Dear Deans and Department Chairs –Please share this information with your faculty:The Pavlis Honors College study abroad office will be hosting an information session for faculty interested in learning more about teaching abroad through the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) Visiting Professor Program. The session will be on Wednesday, November 6th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm in M&M 724.
USAC provides affordable, authentic study abroad experiences at a variety of locations across the world with programs focused on business and STEM to health, journalism, language studies and more.The info session will include a presentation from USAC staff. Interested faculty can apply to teach during Summer 2021, Fall 2021, or Spring 2022. The application deadline is December 3, 2019. If you are unable to attend the info session but are interested in more information, please contact Vienna Chapin (vrchapin@mtu.edu) for more details.———-
More about the program
Visiting Professors (VP) experience USAC firsthand and have the ability to expand their own repertoire by giving them the chance to teach abroad, to create new areas of teaching and research with an international dimension, to strengthen links with international colleagues, and to expand their own knowledge of the world. Most returning VPs comment that teaching abroad was one of their most rewarding professional experiences, and many apply to teach abroad again.
VPs do not need to worry about the overall logistics of the program as USAC on-site staff will handle details for both students and faculty, including arranging housing accommodations, the on-site orientation, field trips, and handling any emergency situation that may arise. In addition, VPs have the advantage of drawing students from across the US, internationally, and in some cases even locally, for their courses through USAC’s general marketing efforts.Candidates must be full-time faculty members in good standing at Michigan Tech who will be on campus prior to teaching abroad (so that they can promote their USAC course(s)) and return to their home university following their term abroad. The minimum credentials for faculty is a master’s degree and many faculty have a PhD.Faculty can teach one course during summer sessions and two courses during semester programs. Summer VPs are paid directly by USAC based on the program length and number of credits they teach abroad. VPs may bring their families with them.Compensation:
Summer VPs are paid directly by USAC based on the program length and number of credits they teach while abroad. Details on the stipend amounts are listed in the VP application. Their transportation costs are also reimbursed directly by USAC to the professor.
There are three options for structuring a Semester Visiting Professorship:
- Faculty Exchange: We encourage the Visiting Professor’s department to consider replacement faculty from one of our host universities abroad to fill the Visiting Professor’s position while teaching abroad for USAC. In the event of an exchange, the exchange professor would teach two courses in the Visiting Professor’s department for a salary of $11,000 paid by USAC, and the Visiting Professor’s department would receive $1,000 from USAC to minimize administrative burdens such as visa processing and assistance in locating housing. The home department will inform USAC of the desired characteristics of the exchange professor and USAC will solicit applications based on these preferences. The home department will review applications and will select the candidate of their choosing. The USAC Visiting Professor will receive his/her regular salary, benefits, and status from the Home University during his/her semester abroad, according to the policies and procedures of the Home University. USAC will need to be invoiced for the $11,000 exchange professor salary and the $1,000 reimbursement to the department by either your office or the VP’s department as we cannot issue checks to individual semester faculty.
- Departmental Reimbursement: Visiting Professors will receive their regular salary, benefits, and status from the Home University during their semester abroad (according to the policies and procedures of the Home University), and will not be paid directly by USAC. Instead, their home department will receive $11,000 to help defray replacement expenses for the semester of the Visiting Professor’s participation abroad. USAC will need to be invoiced for the replacement costs by either your office or the VP’s department as we cannot issue checks to individual semester faculty.
- Direct payment by USAC: Visiting Professors who will not be under contractual obligation with their home university during their semester abroad can be hired and paid the $11,000 directly by USAC for teaching the two USAC courses.
The professor applying to teach abroad as well as his/her Department Chair or Dean will select which option best fits their needs.
