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Responsibilities of Program Director 

The director of the International Studies Program:

• maintains the programs of study for the International Studies major and minor in the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ Undergraduate Catalog and the courses offered by the program (those with an INS prefix), carrying out periodic updates with input from the program’s Advisory Committee and submitting the corresponding materials to the University’s Academic Programs Committee;
• prepares the list of courses that students may count toward the International Studies major and minor (three times per year, for fall, spring, and summer semesters), consulting with faculty members of the Advisory Committee to ensure the list is correct with respect to their departments’ offerings;
• coordinates with the chair of the host department each semester to place any courses offered by the International Studies Program (those with an INS prefix) on the schedule for the following semester;
• oversees the teaching of INS3003 Introduction to International Studies and INS4930 International Studies Senior Research seminar;
• coordinates internships, including helping students to identify opportunities and apply; working with the Office of the General Counsel to make sure agency agreements are in place with the corresponding off-campus entities; ensuring that participating students sign all appropriate waivers and other paperwork; and handling arrangements related to receiving credit, including reviewing supervisors’ end-of-term evaluation letters and students’ reflective papers or other materials, and assigning of grades;
• works with graduate program directors and The Graduate School to administer the accelerated paths that International Studies offers into various graduate programs;
• administers Honors in the Major in International Studies, in collaboration with the Hicks Honors College;
• advises students on academic matters, in collaboration with College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) Academic Advising, First-Year Advising, and department chairs and program directors, providing help with such topics as selecting courses, minors, and second majors, and the double-counting of credits;
• advises students on study abroad matters, in collaboration with the International Center, Global Engagement, COAS Academic Advising, faculty study abroad program leaders and others;
• advises students on career, professional, and graduate school matters, in collaboration with the COAS Career Success Center, faculty members in specific disciplinary areas and others;
• assists faculty, departments and administrative units to promote courses on international topics and study abroad programs;
• approves activities undertaken in fulfillment of the international educational experience requirement for the major, and tracks completion of those activities using the 0-credit course INS3950;
• organizes, or works with others to organize, the research exhibit at which the students in INS4930 International Studies Senior Research Seminar present at the end of each fall and spring semester;
• coordinates and promotes the events that the program sponsors, including lectures and/or discussion series, workshops, special events, and graduate student research talks;
• ensures the effective use of social media to promote events, publish news about students and alumni, and for other purposes related to building community and promoting the program;
• maintains and periodically updates the program web site, including material related to curriculum, programming, and advising;
• convenes meetings of the Advisory Committee or solicits feedback electronically, regarding curriculum, policies, advising, and the day-to-day operations of the program;
• coordinates membership of the Advisory Committee and any other advisory bodies, which might include currently enrolled International Studies undergraduates and alumni, as well as student liaisons from ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ graduate programs;
• oversees the program’s annual budget (currently $3,500);
• carries out all responsibilities related to creating and maintaining learning objectives for the program and assessing those outcomes on an annual basis;
• conducts the regular external review of program every five years; and
• remains a regular faculty member within a host department, and as such, will generally teach two courses per semester within that department, carry out administrative or committee responsibilities related to that department, and maintain an active research agenda for purposes of tenure and promotion, processed through that department, and annual performance evaluations, conducted by the chair of that department.

The director may also optionally work with International Center and faculty from various departments across campus to develop study abroad experiences involving curriculum of relevance to the International Studies major and minor, including faculty-led and semester-long exchanges. The director also may be asked to serve on the campus-wide International Council convened by the assistant vice president for Student and International Affairs.

This document was prepared by Clayton McCarl, director of International Studies 2016-2022, and was last updated 4/28/20.