Education Abroad

Program Leader Development & Events

Welcome to the Program Leader Development and Events page.  We work to provide training opportunities and informational sessions to prospective and active Program Leaders.  Program Leaders are PSU faculty and staff who are interested in or who have developed an International Faculty-Led Program (IFLP) or a Group Travel Experience (GTE).  Our training and informational sessions cover various topics essential to program planning and preparedness.

These sessions are also great opportunities for Department Chairs and Deans interested in learning more about the process of International Faculty-Led Program planning as well!

If you have a topic you’d like us to cover not listed above, please email facultyled@pdx.edu with your ideas!

Ready to Submit a Proposal about this content

** Reflects trainings that are required annually for ALL Program Leaders.  It is recommended that each training be completed within the indicated phase of program development & management.  

All other trainings are highly recommended and will increase your chance of a successful proposal and program with the least amount of confusion.  

Phase One: Program Proposal
Phase Two: Program Approved
Phase Three: Program Confirmed to Run
Next in the Toolkit: Marketing & Recruitment

Basics of Submitting a Proposal & Introduction to Proposal Review Process (Highly Recommended)

  • Audience: Program Leaders, Deans, Department Chairs
  • Description: This session will present available online resources for prospective program leaders, outline the requirements of a proposal, and review important first steps in the proposal process.
  • Register for Upcoming Session:

Program Leader Role & Responsibilities (Required Annually)

  • Audience: Prospective, Approved, & Departing Program Leaders
  • Description: This session will review with departing Program Leaders their roles and responsibilities.  Program Leaders are more than instructors when leading an International Faculty-Led Program (IFLP). Discussion will review elements of the program leader agreement signed by each faculty member, explore how each impacts on-the-ground support of students, and allow for questions and answers.
  • Register for Upcoming Sessions:

 

Granting Departmental Approval & Understanding Program Budgets

  • Audience: Prospective/Approved Program Leaders, Deans, Department Chairs
  • Description: This session will provide an overview of the structure of each program budget, review negotiables and non-negotiables, roles and responsibilities when setting a budget, and impacts on student pricing, registration, billing procedures, etc.
  • Register for Upcoming Session:
    • March, 18, 2026
      • 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM
    • April, 1, 2026
      • 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM
    • April, 3, 2026
      • 1:00P PM- 2:00 PM
    • April, 8, 2026
      • 1:00 PM- 2:00 PM
    • April, 10, 2026
      • 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM

 

Program Development Essentials: Budgets, Service Providers, and RPF's

  • Audience: Prospective/Approved Program Leaders, Deans, Department Chairs
  • Description: This session will review PSU’s requirements for working with service providers, types of service providers, considerations when selecting a service provider, the Request for a Proposal (RFP) process, and the review and selection of RFP’s.
    Register for Upcoming Session:
    • TBD

 

 

Marketing & Recruitment

  • Audience: Prospective & Approved Program Leaders
  • Discussion: Coming Soon
  • Register for Upcoming Sessions:
    • TBA

 

Policy-Aligned Student Application Review Process

  • Audience: Approved Program Leaders
  • Discussion: This session supports faculty in reviewing and assessing applications in a way that is fair, consistent, and aligned with Portland State University policies and expectations. Participants will:
    • Clarify faculty responsibilities in application review, including confidentiality, equitable evaluation, and professional judgment
    • Understand how PSU policies and standards inform ethical and consistent decision-making
    • Identify common risks and gray areas in application review and how to navigate them appropriately
    • Learn practical strategies for applying institutional guidance to real-world review scenarios
    • By the end of the session, faculty will be better prepared to conduct application reviews that uphold PSU values, support students, and align with university policy and governance expectations.
  • Register for Upcoming Sessions:
    • TBA

 

Pre-Departure Orientations & Class Sessions

  • Audience: Prospective, Approved, and Departing Program Leaders
  • Discussion: This session will review PSU Education Abroad’s emergency support, crisis management, and risk mitigation strategies with departing program leaders and outline their roles and responsibilities. - Including mandatory reporting requirements!
  • Register for Upcoming Sessions:
    • TBA

 

 

Fundamentals of Purchases, Salaries, and Travel

  • Audience: Program Leaders, Deans, Department Chairs
  • Description: This session will review how to make authorized purchases such as airfare or approved travel funds, the importance of documenting your expenses, as well as the post-program reconciliation process. Additionally, we will review when and how salaries are distributed - this includes wage agreements, overrides, and in-load agreements. Lastly, we will review the Travel Authorization and Reimbursement process.
  • Register for Upcoming Session:
    • TBA

 

Emergency Support & Risk Management (Required Annually)

  • Audience: Program Leaders (REQUIRED), Deans, and Department Chairs
  • Description: This session will review PSU Education Abroad’s emergency support, crisis management, and risk mitigation strategies with departing program leaders and outline their roles and responsibilities. This session will review PSU Education Abroad’s emergency support, crisis management, and risk mitigation strategies with departing program leaders and outline their roles and responsibilities.
  • Register for Upcoming Session: