For Faculty

Advising Students on Study Abroad

Faculty and academic advisors play a crucial role in the Global Engagement process for all students. After meeting with GEO staff, students are expected to discuss and clear their study abroad study plans with their academic advisor(s) since all decisions regarding academics and credit transfer are handled by the faculty. If you don’t feel comfortable advising on Global Education, please contact GEO staff and we can provide you with more information about the process and the vital role you play!

Key Policies

During your advising appointments, it’s important that you are familiar with GEO policies and procedures, so students are getting consistent information. Please take the time to review our policies before meeting with students.

Designing and Implementing a TREK Program

Leading a TREK program can be a rewarding opportunity for faculty to teach a subject about which they are passionate in a location of special significance. TREK programs enrich the College’s curriculum, open new doors for students, provide experiential learning opportunities, promote global engagement, and can energize faculty!

Although there is no doubt that longer off-campus programs provide a deeper level of cultural, social, and linguistic immersion, many students are personally, financially, academically, or linguistically unable to partake in semester or year-long programs. Short-term programming offers these students an opportunity to live and learn in another culture as part of their undergraduate studies.

GEO encourages faculty who think they might be interested in designing a TREK program to contact our office. We’d love to listen to your ideas, provide feedback, and assist you in getting started on the process. Also, be sure to check out the Wooster TREK Faculty Handbook  for complete information about the program proposal and approval process, related policies, and course design suggestions.

Conducting a program/site review

If you are familiar with a high-quality and rigorous global education program that you think would suit the needs of your students, you can submit a proposal to add it to our list of Endorsed Programs. GEO has limited funds for you to conduct a site visit, and we can give you the site visit template to complete for approval. The program proposal will go before the GEO Advisory Committee and then EPC for final approval.

GEO Advisory Committee

The Global Engagement Office Advisory Committee is made up of four faculty, plus the Dean of Curriculum and Academic Engagement. Of the faculty members, one must be from Global and International Studies, and one must be from a Foreign Language.

The duties of the GEO Advisory Committee are to:

  • Identify issues of concern or interest in Global Education, offer suggestions for planning and strategy, and provide advice to GEO staff.
  • Review Endorsement Proposals submitted by faculty or departments and make recommendations to the Educational Policy Committee
  • Review and make recommendations to EPC regarding changes to GEO policies and procedures
  • Review TREK program proposals and make recommendations to EPC
  • Review student petitions and make recommendations to GEO staff
  • Act as a liaison between the Global Engagement Office and the departments, finding ways to help the departments encourage integration of global engagement into the curriculum.

EIIA and GeoBlue Travel Insurance

If you are traveling abroad on a College of Wooster sponsored or funded excursion, you are automatically covered by EIIA Travel Insurance – you do not need to enroll. This policy has basic coverage and is great for short term trips or programs.

If you need more coverage, GEO can enroll you in GeoBlue insurance. This has a cost of about $13/week and provides more comprehensive coverage. Contact Jamie Adler to enroll.