Custom Programs

Why TEAN

TEAN works with diverse university groups and faculty leaders to create individual short-course programming.TEAN is able to adapt and show immense flexibility in the development of each program and offers the following for all programs:

• Support staff (U.S. and international) available 24/7
• Programming developed as part of academic framework
• Encouragement of a collaborative effort between all parties involved
• Recognition and inclusion of the Forum Standards for Short-Term Programs
• TEAN’s Risk Management Policy and necessary insurance coverage
• Access to service providers in multiple locations
• The ability to pay in local currencies and consolidate payments
• Programs available in a variety of locations, including, but not limited to: Australia, Burma, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan
• Variety of accommodation, classroom, and activity options to fit any budget

Faculty Feedback

“For the past two years TEAN has delivered a two-week customized service learning program for the Cal State Fullerton, Child and Adolescent Studies Department in Chiang Mai, Thailand. A pre-established faculty-led program, we were particularly interested to see how it would shift in working with a provider on a customized program model. Our experience with TEAN has been incredibly positive, both during the coordination process and on site. Communication with TEAN is consistent and timely. Their team did a great job in meeting all of our requests in order to put together the program we envisioned along with providing needed and sound advice as changes were made. Every experience was carefully planned in order to provide our students with real non-touristy and ethical experiences. They provided our students with authentic experiences in local communities and most importantly connected us to local schools where our students were able to conduct their service learning projects. Their knowledge of Chiang Mai is extensive and their excitement to share it with our students is very contagious making their staff extremely involved, welcoming and caring.”
Jack Hobson
Director of Study Abroad
Cal State Fullerton

“Michigan State University has partnered with TEAN for many years and I have partnered with them since 2010 for planning and implementing my customized instructor-led education abroad program titled, “Business of the Olympics”.

TEAN connected me to the former Director of the Center of Olympic Studies at the University of Technology Sydney who was able to secure our group access to the leadership in the C-suite at Sydney Olympic Park as well as management teams at the various former Olympic venues. This high-level access and unique educational opportunities enhance the awareness and application of business theories leading to a fuller understanding of business models, decisions and practices which contribute to successful Olympic legacies.

The TEAN team is an essential component to the success of my program. Without my partnership with TEAN, it would be difficult to continue offering and executing a boutique customized education abroad program. I rely on TEAN and trust them to help with housing, transportation, field trips, on-site services such as assistance coordinating safe extracurricular activities with trusted organizations. This allows me the time to focus on the academic side of the education abroad experience.

All TEAN members I have met are exceptionally service-oriented, knowledgeable, friendly and kind people. I recommend TEAN to any student, parent, college or university looking for reliable education abroad services.”
Sherri Henry
Associate Director
Broad College of Business
Michigan State University

“I work with The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) to organize a faculty-led, custom short-term study abroad program to New Zealand. For the 3-week program, students will travel to four cities (Auckland, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Wellington) during January to examine the policy, management, and marketing of sport in New Zealand culture and society. TEAN is completely unrivaled in their commitment to designing an enriching learning environment and delivering a fully immersive student experience. TEAN makes planning a faculty-led program simple. I simply provide TEAN with a list of potential activities, site visits, guest lectures, and meetings, and they take care of the rest. As a faculty director, I appreciate their dedication to even the smallest details and their creative approach toward meeting our program’s learning outcomes. What sets TEAN apart from other providers is their willingness to make possible every request from faculty leaders, however complex and complicated they may seem.

I can’t speak highly enough about the organization or their staff. TEAN is simply the best.”

Adam Beissel
Assistant Professor
Sport Leadership and Management
Miami University of Ohio

Former and Current Customized Programs

• Australia: Leadership Training – Auburn University
• Australia: Sports Management in Australia – Augustana University
• Australia: International Summer Sports Program – Michigan State University
• Australia: The Business of the Olympics – Michigan State University
• Australia: Business Administration – University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
• Australia: International Marketing – Iowa State University
• Cambodia/Vietnam: Psychology, Political Science, & Environmental Science – College of Charleston
• China: Speech for Business – University of Tampa
• New Zealand: Sport in New Zealand – University of Maryland
• New Zealand: Resources & Indigenous Peoples – University of Missouri
• New Zealand: Sport, Commerce & Culture in the Global Marketplace: New Zealand – Miami University, Ohio
• New Zealand/Cook Islands: Pitt in the Pacific/People & Cultures of Pacific – University of Pittsburgh
• Thailand: Library Studies – Drake University
• Thailand: Child & Adolescent Studies – Cal State Fullerton
• Thailand/Australia: Thailand/Australia in the Global Economy – Augustana University
• Vietnam: International Perspectives in Higher Education – University of South Carolina

Program Types Available

• Faculty-led Program (Short-Term)
• Faculty-led Program (Semester)
• Branded Semester Program (i.e. “University of XXX in Australia)
• Internships (Semester and Short-Term)

Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes

TEAN requires both the course objectives for your proposed program as well as the learning outcomes for your students. Course objectives relate to the overall vision of the program and do not necessarily reflect specific skill and knowledge sets that are to be obtained at the completion of the course. Learning outcomes reflect specific and measurable objectives for student learning.

Sample Course Objectives

At the conclusion of the program, students will:

• Learn about their discipline from an international perspective
• Develop self-awareness
• Develop awareness of others’ economic and political realities
• Learn flexibility when living in a physical and cultural environment that varies from their home
• Become aware of their own culture by examining a different culture
• Adapt to cross-cultural situations
• Consider future international study abroad and/or travel opportunities
• Apply knowledge gained from their time abroad to new situations

Assessment

An important part of pre-course planning is how student learning will be actively promoted. Below are some ideas to implement in your course syllabus:

• Briefings in the morning, afternoon or evening to reflect upon the day’s activities and student impressions of what is happening around them. Discussions could be quite informal or focused upon specific topics relating to the day’s theme.
• Group assignments that involve exploring in small groups and reporting their findings back to the rest of the students
• Continued journaling to analyze daily interactions and happenings
• Current events discussion using local newspapers, magazines and television shows

Customized Program Questionnaire

To begin planning your customized program, we require some initial information to get us brainstorming for your program and give us the necessary background details to make the course a success. You can download the Customized Program Questionnaire (PDF), and then email it to info@teanabroad.org when completed or you can submit the form online.

Proposal and Itinerary

After discussing your program with you on the phone and answering any lingering questions via email, we will provide a comprehensive proposal developed for your program. The initial proposal is a starting point and changes can certainly be made!

Included in the proposal will be:

• Student pricing (generally reflecting a variety of factors)
• A list of inclusions/exclusions
• A daily itinerary (if group flights are a part of your plan, details and pricing information will be included)
• Additional details about our on-the-ground staff in the location of your program
• Our Emergency Response Plan

After receiving the initial proposal from TEAN, we’re happy to discuss any budget adjustments, make date changes and continue to introduce new daily planning based on faculty requirements. Most of these changes will be completed via email and phone discussions and, generally, adjustments are minimal.

After reviewing changes from initial itineraries, we will present you with a final pricing and proposal. This is the information that should be used for student promotion and unless notified, TEAN will consider the included information to be final and will plan accordingly. All changes after this approval are subject to pricing adjustments.

Marketing and Recruitment Events

We strongly encourage website promotion via your university platforms and taking advantage of campus events, such as study abroad fairs and information sessions. TEAN can also work with our graphic designer to set up attractive flyers for your campus events (at an additional cost). Marketing materials should include dates, final program fee, credit information and program highlights. A daily itinerary may be include, if desired. Such flyers should be posted throughout academic buildings and residential halls in order to reach a maximum number of students. We also recommend working with your study abroad office to assist with active promotion.

Attending study abroad fairs

In addition to promotional materials, having a presence at a study abroad fair is key! This is when students are looking for an international experience and sorting out their options. Please make sure to work with your study abroad office to get more information about the particulars for your fair, tips for best promotion and to secure a table.

Preparing classroom presentations

Classroom presentations are another great way to get the word out about your program! Take some time to show some photos for your program and hand out materials to get students excited about the possibility of joining you abroad.

Promoting to outside students

For programs that would welcome non-home institution students, TEAN is happy to promote your program to our wide array of students. We find that the campus study abroad fair season (September – October) is the best time for promotion and thus encourage final program arrangements to be set by September. Please let us know if you are interested in hosting other TEAN students. We will then work with your home university to sort enrollment procedures for visiting students.

Receive and Pay Final Invoice

Depending on the host country, your final invoice could be in U.S. dollars or in local currency. The final currency will be established as part of the final proposal. If offered in local currency, TEAN can lock in the fees at the current rate of exchange once the program’s numbers are confirmed. TEAN will also provide instructions for wiring funds or paying via check at this time.

Pre-Departure Session

Prior to departure, students should attend a pre-departure information session in order to best prepare for their experience abroad. Topics for this session should include, but are not limited to:

• Safety while abroad
• Housing expectations
• Packing lists
• Visas
• Obtaining funds while abroad

We also recommend using the pre-departure meeting to begin to discuss academic material and get students thinking about what they will be learning in just a few short weeks. Former study abroad students should also be considered to give valuable advice from a student perspective.

Additionally, this is a good time to make sure to manage student expectations of the program. Beyond reminding students of safety procedures and the coursework required of them, it’s good to chat about the housing that will be provided, how some days will be quite busy, and the unfortunate appearance of jetlag. Also, as they will be traveling as a group, an emphasis on how one person impacts everyone (from schedule, to moods, to overall behavior) is important to address.

Mobile Phone

TEAN can provide a local mobile phone or local SIM card to faculty in many of our locations.  We can provide resources for students who need help setting up a local phone number.

Emergency Contacts

TEAN has a 24/7 urgent after hours line based in the United States. Faculty leaders and study abroad offices will also receive contact details for ground staff in the host country.

Student Insurance

As each home university insurance policies differ, TEAN typically does not arrange overseas health coverage nor emergency evacuation/repatriation coverage. TEAN recommends examining policies through CISI if a specific provider is not already in use.

Finalize Student Visas

The final visa process will be determined by the host country. For some locations, like Australia, a visitor visa can be included with student flight bookings automatically whereas others can be purchased upon arrival (like Cambodia). In Thailand, visas are not required for short stays, while students going to China will need to apply for visas via regular mail well in advance of departure. We will help you navigate the ins-and-outs of the visa process for your particular program. However, we do recommend that home universities be very involved with the visa process for their students as some participants are more pro-active than others. We have had students miss the program because they didn’t apply for their visas in enough time.