Taking a group of students abroad means accepting extra responsibilities, but the rewards of sharing an educational experience with your students are many. We are here to help!

Faculty members who lead study abroad programs make an invaluable contribution to internationalizing the Missouri Western experience. Students who might not otherwise consider studying away are often willing to participate in a short-term program led by a trusted faculty member.

Any faculty member in any discipline can propose a study abroad course. Before formulating a proposal, you should meet with the staff of the Griffon Office of Applied Learning (GOAL) to discuss your plans, to learn about the policies/procedures governing study abroad courses, and to map out a very rough budget for the course.

All proposed study abroad courses must be approved by your departmental chairperson, college or school dean, and staff in the Griffon Office of Applied Learning (GOAL).

It is never too early to submit a proposal for approval. We recommend that proposals be submitted at least nine (9) months before the course is to be offered. Proposals may be submitted as early as eighteen (18) months in advance. Proposals submitted six (6) months in advance may not be approved.

The Griffon Office of Applied Learning (GOAL) will only consider complete proposals that follow the Study Abroad Program Guide.

It is imperative that a study abroad course have as much academic rigor as any traditional on-campus course. If the academic content of the proposed course does not meet acceptable criteria, or if the syllabus does not adequately meet all of the aforementioned guidelines, then the course proposal will be returned for revision.

Upon approval of a study abroad course, you will work with the Griffon Office of Applied Learning (GOAL) staff to determine the actual costs of the course. Missouri Western regulations require the Griffon Office of Applied Learning (GOAL) staff to obtain three competitive bids for all major costs associated with the course – airfare, hotel, on-site transportation, etc. When these bids have been acquired, you will meet with us to establish a final budget for the course. Part of this process will involve determining the minimum enrollment figure required for the course to “make.” Once the budget and enrollment figure are finalized, they cannot be changed.

With final budget and enrollment figures, you and the Griffon Office of Applied Learning (GOAL) can begin to actively recruit for the course.

We will be glad to meet with your class to explain how the study abroad process works and to assist students in getting their paperwork completed fully.

All classes must meet with the university’s risk manager before they will be allowed to travel.

If a study abroad course does not meet the minimum enrollment figure, then the course (or at least the travel portion of it) can be cancelled at the discretion of the Griffon Office of Applied Learning (GOAL).

There is a considerable amount of paperwork that a student must complete in order to participate in a study abroad course. Our office will create the appropriate forms tailored to your course. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all required paperwork is completed and on file in the Griffon Office of Applied Learning (GOAL) three (3) weeks before the travel portion of the course. Any student failing to meet this deadline will not be allowed to travel. We ask for your help to clearly communicate this information to his/her students and to encourage them to comply with procedures before the deadline.