Proposal Guidelines

Draft proposals for new programs are first submitted to Education Abroad for a preliminary review by an experienced staff, who can answer questions about program organization, budgets, credits and university regulations. They can help identify problems or ambiguities so that the proposal is clear and complete. IUPUI International Affairs and IUSB international programs offices also provide assistance for their campuses and require approval of proposal drafts.

Most proposals for new programs will be reviewed by the Overseas Study Advisory Council (OSAC), or a subcommittee thereof. Programs are approved with the proviso that the sponsor must adhere to the monitoring process in order to receive reauthorization for the program.

Program designs can vary significantly, and could include short-term, stand alone programs (during a summer term or a semester/winter break), semester-long courses with some component overseas (spring or fall break or after the end of term), long-term (semester or academic year) study abroad, or other models. Courses could be designed for limited audiences (a select group of pre-determined students) or open to students across schools or campuses; offered as non-credit or for credit. Funding is available to support a visit to the proposed program site to enhance the organizer’s knowledge of that location through Education Abroad Program Development Grants. 

If the proposed program involves a bilateral exchange, please follow these instructions regarding the application process for partnership agreements before submitting a proposal for consideration by the Overseas Study Advisory Council. Demonstrating approval for the institutional partnership is a necessary component of your proposal.

Proposals may be submitted to Education Abroad at any time. They should be submitted via the iAbroad portal; under Program Management, select "Start New Program Proposal". (New users should use the Departmental Access Request Form to request access in advance of initiating a proposal.) Estimated time for completion of the review and approval process is a minimum of 60 days.

Advance planning is essential. The Overseas Study Advisory Council must approve all proposals before any recruiting, advertising, or scheduling for the proposed program begins. Organizers should recognize and consider the time required to obtain necessary course approvals, guarantees of financial support, and to make the necessary logistical arrangements both here and overseas.

Ideally, the planning process should begin 12 to 15 months in advance of an academic program’s projected start date. Non-credit international activities (conference attendance, research project, internship opportunity, music performance, etc.) should begin the proposal process as soon as the activity has been identified.

Proposals should be accompanied by two letters, addressed to the IU Associate Vice President for Education Abroad: one from the chairperson or division head, and one from the Dean (IUB and IUPUI) or Chancellor (other IU campuses) of the sponsoring faculty member. These letters should confirm:

  1. that the proposed program has been approved by the faculty member’s academic unit and by the relevant college, school or campus;
  2. that the proposal is considered a valuable academic program which will enhance their course offerings;
  3. that the faculty member has demonstrated strong leadership, been a good role model and would be capable of responding to a crisis on site, with examples that would speak to these skills (see description of the position responsibilities); and
  4. what the department’s financial contribution to the program will be, if any. (The salaries and reasonable travel-related expenses for accompanying faculty directors/instructors may be provided by the home department/school and/or included in the budget based on student fees, as per unit and campus policies and practices.)

If the program uses service-learning as a teaching strategy or engages students in volunteer experience, please provide a letter from the host community or host organization(s) which conveys their openness to your presence.

Follow detailed instructions to prepare a proposal. Consult Education Abroad for assistance and guidance.

After each program occurrence, the program sponsor must submit a written report (see details regarding Post-Program Reports) and evaluations from all student participants to Education Abroad so that continuing program approval can be considered. For more information about OSAC's program evaluation policy and continuing program authorization, please see the Education Abroad Program Evaluation Policy.

Indiana University is a member of The Forum on Education Abroad and supports its Standards of Good Practice. Forum members developed these standards for the field so that there would be an agreed-upon set of best practices on all aspects of study abroad, including student selection, academics, policies and procedures, health and safety, ethics and integrity, etc. These can guide you as you develop your program.

For the full set of Standards and queries, see the Forum on Education Abroad Web site.