U of I Faculty/Staff Opportunities

Who Should Complete Faculty/Staff International Travel Registration?

• Per U of I Policy (APM 70.23), all faculty and staff must register themselves in the International Travel Registration system for any international travel (or travel to a U.S. territory) that is in any way connected to the U of I. Territories are considered international for U of I Risk Management purposes. U.S. territories include:
  • American Samoa
  • Federated States of Micronesia
  • Guam
  • Midway Islands
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Puerto Rico
  • Republic of Palau
  • Republic of the Marshall Islands
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
• Students traveling abroad for conferences, workshops, or any other U of I-affiliated non-credit bearing experiences must also register their travel through the International Travel Registration system.
• If students will accompany faculty or staff abroad for a credit -bearing experience, then the faculty/staff member leading them must complete a Faculty/Staff-Led International Travel (FSIT) Proposal, not an International Travel Registration. Once this is approved, students will be provided a link to complete their own materials as a part of the trip.
• If students study, conduct research or earn any credit/fulfill any U of I requirements while abroad, they must complete the appropriate application, not the International Travel Registration. More details can be found here.

Additional Insurance Information

State of Idaho Foreign Liability Coverage: As a University of Idaho employee, you are automatically covered by the State of Idaho Foreign Liability Program provided by ACE American Insurance Company. This coverage is mainly for Liability, Auto Liability and Foreign Voluntary Workers Comp but has some emergency travel service coverage as well. It does not cover employees while they are in the U.S., its possessions or territories. Security evacuation is not available from Iraq or Afghanistan. Information about this coverage and instructions for creating a profile and downloading printable insurance cards are available within the International Travel Registration. 

Blue Cross of Idaho coverage abroad: If you are enrolled, there is also some international coverage provided by the U of I employee insurance program through Blue Cross of Idaho. You can find Blue Cross providers abroad at Blue Card Worldwide; however, many of these providers may not actually bill Blue Cross on your behalf. Also, Blue Cross may not have the network or connections needed at the time of the illness or injury to provide sufficient medical, medical evacuation or repatriation of remains services.

Supplemental insurance: Neither the State of Idaho nor the Blue Cross international coverages are considered sufficient. It is suggested that your department purchase supplemental insurance on your behalf for your international trip. This is an allowable expense on regular university budgets. Those traveling on a grant budget should check with their grant's PI. You can search a variety of policies to meet different needs through InsureMyTrip.

Faculty/Staff-Led International Travel (FSIT) is an excellent way for faculty or staff to offer life-changing international academic or service experiences to students. At the same time, faculty and staff can gain international experience, network with colleagues at foreign institutions, earn additional salary and learn new things that can help to internationalize the U of I curriculum upon return.

What is FSIT?

The university defines any university international travel led by a U of I employee that involves U of I undergraduate or graduate students, authorized third parties, alumni or the public as a Faculty/Staff-Led International Travel (FSIT) program. This may include but is not limited to travel for study, research, field-work, service, internship or volunteer work.

University Policy Regarding FSIT Programs

For an FSIT (as defined above) to be considered university sanctioned travel it must be approved by the International Programs Office via the processes laid out in U of I Policy (APM 70.23). This is to ensure that in the rare instance that something goes wrong (natural disaster, political upheaval, student injury, etc.) that you have a team of seasoned professionals working with you, and you have the protection that comes along with the program existing as U of I affiliated. Absent this U of I registration process, you will, by default, take the full personal liability of program execution individually upon yourself (including the responsibility for the well-being of each individual person participating in the program). Program registration also ensures that your FSIT will be handled in a manner consistent with U of I policy and national best practice standards.

Creating an FSIT

Consult with the Director of Education Abroad in the International Programs Office and review the FSIT Program Support Manual  for guidance through the program creation process.

Proposal Deadlines

FSIT proposals must be submitted by the following deadlines:

• Fall, Fall Break, Winter Intercession: Dec. 1 of year prior to travel
• Spring, Spring Break, Summer: Aug. 1 of year prior to travel

Each year, about 800 faculty and professionals from around the globe will travel to more than 140 countries to lecture and/or conduct research. For over 55 years, scholars have been crossing borders, encountering different cultures, gaining teaching and research insights and sharing "the Fulbright experience." As a faculty or professional, there are many options for Fulbright service. Read on to learn how you can take advantage of the opportunities created by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright.

Award and application information for the below programs can be found online at fulbrightscholars.org.

Traditional Fulbright Scholar Program

The Fulbright Scholar program allows faculty to choose either lecturing, combined lecturing/research, or full research awards. Most lecturing assignments are in English. For those conducting research, language capability is required depending on the area of the world and project. Grants are typically from two months to an academic year. Adjunct and retired faculty as well as administrators are also encouraged to apply. Awards are available in 45 disciplines from art to urban planning, as well as many disciplines grants open to any field. The competition for traditional Fulbright awards opens March 1, with a deadline of Aug. 1. Grants begin about one year following the application deadline.

Distinguished Chair Awards

The Distinguished Chair awards are among the most prestigious in the Fulbright Scholar Program. They have an earlier deadline of May 1. Some 30-40 chair awards are available each year for applicants who are in the top of their professional fields. Most chair awards are in Western European countries, although a few are offered in Canada, Russia and Israel.

Senior Specialists Program

Designed to promote short-term academic opportunities for U.S. faculty and professionals, the grant lengths are from 2-6 weeks, allowing grantees to collaborate with their counterparts in other countries, give a series of lectures, and participate in activities. From archaeology to journalism, there are opportunities in a growing number of disciplines. When you apply and are selected, you are placed on a roster and Fulbright will try to match you with an overseas institution seeking an expert in your field. The Senior Specialists Program has an online application and has a rolling deadline.

New Century Scholars Program

Leading academics and professionals representing many different disciplines, nationalities and cultures assemble annually to address a topic of global significance. Approximately 30 experts from the U.S. and abroad are selected. Participants are given an international exchange opportunity of two to six months in length to further their research and to investigate comparative approaches to the topic. The 30 scholars share outcomes and ideas during a final plenary seminar in Washington, D.C. Recent topics include "The Challenges of Health in a Borderless World," "Addressing Sectarian, Ethnic, and Cultural Conflict Within and Across National Borders," and "Toward Equality: The Global Empowerment of Women."

Alumni Initiatives Awards Program

The Alumni Initiatives program extends the traditional Fulbright experience into a long-term institutional impact. These awards enable former U.S. and international scholars to develop innovative and mutually beneficial projects to further the linkages developed during the grantee's time abroad. Successful projects run from distance-learning courses to joint curriculum development efforts.

International Education Administrators Seminars

Designed for higher education administrators (e.g., deans, provosts, vice presidents) who want a short but in-depth experience, each summer seminars are offered in Germany, Japan, and Korea. Seminars vary from 2-3 weeks in length and focus on introducing participants to the society, culture, and higher education system. The application deadline is Nov. 1.

German Studies Seminar

The annual 3-week German Studies Seminar focuses on current German society and culture, and examines political, social, and economics institutions. Each year a theme is chosen, with past themes including "Environmental Protection and Alternative Forms of Energy" and "Visual Culture in Germany: Film, Television, and the Internet." Participants are U.S. scholars in German studies and in disciplines related to the seminar topic. Lectures are usually in English. The seminar begins in Berlin and includes visits to other cities. The application deadline is Nov. 1.

Fulbright Teacher and Administrative Exchange

This program provides opportunities for full-time teachers, administrators, and other school or college faculty to participate in direct exchanges of positions with colleagues from other countries for 6 weeks, a semester, or an academic year. International collaborations such as these often foster enduring relationships between schools. Application deadline is Oct. 15.

Visiting Fulbright Scholar Program

Individual Fulbright grants are available for overseas scholars to conduct research or pursue combined lecturing/research in the United States. Grants range from three months to an academic year. To host a visiting scholar, U of I faculty/departments should register their interest with Fulbright and indicate the areas of expertise or specialization and a contact person. When contacted by a scholar, urge the scholar to complete the application process by the deadlines and be sure to provide the scholar with a detailed letter of invitation which will become part of the application.

Occasional Lecturer Program

Travel awards are available for any of the roughly 800 international Fulbright scholars in the U.S. to travel to campuses for short-term guest lectures. This is an excellent way to provide an international scope to a U of I class, lecture series, or conference. The institution issuing the invitation (U of I) is asked to provide the Occasional Lecturer with local transportation, accommodations, and meals.

Scholar-in-Residence Program

This program brings Fulbright Visiting Scholars to teach at U of I for one or two academic terms, and is designed to initiate or broaden international programs or curricula. Round-trip travel is provided for the scholar and they receive a monthly stipend, basic medical insurance, and a professional allowance for travel, books, and other expenses. Some cost-sharing, based on the U of I departmental resources, is required, in the form of either supplementary salary and/or in-kind support such as housing, meals, or professional travel allowance. The deadline for U.S. institutions to apply to host a Scholar-in-Residence is Sept. 15.

Teach Abroad

USAC Visiting Professor (VP) Program

The U of I, in collaboration with the USAC, offers international teaching opportunities to full-time faculty members (in good standing) for month-long summer or semester-long programs in one of USAC’s specialty programs around the world. USAC is seeking professors who:

• Can offer at least one course that specifically relates to the teaching site, region, or nation, or is clearly international in nature, and may be taught in either English or the site’s native language (Spanish, French, etc.);
• Have student evaluation summaries that reflect superior teaching abilities and written approval from their supervisor, and who will be returning to the U of I following the term abroad;
• Are flexible regarding international living and working conditions and are willing to enthusiastically experience local culture with their students;
• Are willing to contribute to the host university in addition to teaching the selected courses; and
• Are willing to publicize the opportunity to their current and future students.

Please contact the Director of Education Abroad to be added to the interest list and for the current VP application with information and details.

Teach Abroad with Harlaxton

Through U of I's partnership with Harlaxton College, a unique program in a stunning Victorian manor just an hour outside of London by train, U of I faculty can apply to teach a summer course that runs late May through early July. Faculty generally teach one course. Once courses are approved, Harlaxton recruits for those courses and then decides which will be offered based on enrollment of students. These decisions are made in late January of the year of the program. Approved courses for the Harlaxton summer session pay a salary of $500 per student enrolled in your class.

Please contact the Director of Education Abroad to be added to the interest list and for further details.

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Grants

DAAD works to foster connections between scholars and institutions in North America and their counterparts in Germany by offering a number of programs to strengthen the links between academe in Germany and North America. These programs support both the activities of individual scholars and post-secondary institutions seeking to strengthen their international ties. Details on these opportunities can be found on the DAAD Faculty website.

The University of Idaho uses an MOU when an international school asks for an initial partnership agreement. The MOU that we use is not legally binding, does not commit either party to financial resources, and is usually very general. An MOU is often used as a first agreement to show that some conversations have been had and that there is mutual interest in exploring a more formal agreement. MOUs should be signed by a Director or Dean level position, although it is not unusual for international schools have their president sign and to request the U of I President to sign for U of I.

If you are interested in signing an MOU, please contact Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, Dean Kahler, for more information.

MOU Template Approved by General Counsel

Student

A student exchange program is of interest to many international universities. The basic idea of a student exchange is that it is a one to one reciprocal exchange, ie, for every one student that comes to U of I, we send one student to the partner school. There are challenges with this model, mostly the need to keep the exchange in balance. If we accept 3 students from a partner school, but there are no U of I students that wish to study there, then the exchange is out of balance and we cannot continue to accept students who want to come to U of I. There can be creative solutions and ways to strengthen the likelihood of success among exchange programs.

Faculty

Faculty Exchanges offer a unique opportunity to internationalize the University of Idaho. These may provide opportunities for faculty to teach and conduct research abroad as well as for international faculty to come to U of I to do the same. Exchanges range from short-term (two to four weeks) to one year, and all academic areas may be considered. Exchange arrangements must be approved by the appropriate chairperson and dean in consultation with the International Programs Office.

Faculty participating in exchanges retain their salary and benefits during the exchange period. Housing arrangements vary from exchange to exchange and must be negotiated individually.

Parties interested in either student or faculty exchanges should contact Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management, Dean Kahler, for more information.

An articulation agreement is an officially approved agreement used to assist students in taking the appropriate courses at an international university that will transfer for credit toward a bachelor's degree at the University of Idaho. These are often referred to as a 2+2 or 1+3, meaning that the student spends one or two years at a university in their home country and then transfers those credits to the University of Idaho to receive a bachelor’s degree. These are most successful at the undergraduate level. These agreements are designed to help students make a seamless transition when transferring to the University of Idaho.

View examples. Contact us with questions.

Transfer Agreements are university to university agreements that show students what courses will count for at the University of Idaho should they decide to transfer from their home institution. These are often easier and quicker to sign than an articulation agreement, but they are also more general and may not be as helpful for a student who wants to come into a specific major.

View examples. Contact us with questions.