Teaching Load: In order to provide students with the broadest possible number of courses, you will
be teaching 3-4 completely different courses. You will not be teaching 2 sections
of the same course, so you will have all preps. You will also be teaching the entire
semester in just 12 weeks. Class sizes will also be smaller than you are normally
used to. A class can run from 1 student up to 26 students. It all depends on the interest
and academic needs of the students going into each semester. Your teaching load will
be between 10-12 units, depending on the configuration of the units. In the past,
Mt. SAC has made up the difference in units so that faculty members can participate
in this program without using any banked units. The reality is that you will be spending
lots of extra time with the students, accompanying them on their activities, so even
though you are only teaching 10-12 units, you are spending the remainder of those
units working as a chaperone.
Facilities/Resources: Do not expect the facilities to be the same as they are back home. Depending on
your discipline, you may not be able to take all of the same kinds of resources you
are accustomed to using. You should plan on being technologically self-reliant. If
you need a certain piece of equipment to teach, then plan on taking it with you.
For example, your program may or may not have projectors or smart boards. You will
most likely not have access to a computer, so taking a laptop is advisable. You will
most likely have internet access, but it may not be reliable. You can contact the
program coordinator about a month before the program is set to begin to see if the
technology you need will be available, but also keep in mind that there may only be
one projector, and it is shared by all of the faculty members. It is unlikely that
the program will have a computer, printer, or copy machine available to you. The coordinators
may have their own printer and can print individual sheets, or they may have to go
to the local copy store several blocks away. In this case, copies can take up to 24
hours to be completed, so you should plan on printing as little as possible. It is
highly unlikely that students would have access to a computer lab with printing, which
means students will not be able to print their work and submit a hard copy. Making
digital PDFs for download and reading then is highly advisable.
Meetings: You will most likely have a weekly meeting with the AIFS staff and the other faculty
members in the program. This is an opportunity to discuss student problems, challenging
students, upcoming events, division of labor, and recommendations for local activities.
This is also a great opportunity to build camaraderie with the other members of the
team.
Working with Students: You are not required to hold office hours. You can choose whether or not to meet
with students outside of class time. Online tutoring may not be available through
the host institution. You can ask the study abroad coordinator at the host institution
to set tutoring up prior to departure through the host campus’ Tutoring Center to
ensure students get the help they need if you cannot meet with them regularly.
Language and Culture Class: All students are required to attend this class, but you are invited and strongly
encouraged to attend as well. This class is very informative and provides some good
historical context, social explanations, and recommendations of local sites. In addition,
this course is tied to a variety of activities aimed at giving students more exposure
to cultural activities, so it is a fun way to experience the local cuisine, culture,
arts, sites, and historical landmarks. Whenever possible, you should try to participate
in the class and accompanying activities.
