Field Studies are “special courses” that take place during the winter and summer terms. The goal of the course is to take students off of the AUC campus—often abroad-- to undertake learning opportunities that are unavailable on-campus. These courses are experiential, immersive, and may often have a service learning component built into them. The central task is to build the new setting into the fiber of the course. Because these courses are different from their on campus counterparts, faculty should seize this opportunity to use new teaching approaches and new assessment techniques.
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Instructor’s name and department
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Course title and number
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Purpose of the Course
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Goals and Objectives
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Method of Assessment
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Sites to be visited
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Rationale for these Sites
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Relevance of Credentials of Instructor for Teaching this Course
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Signatures of the department chair, followed by the school dean, followed by the associate provost for international prgrams on the coversheet
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Preliminary Budget approved by Associate Provost for International Education (e-mail
ipo@aucegypt.edu or call 2797.5510 for a sample budget form)
Application and Proposal Dates
Applications for the current academic year for field studies for the following academic year should be submitted by:
- October 31 in the current year for the following year's Winter session.
- February 28 in the current year for the following year's Summer session.
For subsequent academic years, applications for the field studies to be offered in the Winter term will be due by 1 May, and applications for field studies to be offered during the Summer will be due 1 October of the previous year. This will insure that International Programs has adequate time to work with students and faculty to insure as broad of a market for the course as possible.
Support for Faculty to Develop Field Studies
Faculty are encouraged to apply for Curriculum Development Grants to develop an International Field Study. These grants can cover, among other things, the cost of a site visit for the faculty or the cost of hiring a graduate assistant to facilitate the development of the course. Curriculum development grants should be used in the Summer for Field Studies to be undertaken in the Winter Term, and in the Winter Term for those to be offered the following summer.
Procedures and Guidelines
1. Download an application form and fill it out before specified deadline. - October 31 in the current year for the following year's Winter session.
- February 28 in the current year for the following year's Summer session.
2. Prepare a preliminary budget estimate, syllabus logistical and course schedule. Estimates can be provided by the AUC Travel Office.
3. Sign application form and get department head’s approval.
4. Submit all original documents (above) to the International Programs Office, Mail Code: 423
5. IPO reviews and adjusts budget as necessary and then gets approval by the Associate Provost.
6. Information is forwarded to the Vice-Provosts office for final approval and course-listing on the AUC website. They will set and communicate deadlines for course-fees. (payable at Student Accounts 155Main). The tuition fees portion for the course can be paid with the regular deadlines.
7. Once notified of final approval, Instructor should market his/her course and instruct students of Program Fees and Payment Deadlines. Once ten students are enrolled and pay program fees, a list of their names, passport numbers, and payment receipts should be provided to the Travel Office for all necessary reservations. If ten students are not enrolled, the course will be cancelled. Duties and Support The IPO can provide guidance for budget support.
The Travel Office can assist with Flight/Hotel reservations and price estimates, contact: travel@aucegypt.edu . Reservations cannot be made by the Travel Office until a list of ten student names which paid program fees is provided.
The instructor should market their course and guide students regarding payment deadlines and payment instructions, and then prepare a Name-List of ten students who paid program fees. The instructor should also prepare medical emergency procedure for travelers to follow in case of an emergency (specific to the area they will be travelling to).
Students must pay program fees before specified deadline and will obtain any necessary Visas on their own.
Academic Credit
7. Once notified of final approval, Instructor should market his/her course and instruct students of Program Fees and Payment Deadlines. Once ten students are enrolled and pay program fees, a list of their names, passport numbers, and payment receipts should be provided to the Travel Office for all necessary reservations. If ten students are not enrolled, the course will be cancelled.
The maximum that a summer or winter course can carry is 6 credit hours. The minimum is 3. For a course to carry 6 credit hours, it can be offered as two courses offered each for 3 weeks in the summer, or as two courses that meet during the six week session for 3 credit hours each.
Beginning and Ending Dates of Field Studies
Because Field Studies are special courses, the date upon which they begin and end need not be exactly the same as when on-campus courses begin and end in the winter and Summer. The travel components of the class may also be only part of the length of the course. For example, a course may meet on campus for one week prior to travel, and then return to AUC to meet for a week at the end of the class. This not only reduced the supplemental fees for the course, but permits the faculty to design pre-departure and re-entry components.
Faculty Responsibilities
As with any course, faculty are responsible for designing the academic components of the course and working to insure that students know about it. Faculty have the added responsibility of working with International Programs to identify the supplemental cost of the course, such as travel, lodging, and other costs that are required for students to participate.
Hotels and Transportation
The AUC travel office can identify low cost accommodation. In the coming months, the Office of International Programs expects to provide support to faculty for this as well. If you have a specific hotel or hostel in mind, they can facilitate making reservations there as well. Accommodation is based upon double or triple occupancy. Upon approval of the course, the Travel Office will make a deposit to reserve accommodation and will make flight reservations. Upon the receipt of the deposit from the students—payable at the end of the registration period, the flight reservations will be confirmed. Airline reservations cannot made without names of those flying.
Student Costs
The cost to the student is the cost of tuition for 3-6 credit hours, plus supplemental fees which cover travel and lodging for the student and a portion of the travel and lodging cost for the faculty. Each faculty member should work with the Associate Provost for International Programs to compose a projected budget. Students who are on financial aid may apply to have assistance for these courses. Whatever tuition scholarships a student receives, such as resident/Egyptian scholarships, Achievement, Cultural, or Athletic scholarships, automatically apply to tuition for these courses as well.
Students pay their tuition and the supplemental costs to the student financial affairs office.
Student Recruitment and Registration
Student recruitment is both by word of mouth and through formal procedures. The course descriptions that the faculty propose will be posted on appropriate AUC websites, along with any graphic images faculty submit. Students will also be recruited through study abroad fairs offered each semester.
Cancellation
Any decision to cancel a course for reasons such as low enrollment, will be made at least 2 weeks in advance of the stated departure date. The University reserves the right to cancel a course for reasons of security up until the date of departure.
Minimum Enrollment
The minimum enrollment for a course will be ten students. This will be the number that will be used to project the cost of the course as well.