Faculty Workshop to Costa Rica

Develop an Undergraduate Faculty-Led Program Proposal and Participate on a Study Tour in Costa Rica!

Interested in developing an undergraduate faculty-led travel seminar but unsure of how to start? Join Dr. Ryan Medders, Professor of Communication, and Dr. Matthew Yates, Director of Education Abroad, in this grant-funded program to encourage program development.

Faculty participants will attend a Spring 2025 workshop series consisting of eight to ten sessions for sixty to ninety minutes each (details to be confirmed). The sessions will encourage participants to consider effective program and curriculum design, marketing and promotional strategies, budgeting, student selection, and other related topics, all leading to the development of a proposal for a future faculty-led program. In addition to these mandatory sessions, the workshop will include an immersive, experiential study tour in Costa Rica in June, where participants will simulate the student experience and put into practice lessons they have learned about intentional program design.

Study Tour Elements

Most program costs are covered by the ALLICE grant. Participants are only responsible for purchasing their own international flights, some meals, and incidentals. Tentative travel dates are June 18-25, 2025.

An example of projected included program elements: 

• Hotel accommodations
• In-country ground transportation
• Academic and cultural activities such as:
  • Tours of San José, Volcán Arenal, and Liberia
  • Visits with local faculty, business leaders, and non-profit organizations 
  • Welcome and farewell dinners