistant (OPA for short) can be another CC faculty member, CC staff member, an external candidate hired by the college just for the duration of the program, or representatives of a full-service international study program provider.  

ACCESSIBILITY: The program is available to a wide array of students, with access a major consideration of any student selection process. Students with special needs are provided for to highest degree possible.

ASSESSMENT: A strategy for assessing student learning is in place, as is a practice of program evaluation that goes beyond the academic components to include student feedback on the orientation program, the itinerary and use of site, housing, and faculty leadership in a non-academic capacity. 

CLEAR EXPECTATIONS: The program has a student code of conduct and a set of behavioral expectations laid out in pre-departure programming and consistently applied throughout the program. 

LEGAL & CULTURAL NORMS: The program operates in accordance with U.S. and international laws, and also acts with sensitivity to and respect for differences between local cultural norms and those of the U.S.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: The program has established effective health, security and risk management policies and procedures, including timely provision of an up-to-date itinerary and contact information to the Center for Global Education & Field Study. 

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: The program has sufficient financial resources to assure its academic success and the well-being of students, setting a program fee sufficient to provide for all program expenses with even the minimal approved program roster size. 

Course proposals for all Block Away courses (Summer and Academic Year) are due in October of the year prior to the program. So, for example, proposals for Summer 2028 will be due in early October of 2027 while proposals for the 2028-2029 academic year are due in late October of 2027.

What should you do in preparation for developing a proposal during the time prior to the proposal deadline? 

• Attend a Build a Block Away workshop or complete the Build a Block Away course on Canvas.
• Have at least one 1-on-1 meeting with the Director of Off-Campus & Global Experiences to review proposal expectations as well as block away requirements, expectations and processes. 
• Explore options for where you wish to take the course, what you wish to do there, who your student cohort would be, and when the best time to be on-site would be. 
• Consider applying for funding to conduct a site visit. This may be personal research funds, departmental funds, the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor funds, or funds from the Center for Global Education and Field Study.  An early site visit can make the course development process much simpler and open up options for how best to use the site.
• Consider working with a full-service international education provider or partner organization.  GLobal Ed can provide a list of potential partner organizations and recommend several from whom to seek an initial proposal.
• If not working with a full-service provider, begin to identify a second responsible adult who can work on-site with you and whose skill sets will be a benefit to the program. 
• Work with Global Education to develop a draft budget.
• Develop a course syllabus to propose to your department, as departmental approval of the course is a requirement for any proposal. 

October is the proposal period for all off-campus blocks.  Summer Block proposals are typically due, with departmental approval, on the first Friday of October, with proposals for the following academic year due 3 weeks later.  

All proposals are submitted on Summit at this link. 

Summer proposals, due to the short time frame between proposal, approval, and student enrollment, require a draft budget and program fee designated at the time of proposal.  Academic Year proposals do not, as these will be developed with support from Global Education between approval in November and the enrollment period beginning in late January or early February. 

As soon as programs are approved by both the Director of Off-Campus & Global Experiences and the Dean of the Faculty, advertisement can begin.  During this post-approval period, the faculty leader should also complete the following tasks:

• Revision of the budget and setting of the program fee in conjunction with Global Education
• Create program promotional materials (posters, fliers) with support from Global Education's student marketing team. 
• Selection of your OPA or approval and execution of a program agreement with a third party provider.
• Active recruitment of students through class visits, materials provided to faculty in relevant departments, information sessions open to all students, and messaging to any student cohorts such as majors & minors, student organizations, or other groups within the target groups. 

This is the primary recruitment & enrollment phase for all study away blocks.  Summer Blocks have an application window which stretches from Block 4 through Half Block, typically with a start date near December 1 and an end date near January 15.  Academic Year blocks have an application window typically from the last days of January through March 15.  

While applications can be accepted, or students can be reassigned from the Summit waitlist you will create to the active roster, after the application window, typically late applicants or students reclassified are at a much lower probability of obtaining an aid award for the program, which is why we always emphasize that students should apply during the primary application window and faculty should make roster decisions upon the closure of that window. 

The student application and faculty review and selection processes are outlined in the Build a Block Away Canvas course cited above. 

This phase, which can stretch from 3-12 months (or longer for Block 7 and 8 courses the following year) is primarily for finalizing any course details, making bookings and deposits for lodging, tours, and other services, and for orientation of students. 

It is expected that all off-campus blocks will hold 2-3 in-person or virtual pre-departure orientation meetings to discuss the course, the travel program, behavioral expectations, cultural differences, and travel planning (arrival & departure, packing lists, itinerary, etc.).  It is required that during at least one of these meetings, materials provided by Global Education, often in the form of video trainings, will be presented and discussed so that all students understand college policies and best practices in study away. 

During this period, all faculty leaders should also plan to attend a Faculty Leader Luncheon sponsored by Global Education (offered 4 times per year), and to complete the required "Taking Academic Courses Off-Campus" Canvas course.  OPA hires are also required to complete this online course covering college policy and faculty responsibilities

Finally, Global Education has a checklist of required pre-departure actions which faculty should use to ensure that all required tasks are completed during the 2 blocks prior to departure. 

More details on post-enrollment planning and expectations for faculty are available in the Build a Block Away Canvas Course as well as the "Taking Academic Courses Off-Campus" required Canvas course for all faculty leaders and OPA hires.