Leading an Overseas Seminar
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BOSP Overseas Seminars are two-unit classes that are three weeks in duration over the summer. Taught by Stanford faculty around the world, the seminar’s overseas location should have direct relevance to the course content. The course content should be academically rigorous and unique, but at the same time general enough to be accessible to a wide range of undergraduates. A seminar includes up to 16 undergraduate participants and one Seminar Assistant. Seminar applications are open to Stanford sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have not previously participated in a BOSP Overseas Seminar.
Faculty Responsibilities
In addition to their academic role in teaching the class, faculty must be prepared to:
- Contribute substantially to the non-academic aspects of the seminar. This includes developing a budget, creating an itinerary, and being responsible for on-site logistics, such as making reservations for accommodation and local transportation, and disbursing meal allowances to students. Seminar faculty will also be responsible for keeping track of expenses on-site.
- Hold an outreach session in January 2009 to promote the seminar and review student applications in late February 2009.
- Participate in faculty orientation during the Winter Quarter and student orientation during the Spring Quarter.
- Submit an evaluation after the end of the seminar and present the proper documentation to clear all seminar expenses with BOSP upon their return.
Compensation & Reimbursement
Faculty will receive a fixed salary payment for leading an Overseas Seminar. If a seminar is co-led by more than one faculty member, this amount is split as determined by the participating faculty. Round trip airfare (upgradeable economy-class) to the seminar location, accommodation for the duration of the seminar, and meal expenses are reimbursed to faculty following standard Stanford business travel procedures.
Course Management
Prerequisites and Pre-Seminar Course Option
Ideally, there are no prerequisites for the seminars. However, several past seminar faculty have found it beneficial to offer a required pre-seminar course with minimal units in the Spring Quarter to prepare the students academically for the rigorous demands of the three-week program. Faculty who wish to offer a pre-seminar course will need to decide no later than December 2008 so that this option is included on our website before student applications become available in January. Pre-seminar courses will need to be coordinated through your home department or program.
Seminar Course Credit
Students receive two units of credit for an Overseas Seminar. This credit has been awarded as part of the Autumn Quarter and does not impact a student who wishes to take a full 20-unit load during that quarter.
Seminar Course Number & Grading
Top of pageBOSP assigns course numbers for the classes and creates course records in Peoplesoft. BOSP is also responsible for listing the class in Axess and the Bulletin. Seminar faculty will need to determine the grading basis for their Overseas Seminar before the seminars are announced on our website in December 2008. There are two grading options: Letter Grade Only or Satisfactory/No Credit (S/NC).
Proposing an Overseas Seminar
Faculty interested in proposing an Overseas Seminar for 2009 should submit a brief proposal (1-2 pages) to the Overseas Seminars Coordinator at BOSP for initial review by Friday, October 31, 2008.
Seminar Proposals must meet the following criteria:
Academics: The seminar content should be academically rigorous and unique. At the same time, course content should remain general enough to be accessible to a wide range of Stanford undergraduates.
Student Interest: The seminar should appeal to a variety of undergraduate majors.
Location: Ideal destinations for Overseas Seminars are locations where BOSP does not run full quarter-length programs. Seminars should provide opportunities to students that they would not be able to experience as part of BOSP’s other overseas offerings, or on campus. The location must be vetted by Risk Management and BOSP and not appear on the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Warning list.
Site Knowledge: Faculty leaders must have prior experience at the location.
Feasibility: The seminar must be financially and logistically feasible.