FAQs for Faculty

Resident DirectorFaculty-Sponsored Study Tours (FaSST)

If you have questions not addressed here, please call the Study Abroad Center.

1.  Who is eligible to apply to be a Resident Director?

All Mānoa faculty members in Bargaining Unit 7 are eligible to apply [from Rank 3 to Rank 5 or permanent Instructors (2)]. Faculty members who are on leave during the semester preceding the study abroad resident directorship are NOT eligible to apply. Resident Directors are appointed from UH Mānoa, as the UHM Study Abroad Center is a Mānoa program.

2.  Are Researcher/Specialist/Librarian faculty eligible to apply?

Yes; however, preference will be given to Instructional Faculty, since teaching in Study Abroad is related to pedagogy.

3.  When are applications due? 

Please see Faculty Resident Director Application Forms.

4.  May faculty apply for multiple programs?

Yes; however, each application must be country-specific.  A generic application for multiple locations may dilute the strength of the application.

5.  May new programs be initiated by departmental faculty?

Yes.  Please contact the Study Abroad Center Director, Dr. Sarita Rai for details. Faculty may also consider leading students on a Faculty-Sponsored Study Tours (FaSST) program.

6.  What criteria are used to appoint Faculty Resident Directors?

The complete application is reviewed by all members of the Council on Study Abroad.  Members of the Council represent UHM instructional departments/colleges.  The application review is a competitive process.  Successful applicants are appointed on the basis of the strength of the courses being offered and their relevance to the target country and learning outcomes for the students; their research plan and relevance/benefits to the Mānoa campus upon return; student recruitment plan; and teaching evaluations.

7.  How many Faculty Resident Directors are appointed for each program?

One Faculty Resident Director is appointed per program. Each year 20-22 UHM faculty members participate in Study Abroad programs.

8.  How are Faculty Resident Directors compensated?

Study Abroad Center pays for the faculty’s cost for summer programs. The College/Department continues paying the salary and benefits for the faculty during the semester/year programs, while the Study Abroad Center pays the faculty’s airfare, accommodations, shipping of books, and other related expenses.

9.  Prior to the program application deadline, what are the appointed Faculty Resident Director’s responsibilities?

  1. student recruitment for the specific program
  2. participate in all informational meetings
  3. participate in all faculty resident director training sessions
  4. learn as much as possible about the program

10.  What is the teaching load?

For semester programs, the teaching load is two courses.  Students take at least one course from the Faculty Resident Director.

Courses are to be offered in the faculty’s field of expertise, but the syllabi must be applicable to the target country for both summer and semester programs.

For summer programs, they are all non-teaching, but faculty members need to propose experiential teaching activities for the UHM students, so they may integrate learning within a different context.

1. Who is eligible to sponsor a study tour?

All University of Hawaii at Mānoa faculty members in Bargaining Unit 7 (from Rank 3 to Rank 5 or permanent Instructors) are eligible to sponsor a study tour. Researcher/ Specialist/Librarian faculty are eligible as well. Faculty members from other campuses within the UH system may be eligible to co-sponsor with a Mānoa faculty member.

2. Do I have to time this for after I’m off duty? 

No, you do not have to time this during your off-duty period. Consider designing the program when it is optimum for student participation.

3. How do I get paid for leading a study tour?

There are several ways, including applying for grants and discussing with your department chair to co-sponsor the costs of leading a study tour. You will need to submit a budget at the time of application. Please see the application instructions and/or email fasst@hawaii.edu if you would like to discuss options.

4. What is “Institutional Cost”?

It is the overhead cost incurred by the faculty and/or the department to lead the study tour.

5. When is my proposal due?

Your proposal should be complete and submitted to the Study Abroad Center (SAC) at least two (2) months prior to departure.

Summer study tours: If you have participants who have expressed the need for financial aid, please submit your complete application and the final list of students to the SAC before UHM Financial Aid Services’ Summer Financial Aid deadline, which is usually mid-April.

The Study Abroad Center can help with the financial process. Please visit “FaSST at a Glance”.

6. What is involved in the FaSST application and procedure?

  1. Faculty initiates idea (location, activity) for a study tour.
  2. Faculty contacts and/or meets with FaSST regarding study tour parameters, costs, logistics, etc.
  3. Faculty completes FaSST Application Form, obtains approval from the department chair and dean/director, and submits the application to FaSST.
  4. FaSST reviews application, and may contact faculty to clarify information.
  5. FaSST accepts faculty’s proposal.
  6. Faculty enrolls participants for the study tour.
  7. Faculty submits the list of participants to FaSST.
  8. FaSST distributes Risk Management forms to accepted participants via email.
  9. Faculty collects participants’ paperwork.
  10. Faculty submits participants’ paperwork to FaSST 30 days prior to departure.
  11. FaSST processes registration and/or insurance for participants.
  12. Faculty attends the Study Abroad Center Risk Management Training for Faculty Members, and the Risk Management: Student Health & Safety Training with their participants.
  13. Bon Voyage!
  14. Upon completion of study tour and/or return to Honolulu, Faculty submits grades to FaSST.
  15. Faculty submits report/summary of the tour with student feedback to FaSST.

7. Do my participants have to be UH Mānoa students?

Your pool of prospective participants is not limited to UH Mānoa students only; students from UH-system campuses, Chaminade University, and other universities (including Mainland universities) are also eligible candidates.

8. How should I advertise and recruit participants?

Most faculty recruit participants from the students they are currently teaching. You may also create your own website, publish fliers and post around campus, request colleagues within your own department to speak to their students in class, and host informational sessions, contact your professional colleagues with your recruitment efforts etc.

9. Would the Study Abroad Center be able to promote my study tour for me?

Definitely! We can link our website to yours, put up fliers at the Study Abroad Center main office, as well as at the Study Abroad Fair (usually held within the first month of a new semester).

10. I would like to lead a group of students to the Philippines to research its geology, however, the Department of State has issued a Travel Advisory Level 2. Would I still be able to do so?

The SAC will generally not support study tour applications to locations where a U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory Level 3 (Reconsider Travel)* has been issued, as well as locations with a CDC Travel Health Notice: Warning Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel).

11. Can my participants receive financial aid?

Financial Aid is available for UH Mānoa students only, and only if the study tour is at least 30 days in length and they are registered full-time (6 credits) during the Summer term. The 30 days can begin on campus.  For e.g., one week on campus, two weeks overseas, and one week upon return.

Financial Aid information and application deadlines (usually early-mid April) can be found online at the UHM Financial Aid Services website. Please inform your prospective students that they are responsible for submitting their financial aid application on time.

The Study Abroad Center can help with the financial process. Please visit “FaSST at a Glance”.

12. What if a participant decides not to go?

We recommend that you have in place a series of policies in case of withdrawals and refunds, particularly if the host institution requires a deposit.

13. What if a participant falls ill on-site? 

All FaSST participants will be covered by the Study Abroad Health Insurance Plan which is underwritten by T.W. Lord & Associates and they must be cleared by their doctors. If a participant has an underlying condition and his/her doctor recommends he/she is not fit to participate, any funds collected up to that point should be refunded to the participant.

14. Can I rent a van on-site and drive my participants around? 

For safety and liability reasons, you should not be operating a vehicle on a study tour.

15. Can I purchase study abroad insurance too?

Yes, we can arrange insurance coverage for you.