BC faculty teach abroad
With the goal of internationalizing Boston College, the Office of Global Education promotes opportunities for faculty to teach abroad in the summer, as well as in a limited capacity during the academic year. Faculty who lead a BC summer program abroad and are interested in extending their time in-country to conduct research have the opportunity to apply for MCAS research funds.
Featured MCAS Faculty Research Grants
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Régine Michelle Jean-Charles
Black, French and Feminist: Afroféminisme in 21st Century France
Régine Michelle Jean-Charles plans to extend her stay in Paris by one month, to research 21st century visual and textual representations of black women in France. She plans to complete this project by consulting archives at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, interviewing the filmmakers and writers whose works she will examine, conducting further research on the “Posing Modernity: The Black Model from Manet to Matisse to Today” exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay, and attending a theater festival in Avignon where plays by Marie Ndiaye will be performed.
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Tracy Regan
Which is Better? An Economic Comparison of Health Care in France, the UK, and the US
Regan will attend the International Health Economics Association’s (iHea) Conference, “New Heights in Health Care,” in Basel, Switzerland from July 13-17. This bi-annual conference attracts some of the top health economists in the world.
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Mary Sherman
Berlin: An Enduring Allure in Berlin, Germany
Sherman will participate in the artist-in-residency program at the complex Cité des internationale des artes in Paris. While there, Sherman will finish the mechanical drawings and programming for the final parts of her art installation entitled “The Fugue,” as well as spend time finalizing the electronics for an artwork (a kinetic sculpture with sound) that she has been asked to produce for scientists at McGill and Vanderbilt Universities.
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Suzanne Matson
Food Writing in Paris
Matson will travel to the Alsace-Lorraine region for a five-day period, to travel to the Meuse-Argonne WWI sites to walk the forest trails, visit war memorial museums, and acquaint herself with the area of the final 47-day Allied offensive where the 91st Division of the AEF engaged in battle. From there, she will travel to London to read from her new novel, Ultraviolet, at the Great Writing International Creative Writing Conference at Imperial College in London from July 6th to 7th.
Summer opportunities
The Office of Global Education operates approximately 20 faculty-led summer programs annually. Faculty leaders hail from all schools and departments at the university. All program proposals are reviewed and approved by the Office of Global Education and should include detailed information regarding course content and learning outcomes, on-site logistics and support, and cultural excursions in the host country.
Submitting a program proposal
Faculty interested in submitting a program proposal are encouraged to consult with the Summer & Internships Program Manager, as well as their academic department. The questions below provide further guidance to faculty regarding questions to consider before submitting a program proposal.
- How does this program expand BC’s existing educational opportunities? What makes it unique?
- What is the connection between the academic content/learning outcomes and the proposed program location? How does the location enhance the program? How does the program promote intercultural learning?
- Does the program align with departmental goals and priorities? Will your department lend full support to the program?
- What is the potential applicant pool and is it sufficiently large to sustain the program for several years? How do you plan on recruiting applicants?
To explore summer teaching opportunities further, contact the Summer & Internships Program Manager.
In partnership with the Office of Global Education, the College of Arts and Sciences has awarded research funds over the past several years to A&S faculty who lead a summer program abroad and are interested in extending their time in-country to conduct research. Activities typically range from a few days to conduct research at a specific library or host university to a longer stay to perform more in-depth studies.
Submitting a research grant proposal
Interested faculty are invited to submit an informal grant proposal outlining the intended research, how the project integrates into your larger research agenda, which places you plan to visit, and a detailed funding request that demonstrates on-site expenses. For more information, please contact the Summer & Internships Program Manager.
Research abroad
We are excited to announce a research grant opportunity from the College of Arts and Sciences. The grant will provide funds to A&S faculty who teach a summer course abroad and are interested in extending their time in-country to conduct research.
Faculty Resources: How to market your OGE summer program to students
While summer programs remain quite popular among BC students, high program costs and an increasing emphasis on summer internship experience necessitate diligent program promotion from faculty leaders, who are primarily responsible for recruiting student applicants. A few means of marketing faculty-led programs are highlighted below.
While summer programs remain quite popular among BC students, high program costs and an increasing emphasis on summer internship experience necessitate diligent program promotion from faculty leaders, who are primarily responsible for recruiting student applicants.
Attend the Study Abroad Fair, OGE information sessions, Professors and Pastries events, Academic Fair, Student Activities Fair, and other relevant on-campus functions to widen your audience.
Highlighting your summer program in your own classes as well as other relevant classes is an effective means to increase the program applicant pool, especially among students looking to fulfill a particular major/minor or core requirement or those interested in a particular subject or geographic region.
Students who have participated in the program in previous years (or students who have studied abroad in the same city) often serve as strong advocates and can raise interest among their peers.
Ensure that your colleagues on and off-campus are aware of your program. Reach out to peers at other universities to encourage non-BC applicants.
Promote your program through flyers both in your department as well as in general student spaces on campus. Use photographs and images as much as possible.
Encourage interested students to explore our website, attend general information sessions, or schedule one-on-one advising. Financing summer programs abroad is often the largest barrier to student participation.
Sending targeted e-mails to majors/minors in the discipline of your program, as well as relevant student clubs, can generate interest among students. Reach out to athletics, many of whom cannot study abroad during the academic year, through the Learning Resources for Student-Athletes.
Academic year opportunities
With any of Boston College’s 60+ partnerships around the world, there is a possibility for faculty to teach, visit, and collaborate with faculty around research and scholarly discussions. Arrangements are made on an individual basis and depend on a match with both Boston College and the partner institution.
Teach at Venice International University
Boston College is a member of Venice International University (VIU), a prestigious and truly international consortium of sixteen universities from around the world. The campus is located on the island of San Servolo in the Venice lagoon, where faculty and students come together to explore a number of themes including sustainable development, climate change, ageing, urban growth, global ethics, and cultural heritage. As part of the consortium, Boston College sends one faculty member per semester to teach at VIU.
Prior to going to VIU, the BC faculty member assists with pre-departure activities. While at VIU, he or she teaches two courses, which are made available to all students at VIU, and serves as a mentor for BC student by offering additional activities and space for intellectual dialogue.
All tenured BC faculty are eligible to apply. Requests for applications are sent out on a regular basis via the OGE. For more details, contact Larry Pickener.
Additionally, please note that VIU can host conferences, seminars, and summer courses. BC’s membership in the consortium provides Boston College faculty and staff with access to the VIU facilities for a fee.
Teach an intensive course in Croatia
“BC in Croatia: War, Peace and Reconciliation” based at the European Center for the Study of War and Peace (ECSWP) in Zagreb, is an interdisciplinary semester program for BC undergraduate students, which aims to form students who wish to think critically, holistically, and creatively about how to bring about justice and reconciliation.
As part of “BC in Croatia: War, Peace and Reconciliation”, BC students enroll in a tailored curriculum consisting of courses, taught by European Center for the Study of War and Peace (ECSWP) and one required course taught by a BC faculty member selected by the Office of Global Education.
The Office of Global Education invites all BC faculty to propose a course to fit into the interdisciplinary theme of "War, Peace and Reconciliation". The BC teaching portion consists of an intensive three-credit class, taught in August in the fall semester, or from mid-May to mid-June in the spring semester. Requests for proposals are sent out on a regular basis via the OGE. For more details, contact Christina Hatzipetros.