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Faculty-led Study Abroad & University Studies 5b

Faculty-led Study Abroad & University Studies 5b Requirement
As approved by University Studies, July 2015

UMass Dartmouth undergraduate students must complete University Studies requirements as well as major requirements, to qualify for degree completion.

  • The US5b requirement for "The Educated & Engaged Citizen" may be fulfilled through study abroad. Undergraduate research, service-learning, internships or a combination.
  • Satisfactory completion of the study abroad requirement is tracked in the student's COIN account by the International Programs Office, and based on completion of pre and post written assignments as administered and recorded by IPO.
  • University Studies cluster descriptions

Faculty who teach courses entirely or partially taught abroad, may opt to approach the coursework in a manner that will allow the students to concurrently earn course credit and complete the non-credit 5b requirement. The intention to do so is indicated in the study abroad proposal approved by the Dean and Provost.

  1. Faculty member leading a short-term program agrees to administer the standard pre/post essays as described in the University Studies IPO Master Syllabus for 5b.
  2. Faculty member agrees to facilitate ongoing reflection/processing in some way as part of their general course delivery. (The Faculty Member could look at the sample Discussion Board prompts in the Master syllabus for examples.) IPO registers every student of the faculty-led for the EXH058 course in the appropriate term.
  3. Faculty member forwards set of the pre/post essays to IPO so all such essays from all courses can be kept in a central repository and used for assessment measures as the University Studies committee/NEASC might want them.
  4. Upon receipt of both pre/post essays from faculty, IPO would enter a "P" grade for that student in COIN.


Master Syllabus
Course: Study Abroad
Cluster Requirement: 5B

This University Studies Master Syllabus serves as a guide and standard for all instructors teaching an approved course in the University Studies program. Individual instructors have fullacademic freedom in teaching their courses, but as a condition of course approval, agree to focus on the outcomes listed below, to cover the identified material, to use these or comparable assignments as part of the course work, and to make available the agreed-upon artifacts for assessment of learning outcomes.

Course Overview
This Learning-Though-Engagement experience would not be fulfilled by a specific course, per se. Instead, the entire experience of studying abroad, along with structured opportunities for reflection, would provide a foundation for students to meet the learning outcomes of this Cluster requirement. Students will be encouraged to meet the learning outcomes by participating in discussion boards that prompt them to reflect on their study abroad experience. Assessment will be completed through an exit survey.

Learning Outcomes
Course-Specific Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this requirement, students will be able to:

  1. Explain and connect two or more cultures historically and/or in contemporary contexts, noting the influence of power structures. 
  2. Articulate connections between one's own personal decisions and actions and one or more global issues.
  3. Explain US social and cultural domains in relationship to other regions of the world.
  4. Explain basic problems faced by societies and cultures outside the US or issues that shape societies globally.
  5. Articulate the impact of the study abroad experience in terms of at least two professional skills developed.
  6. Articulate the impact of the study abroad experience in terms of two or more personal skills developed.

University Studies Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this requirement, students will be able to:

1. Identify the needs and resources of the communities to which they belong.
2. Apply knowledge and skills gained through academic study to real problems and/or opportunities within their communities.
3. Describe the connections between learning on campus and the issues and needs of broader academic, professional or civic communities.
4. Articulate the value of engagement to other members of their communities.

Examples of Texts and/or Assigned Readings
N/A

Example Learning Activities and Assignments
Discussion Boards
All students studying abroad in a given semester will simultaneously enroll in a single myCourses site. Students will go onto this site and, through a set of discussion boards, share their experiences with their peers and reflect on their time abroad. Discussion board prompts might include the following:

  • Different societies have different issues and problems. What are the major problems in your host country? How are they trying to solve them? Are these also problems in the US? How do their solutions differ from ours?
  • Think about the courses you've taken in college. In what ways has your time abroad helped to illustrate or demonstrate some of the things you've learned in the classroom?
  • To what extent would you say you are a member of a global community?

Exit Survey
After the study-abroad experience is completed, students will need to complete a survey administered by the International Programs Office. The following questions will be included:

How well can you do each of the following?
1. Identify needs and resources of the community
2. Apply knowledge and skills gained to real problems/opportunities in the community
3. Make connections between learning and issues/needs of the community
4. Articulate the value of engagement to other members of the community

Sample Course Outline
N/A