Apply to be a Faculty Leader

Deadline

Summer Quarter 2026-27 applications will open in December 2025 and will be due on February 15, 2026.

Global Seminar proposals are accepted from any current Stanford faculty member who belongs to the Academic Council. Non-tenure track Stanford faculty may be considered occasionally, as may emeriti. Please inquire about your specific circumstances. Please review the application requirements and guidelines below before submitting your application.

Faculty may only submit one Global Seminar proposal per application cycle. Special consideration will be given to proposals that engage countries not served by BOSP's quarter-length programs.

Application Requirements

A complete application consists of the following:

1. Seminar Proposal (2000 characters or less)
   • Consider the following:
     • General academic content and learning objectives.
     • Significance of the location, the advantage of offering the seminar in the location, and the location's relevance to the course content.
     • Faculty Leader’s academic background and knowledge of/prior experience with the proposed program location.
2. Itinerary
   • A high-level, weekly itinerary based on this itinerary template.
3. Learning Outcomes
   • Please reference Stanford's Learning Commons guide on creating learning outcomes and list your learning outcomes for your proposed Global Seminar.
4. Promotion & Retention Plan
   • Consider plans to meet the enrollment target of 15 students and strategies to ensure retention once students are admitted.

Additionally, you will be asked to complete a standard application and upload the following:

1. Current curriculum vitae (abbreviated version, 8-page max.)
2. Quantitative course evaluation summaries (ratings) from two recent courses

Application Guidelines

Please consider the following when completing your program proposal:

Academics

The objective of Global Seminars is to provide students with an intensive in-depth academic experience with a particular Stanford faculty member. The program content should be academically rigorous and unique, relevant to the proposed location and related to the Faculty Leader’s area of academic expertise and interests. At the same time, course content should remain general enough to be accessible to a wide range of Stanford undergraduates.

Course Credit & Grading

Students will be awarded credit as part of the Summer Quarter and receive letter grades.

Prerequisites and Pre-Program Course Option

Some previous Faculty Leaders have found it beneficial to offer a pre-program course with minimal units (1-2) in the Spring Quarter to prepare the students academically and culturally for the rigorous demands of the three-week program. Faculty Leaders who intend to offer a pre-program course should indicate this plan in the program proposal. Pre-program courses will be coordinated through the faculty’s home department. Flexibility with withdrawals and late additions will need to be accommodated for to ensure program capacity is obtained.

Student Interest and Accessibility

The program should appeal to a variety of undergraduate majors. The program structure and itinerary should consider accessibility factors for students with disabilities.

Location

Ensure that your proposed location complies with the Stanford University Travel Policy. Stanford-sponsored travel for undergraduate students is only permitted to countries, regions or cities with Crisis24 overall risk ratings of "Minimal,” “Low" or Moderate."

• To check the Crisis24 risk rating for your proposed travel destination, scan the Global Risk Office's website for destinations with elevated risk ratings. 

Program Site Knowledge

Faculty Leaders should have working knowledge and practical experience in their selected locations. Please highlight and describe this experience in detail as appropriate.

Logistical and Financial Feasibility

The program must be financially and logistically feasible and there must be no significant security and health risks associated with the program location and/or nature of activities. The program should present the highest quality educational experience in the most fiscally conservative manner. All program excursions, site visits and activities should be academically relevant and rigorous; Global Seminars are not travel tours. 

Program Length and Dates

A typical Global Seminar is approximately 3 weeks in length. Independent project work days may be incorporated into the program but independent student travel is not permitted while the program is in session.

Student accommodation is arranged from the evening of the arrival date until the night prior to the departure date. The earliest arrival date is after Spring Quarter commencement. The latest possible departure date is a few days prior to the first day of instruction of the Autumn Quarter. The preferred timeframes for programs are mid/late June to early/mid-July and late August to mid-September so that the program will not disrupt students’ employment or internship opportunities over the summer. 

Accompanying Family Members

Faculty Leaders are strongly discouraged from bringing family members on their program, as it is the leader’s primary responsibility to be available to the students during academic and non-academic program activities. Most importantly, faculty will need to be available to respond immediately to any emergency situations or serious incidents for the duration of the program. Minors are not permitted to travel with or join the seminar.

Please be aware that pets cannot be accommodated under any circumstances; no requests to accommodate pets will be considered by BOSP.

Please contact BOSP Program Manager, Dave Malacki, if you have any questions regarding the Global Seminars proposal process.