The deadline for 2026 USM Faculty led short-term travel programs has now passed. Faculty who wish to submit a program for consideration for 2027 (winter, spring or summer) will need to complete an “Intent to Plan” in mid-February of 2026.  Please check back in the Fall of 2025 for a link to the “Intent to Plan” submission form.

Limited program offerings:

  • USM may offer one (1) faculty led short term travel program each winter session.
  • USM may offer one (1) faculty led short term travel program during the spring break.
  • The maximum number of USM faculty led short term travel program allowed during the summer term will be four (4).
  • Depending on submissions, each Dean will be asked to prioritize submissions and recommend one program from all submitted proposals by faculty within their college to move forward to the Provost for final approval. (CAHS, CMHS & CSTH).
  • The fourth course may be allocated to Honors or another college depending on the pool of submissions.


Additional program assistance will be required:

While the Office of International Programs will continue to facilitate some aspects of the process, especially those associated with the assessment and management of risk, program leaders will be responsible for managing support for the program in key areas such as logistics and financial management.  Each short-term travel program proposal will now need to include an administrative plan for facilitating the course.  Additional details can be found on the instructions for submitting a short term travel proposal.

Faculty-led travel courses have special responsibilities and involve additional processes with respect to risk management, program fees, etc. The information below is designed to help new and veteran Faculty Leaders to plan.

Short-Term Travel Proposal Process

Faculty interested in facilitating a short-term travel course should complete the initial short-term travel proposal

Travel programs have been selected for winter and spring of 2026. Summer 2026 travel programs have received conditional approval. At this time we are no longer accepting additional submissions for 2026.

If you would like to submit an “intent to plan” for a faculty led short term travel program for the winter, spring or summer of 2027 that proposal form will be available in the early fall. Please check back in late September/early October for more information.

While the Office of International Programs is here to assist in logistics and promotion of your travel program, we are not able to assign course numbers or Core designations.

All proposed travel courses should have already gone through the departmental curriculum review process to establish course number, credits, and undergrad/grad designation.

For Core approval, you should reach out to Susan McWilliams, susan.mcwilliams@maine.edu regarding approval for a course to be offered as part of the Core curriculum. For courses offered at USM that pre-exist with a Core designation, that will carry over even if it is offered as a travel program. For all other courses, please review the international learning outcomes to determine if you think the students achieve them in the course.  Then, you can provide supplemental information (assignments, assessments, etc.) to Susan for review.

Susan is able to apply the designation on a one-time basis for travel courses that meet the outcomes.  Then, if the course is successful, the faculty member can submit a proper proposal to the Core committee after the first offering.

How many credits are most travel courses?
Most travel courses are approved for 3-6 credits. Shorter programs that are two weeks or less tend to be 3 credits, while programs that are longer than 2 weeks tend to be 6 credits. Travel courses must meet the same contact hour requirements as courses on campus. That is, for every 3 credits there must be 45 contact hours plus a two-hour assessment at the end of the course. You may also choose to include class meetings before or after travel, particularly if the time abroad is short.  Contact hours are commonly defined as any activity in which the students are engaged with the learning objectives of the course. This can include lectures by the faculty or local experts, visits to museums or cultural sites, group discussion time, and student presentations.  

Can I bring a group by myself?
There must always be two responsible leaders on each program unless the program is co-sponsored by another university that agrees to assist with potential emergencies while the group is abroad. Larger programs will enrollments over 20 students will require at least three responsible leaders. The primary leader must be a USM faculty member (either full-time or part-time) in order to be sponsored by USM.

The second leader can be another USM faculty member, a USM staff member, a faculty member at a different university, a colleague from the host country who is willing to accompany the group at all times or serve as an on-call emergency backup person, or a spouse. Serving as the second leader is excellent experience for faculty members who are thinking about developing their own short-term travel program. The second leader must have the ability to assume the faculty teaching role in the case of an emergency.

First preference is given to USM faculty and staff for the position of a second leader. If you wish to elect a secondary leader that is not employed by USM, we must work through Human Resources to temporarily hire the elected leader to provide the same liability protection and coverage as a regular university employee.

How much will I get paid?
We use the same remuneration policies as teaching on-campus courses during the summer and winter session. Full-time faculty teaching and coordinating short-term travel courses during the summer session are paid 7% of their base annual salary per three credit course. The spring semester base annual salary is used for this calculation. Full-time faculty teaching and coordinating short-term travel courses during the winter session are paid according to the AFUM Overload Schedule according to academic rank. Part-time faculty coordinating short-term travel programs are paid off of the PAFTA Overload Schedule according to their academic rank, regardless of whether they are teaching during the winter of summer session.

There must be at least 10 to 12 students and in some cases more to cover the cost of salaries. If there is not sufficient enrollment to cover both faculty salaries the faculty will need to split a full salary. If a significant portion of the instruction of the course is taught by guest lecturer(s) or if a significant portion of the logistics are managed by an in-country coordinator, a portion of your salary may be used to pay for their stipend which will reduce the amount of compensation you will receive.  All salary details will be finalized and provided in a contract after your proposal has been approved.

Will I receive a per diem?
The University no longer provides per diems. A daily allotment to cover meal expenditures will be established based upon the location of the program. Faculty meals will be covered up to the maximum daily amount. If all meals are included or provided by the program abroad as part of the program fee faculty will not receive any additional compensation for meals.

How are students recruited for a travel course?
The Office of International Programs will assist the program leaders in recruiting, but we have found that students are most interested when approached by the program leaders directly. As a program leader, you are encouraged to discuss your program with students in all of your classes and ask colleagues to promote your program in their classes too.

The Office of International Programs will talk about travel courses in study abroad advising sessions and class visits, post information on USM’s summer, winter, and international web sites, advertise at student fairs, post flyers and send mass e-mail promotions. 

Some other suggestions for marketing your program:

  • Advertise to former students from previous classes (e-mail is an easy and effective method!)
  • Visit classes with related topics
  • Host a course-specific information session, or reserve a table at the dining hall with program materials
  • Post an ad for your course on your departmental web page and ask your department to post a link to the travel course website

What are the minimum enrollments for travel courses and when will I know if the program will run or be canceled?
The Office of International Programs will work with you to determine a minimum enrollment for your course before we finalize the program budget. The lowest number we can consider is 8 students though most programs require at least 10-12 students. We base the minimum enrollments on a number of factors including the program location, housing or transportation limitations, and student program fee.  Since the course instructor(s) expenses are shared among the paying participants, a minimum enrollment is necessary to contain the costs. Additionally, running a course with less than 10 students will require speical approval from the Dean of your college.

If fewer than the stated minimum enroll, the course will be cancelled or the feasibility of re-arranging the program for a smaller group will be negotiated. Course enrollments will be reviewed the week after the application deadline to determine whether there are sufficient enrollments to run the course. 

Can I bring my spouse and/or children?
No, not unless they are officially enrolled in the course (i.e. will receive credit and a grade) and their enrollment has been approved by the Office of International Programs Director. The enrolled family member must pay the full cost of the program to USM.

What are my responsibilities for the travel logistics?
Program co-leaders will make reservations and payments to vendors, including but not limited to hotels, airlines, ground transportation providers, museums and tour guides. The Office of International Programs will provide some financial instructions and resources early in the process and will work with the faculty to develop a budget and set spending limits. Faculy will need to obtain a USM Corporate Card with a sufficient credit limit to cover expenses related to their course. (airfare, hotels, etc.) All puchases must adhere to the policies and procedures set forth by Procurement and the University Risk Management. Faculty leaders who are unfamiliar with purchasing, obtaining quotes (if necessary) and Concur reconciliaton should seek the necessary training early in the planning stage of their program.   Faculty should also confirm with their College the ability to utilize their departmental administrative specialisty and/or the college Financial Manager to assist with these arrangements.

If you are traveling to an area or country that you have never visited, we strongly recommend working with a study abroad organization. Many study abroad organizations offer customized programs the include a dedicated staff person who will accompany your group each day. The Office of International Programs can identify study abroad organizations who plan customized programs in the location you desire. OIP will work with you to develop an outline of required services for your program and and you will need to gather bids from providers. The faculty leaders will work with OIP to select the most appropriate provider.

I’d like to stay overseas after the program ends. Is that okay?
Many of our faculty chose a particular destination because of a personal connection and request to stay there after the program ends. One co-leader must travel abroad and return with the student group. However, it does not necessarily have to be the same co-leader each way. Often one co-leader will arrive early to arrange in country details, while one co-leader may choose to remain after the program ends. Please note that you are still expected to submit your receipts and reconcile your Concur report within 2 weeks of the program end date.

The Office of International Programs will not cover any additional expenses incurred after the program ends (additional hotel nights, transportation costs, etc) or flight change fees. If you purchase a plane ticket separately, you can only be reimbursed up to the same amount as the group flight and reimbursement cannot be made until you submit a travel advance request prior to departure per policies set by Procurement.

What kinds of expenses cannot be covered?
The Office of International Programs may not be able to reimburse expenses that were not submitted in the original budget (i.e. dinners with colleagues, a luncheon for the students). When in doubt, please contact the Office of International Programs.

Alcohol cannot be covered by the Office of International Programs and it can never be purchased for a student. If you are taking a colleague out to dinner as a thank you in lieu of an honorarium, we cannot reimburse for any alcoholic beverages unless you have received special permission from your department to use a gift account. The Office of International Programs will not reimburse mileage to the Portland Jetport, Concord Trailways Bus Station, or other locations within the Portland/Lewiston Auburn area.