Faculty Resources

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BSU-in is a study abroad initiative designed to address critical challenges and opportunities in international education. In short, it is a Study-Abroad-Office-directed, BSU-faculty-led, semester-long study abroad program. This program emerges from a commitment to increasing student access, providing programs of the highest academic value, and keeping study abroad enrollments within the institution. 

When the Study Abroad Office surveyed current students about their interest in study abroad, we got the clear message-- students DO want to study abroad, and the primary barriers seem to be cost and relevance to degree plan. BSU-in addresses both of these concerns! It is priced to students at the exact same cost of a Ball State on-campus semester, almost to the dollar-- it does NOT cost extra! And it features Ball State courses and Ball State faculty, with an emphasis on UCC courses and intro-level courses that might satisfy requirements for just about every Ball State undergrad. It also features flexibility-- students are allowed to take an online course or two while they are abroad, which means students from many different majors may be able to study abroad for a whole semester without setting them behind on their progress toward graduation.

Faculty participating in BSU-in programs are primarily responsible for teaching their assigned course(s) during the semester abroad. Because study abroad courses are designated as High Impact Practices (HIPs), faculty are also expected to engage with students beyond the classroom and help students connect course content with their host location.

Faculty typically incorporate experiential learning components into their course, such as one or more in-town field trips, site visits, or other applied learning activities. A small course activity budget is provided to support these experiences.

BSU-in programs are coordinated by the Study Abroad Office. Participating faculty maintain periodic communication with Study Abroad and may assist if an urgent situation arises during the program. Otherwise, faculty responsibilities focus primarily on teaching and supporting student learning. Faculty are invited to attend program-wide excursions, but are not required to do so.

For each BSU-in location, one faculty member serves as the BSU-in Site Director. In addition to teaching, the Site Director helps coordinate on-site logistics, student support, and communication with the Study Abroad Office throughout the semester. This role includes additional responsibilities and carries a modest stipend.

A full description of the Site Director role and responsibilities is available here:

BSU-in site director responsibilities

Housing, flights, excursions, and ground transportation are covered by Study Abroad. We will also provide a modest stipend to assist with other incidental costs. Salary compensation is through the academic unit-- this program is loaded through the academic units, so your salary should remain constant.

Faculty for BSU-in are selected collaboratively between Study Abroad and the academic units. The most desirable BSU-in faculty members are those who can teach at least one UCC course-- and even better if you can offer more than one UCC course (from multiple tiers or domains). We can also consider non-UCC courses on a case-by-case basis, especially if the non-UCC course is in addition to at least one UCC course.

One of the most important factors in selection of the courses and faculty is the enthusiastic endorsement from your Chair. We would strongly suggest discussing with your unit leader before formally indicating interest to Study Abroad.  

Locations for BSU-in will change each term, and locations may be recurring, depending on student and faculty interest.

Fall 2024 was in Puebla, Mexico.
Spring 2025 was in Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Fall 2025 was in Seoul, South Korea.
Spring 2026 is in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in Dublin, Ireland.
Fall 2026 will be in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Spring 2027 will be in Lincoln, England and in Alcalá de Henares, Spain.

Future locations beyond Spring 2027 have not yet been selected. You are welcome to indicate interest at any time, even if it's for a future term/location. 

For Summer-in programs, the Study Abroad Office manages:

• Location selection and partner development
• Housing, itinerary framework, and on-site logistics
• Budgeting, billing, and financial reconciliation
• Group flight options and program coordination

Program budgets will cover faculty airfare, housing, ground transportation, and a modest stipend for meals and incidentals. Each course will also have a small budget for local, course-related field experiences.

Faculty and departments contribute by:

• Proposing courses that are strengthened by the host location
• Teaching within a shared, cohort-based program structure
• Recruiting enrollment into the course

Our first Summer-in program will take place in 2027 in Dublin, Ireland, building on our existing BSU-in Dublin partnership. We anticipate offering up to five courses at this location, with a shared student cohort over a three-week period.

Faculty interested in teaching in Summer-in Dublin should submit the short interest form below.

Timeline:

• Interest form open: June–August 2026
• After submission:
• Department and college leadership will confirm support
• Final course selection will be made by the Study Abroad Office

Because space is limited, priority will be given to:

• Courses with strong projected student demand
• Clear alignment between course content and location
• Strong support from department and college leadership

 

Submit A Summer-in Interest Form

 

If you would like more information about how faculty/departments/courses are selected, how loading for this program works, what the expectations of the teaching team would be, or have any other questions, we would encourage you to reach out to Ashley Coker, Director of Study Abroad, to discuss prior to submitting this interest form.