For Faculty & Staff

Being an Advocate for Study Abroad

You, as faculty and staff at Valpo, play an important role in encouraging students to consider studying abroad. Often, students who hear about opportunities from a faculty member in class or during an advising appointment are more likely to look into the opportunities available to them. We are incredibly grateful to you for the support you provide to our students and to us.

In order to make study abroad possible for all students, we need your help as professors, advisors, and mentors, as you have a strong influence on their academic decision-making. The Office of International Programs – Study Abroad considers you to be some of our strongest allies, and we want to work with you to increase and diversify our opportunities and also to recruit students who may not have previously considered study abroad. By working together, we can assist students in finding programs that will fit within their academic plans, challenge them academically, and provide them with life-changing experiences.

Here are some ways you can help us as advocates of study abroad:

Classroom Visits

Contact the OIP – Study Abroad to schedule a time for our staff to visit your class and talk about study abroad. We can keep it brief — five to 10 minutes — or, if you’d be interested, we can do a longer presentation. Simply send us an email (study.abroad@valpo.edu) with the date/time you’d like us to come, location, number of students, and any particulars you’d like us to highlight. We can make it as general or specific as you’d like.

Study Abroad staff are also willing upon request to make presentations to faculty groups, departments, offices, and other campus groups.

Academic Advising

Browse program offerings and learn about what opportunities might best suit your students. Not sure what might work best for your student/advisee? Reach out to the OIP – Study Abroad — we’re happy to answer any questions, or if you’d like us to join you and your student for an advising appointment, we are happy to help.

Scholarship Advising

Serve as a mentor for students applying for large, national scholarships. Often, they can get overwhelmed with the application process for a large scholarship, but having some support can make a tremendous difference in both their comfort level and in the quality of their application. Contact the OIP – Study Abroad for more information.

Propose a Faculty-led Program

Consider designing, proposing, and leading a program in your area of expertise. To learn more, visit our Faculty-led Program Development Section.

Other Ideas?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to the OIP – Study Abroad if you have other ideas or ways you’d like to be involved. We’re always open to new ideas, and we greatly appreciate any support you can provide.