Faculty-Sponsored Study Tours (FaSST)

The University of Hawai`i at Mānoa (UHM) Study Abroad Center (SAC) encourages UHM faculty to offer study tours or overseas activities as part of or in addition to their academic course offerings during the academic year (semester, Winter Break, Spring Recess, and/or summer). The SAC will support and facilitate faculty members’ endeavors overseas.

Unlike official SAC programs, these individual faculty-sponsored study tours are faculty initiatives and do not require approval by the Council on Study Abroad. Rather, the sponsoring faculty will be responsible for course content, all logistical arrangements (flights, accommodations, meals, ground transportation, etc) and pre-departure preparation. The SAC will provide risk management, insurance coverage, and registration for students participating in faculty-sponsored study tours. In addition, the SAC can assist faculty members with budget-planning and coordinating logistics and will provide pre-departure information concerning health/safety issues abroad.

Should a FaSST proposal duplicate the curricular content and location of an existing traditional Study Abroad program, then SAC will not support the application. Second, generally if the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory has issued a Level 3 (Reconsider Travel)* warning and the Center for Disease Control (CDC)issues a CDC Travel Health Notice: Warning Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel), then SAC will not support the application. However, if there is an explanation concerning health, safety, access to medical facilities and ways of mitigating in-country risks, then the proposal will be considered. Thus, it is important to include information in your application.

Interested UHM faculty members are encouraged to contact the SAC immediately after their decision to initiate a study tour so that the SAC can provide guidance for program development, advertising, and student recruitment. For inquiries and/or to schedule a meeting, please email fasst@hawaii.edu. In addition, you may also visit Frequently Asked Questions and FaSST at a Glance.

The SAC will provide pre-departure Risk Management Training for Faculty Members as well as Risk Management Training: Student Health and Safety. Faculty members are required to attend both sessions, whereas student participants are required to attend only Risk Management Training: Student Health and Safety.

New: Study Abroad Fees for FaSST have been updated as of Fall 2022. Please read the application form, the Faculty Handbook, or the FaSST at a Glance page for details.

Click here for the fillable FaSST Application Form.
(Last updated on Sep. 27, 2023.)

FaSST Faculty Handbook (updated Nov. 2022)


FaSST Process

  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 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.

After the Study Abroad Center has accepted FaSST application:

45 days/seven weeks before departure
– Faculty submits list of participants to SAC
– SAC emails document packet to participants

30 days/five weeks before departure
– Faculty collects and turns in participants’ document packets
– SAC processes insurance
– SAC processes registration if any
– SAC submits list of participants and budget to FAS, when appropriate

10 days/one week before departure
– SAC hands insurance cards to faculty for distribution to participants


FaSST Contact

Location: Moore 115
Email: fasst@hawaii.edu
Tel: 956.6958


FaSST Events

The SAC will hold an informational session at least once in the Spring or Fall semesters. Please email fasst@hawaii.edu if you’d like to schedule a meeting and/or be notified of upcoming events.

FaSST Information Meeting
TBA


Study Tours

Click here for a list of current and past Faculty-Sponsored Study Tours.