Establishing a Faculty-Led Field School

What is a Field School

A field school is typically either a faculty-led course taught abroad (normally during the summer term) or a summer school offered by a Concordia partner university abroad.  For both, experiential learning plays an important role by providing both teaching and a learning-experience abroad related to course contents.  While several models and examples of field schools at Concordia exist, they typically match one of the following examples:

•  A Concordia course taught by a Concordia faculty member abroad.
•  Courses taken for transfer credit at a partner university’s summer school.
•  Courses taught at a host institution with a Concordia professor’s supervision.
•  Non-credited workshops/activities abroad led by a Concordia professor.

Types of Field Schools

A field school can be:

• An excursion to a site of interest, event, conference or festival.
• A Concordia course (or courses) taught in an international setting.
• Courses taken for transfer credit at a host institution or organization.
• Concordia courses taught at a host institution by the institution’s professors.  A Concordia faculty member supports students on-site and oversees academics and grading.
• Non-credited courses or activities organized by a Concordia faculty member.

Getting started

• Several of Concordia’s partner institutions offer bespoke summer programs in which they offer to host a group of visiting Concordia students and a Concordia faculty member. The Concordia faculty member determines the program course or activity; the host institution grants access to facilities, classrooms and accommodations. (Please contact Concordia International for recommendations.)
• A festival, event or conference can form the basis for an international short-term program.
• A Concordia faculty member can develop an affiliation with a professor from another institution into a collaborative effort to host/exchange students on a short-term basis.
• Faculty members can use an existing connection with a research centre or an organization to explore the possibility of student involvement.

Things to note

When investigating a prospective field school, it is important to consider the following:

• Suitability of host destination.
• How host institution/region supports the program's learning objectives.
  
• Ease of travel.
• Accommodations and meals for participants.
• Security and political stability of host region.
• Student interest.
• Costs.

Submitting a proposal

1. Read through Field School Guide 
2. Submit the Field School Proposal Form by October to Maral Abajian
3. Obtain approval from department chair and associate dean of academics.
4. Concordia International and a representative from your department and/or faculty will meet with you to devise a plan for the program’s implementation.

If you have a field school you would like to propose but are not certain of how to proceed, please contact Maral Abajian, Coordinator of short-term programs at Concordia International, for a preliminary consultation.