Tips for Planning Your First Study Abroad Experience

<p>In this episode of the Prof Talk Pod, Becky and Katie discuss what it takes to set up a faculty-led study abroad, why it can be impactful for students (confidence, perspective, cultural intelligence), and why it can also be demanding for faculty. Katie shares her early-stage experience preparing to lead a spring break 2027 trip to Mexico and explains how study abroad formats vary from semester exchanges to short faculty-led trips. They emphasize the heavy administrative and logistical workload, the need to meet credit-hour and accreditation expectations, and the importance of understanding timelines, decision-making authority, travel and funding rules, and application/roster processes. They also note equity concerns around affordability, advise starting with the study abroad office and experienced colleagues, and caution against promising specifics to students that may change.</p>