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Consortium Programs

Teaching on a Consortium Program

Consortium programs are a partnership between several educational institutions that pool resources to offer study abroad opportunities. 

A typical consortium program may have between 2 and 10 (or more) faculty plus additional consortium staff traveling together with students to a chosen destination for course activities. As a UK faculty member, you may be teaching alongside faculty from other CCSA or KIIS institutions and will likely have a mix of UK and other institution's students attending your course.

Key advantages of consortium programs:

  • Collaboration and networking: Consortiums foster inter-institutional collaboration, sharing resources, and expertise. There are opportunities to collaborate and network with fellow educators and professionals from around the world. 
  • Professional Staff: Staff from the consortium typically accompany programs and provide support for logistics, course activities and student management. 
  • Simplified Development: Consortium programs typically have set dates and locations, as well as sone required set activities on-site which greatly reduces the planning involved for faculty. 
  • Shared resources: Since program resources are shared among all courses on the same program, some program activity costs can be reduced by economies of scale. 

Consortium Proposal Process

Step 1: Department and College Alignment

Speak with your department and college leadership about your intentions to submit a proposal through a consortium to teach abroad. It’s important that your participation aligns with college level internationalization plans. 

Approval by your department and college will be required for submitting the final proposal, but for now you should obtain, at minimum, informal approval by your chair. 

Step 2: UKEA Review and Approval

All applications to teach on consortium programs require pre approval by the UKEA executive director.

Key points EA will be looking for in a proposal:

  1. IMPORTANT: Consortium programs must not conflict with existing UKEA Faculty-Directed programs. 
  2. Attractive Destination: Program aligns with student interests in destinations. Programs in non-traditional locations are possible, however, they will need significant additional draws in order to recruit sufficient students to operate. 
  3. Attractive Academic Opportunity: Program offers courses that appeal to a wide range of students. Faculty should strongly consider adapting existing 300-level courses that are required major or UK Core courses. 
  4. Acceptable Cost: Program offers a “good value” financially to students. Considerations may include cost per-credit-hour, UK major/core vs elective offering, cost of living in host country, and intangible ‘value’ factors
  5. Acceptable Risk: Program is offered in a location that is reviewed to be a safe and acceptable destination by the UKIC or contains significant safety and risk management safeguards to make the destination reasonable for educational travel. 
  6. Cultural Exchange: Program contains opportunities for students to engage in direct cultural exchange with the host community. 
  7. Leadership: Program leader is prepared to facilitate cultural engagement and actively engage with students. Program director has strong ties, knowledge or significant experience in host destination and can speak the local language(s). 

 

Step 3: Submit a Proposal

Proposal requirements and deadlines vary by the consortium provider. Visit their respective websites below for more details. 

Blue Line

CCSA - The Cooperative Center for Study Abroad

The Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA) is a consortium of American colleges and universities that collaborates to offer study abroad programs in English-speaking countries. Founded in 1982, CCSA provides students with the opportunity to study overseas in places like the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Belize, among others. By pooling resources and expertise, the consortium facilitates high-quality, cost-effective international education experiences for students, allowing them to gain valuable cultural insights and academic knowledge in a global context.

 

CCSA Logo
Destinations Serviced: English-speaking countries only (primary language)
Terms Available: Summer, Winter for catalog programs, any time for custom programs
Highlighted Destinations: Australia, Belize, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, United States
General Website: CCSA.cc
Proposals: CCSA Faculty Proposals

 

KIIS - Kentucky Institute for International Studies

The Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) is a consortium of colleges and universities in Kentucky and surrounding states that offers study abroad programs to students interested in international education. Founded in 1975, KIIS provides a variety of summer and semester-long programs in numerous countries around the world. By promoting immersive learning experiences in diverse cultural settings, KIIS aims to enhance the academic, professional, and personal development of its participants, helping them gain a deeper understanding of global perspectives and intercultural competencies.

KIIS Logo
Destinations Serviced: NON-English-speaking countries only (primary language)
Terms Available: Summer, Winter or Semester
Highlighted Destinations: Argentina, Austria, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Zanzibar
General Website: KIIS.org
Proposals: KIIS Faculty Proposals
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