About KIIS
KIIS Membership
Thank you for your interest in the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS). We are a faculty-driven organization dedicated to providing exceptional— and affordable— international education programs for students from diverse backgrounds. Each year, approximately 600 students and 80 faculty participate on KIIS programs.
Application Description
A senior university administrator should send an official request on your university letterhead to KIIS Executive Director, Dr. John Dizgun. The letter should explain why your university desires to become a KIIS Member Institution and provide information about your university and student body.
- University Mission
- How KIIS fits into the University’s Strategic Goals
- University study abroad participation history and future goals
- Faculty interest in international education
- Student body stats (enrollment, academic disciplines seeking study abroad opportunities, etc.)
Review Process
Once Dr. Dizgun and the KIIS Steering Committee has reviewed your application letter to determine if your university is a good fit for the KIIS Member Institution, a representative from your university would be invited to attend a KIIS Board meeting to share in person your university’s desire to join. The Board meets twice a year, in April and September. The Board then will vote on acceptance.
Contact
To obtain a letter on KIIS letterhead about KIIS which you can share with your university prior to your application submission, contact KIIS Executive Director, Dr. John Dizgun (270-745-2256).
- A broad selection of high-quality and affordable study abroad programs for students.
- Each year, KIIS awards over $75,000 in student scholarships.
- Faculty from Full-Member Institutions may apply to teach on KIIS programs.
- Faculty are indemnified against liability.
- Medical insurance and security evacuation for all student and faculty participants.
- The knowledge, support and experience of the KIIS office.
A university/college may join KIIS for $3,000 per year. The annual $3,000 membership fee is largely returned to each Member Institution in the following way:
- $500 KIIS Promotional Allowance
- $1,000 Disability Accommodation Fund (a fund the KIIS office manages)
- $1,500 KIIS Member Student Scholarship
Students at full-member institutions are eligible for all KIIS scholarships (Dr. Meg & Barry Brown Summer Scholarship, Joseph C. Hess Memorial Scholarship, Program Scholarships, Apply Early & Save $100 Discount). Faculty at full-member institutions are eligible to teach on KIIS Summer and Winter programs.
KIIS Member Institutions
The Kentucky Institute for International Studies, Inc. (KIIS) is a nonprofit, faculty-led study abroad consortium of 20+ colleges and universities. KIIS is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation and is tax-exempt. Western Kentucky University (WKU) serves as KIIS’s Sponsoring Institution. KIIS is housed on the campus of WKU in Bowling Green, KY.
“Writer Anne Dillard says, “Unless I call my attention to what passes before my eyes, I simply won’t see it.” Much education forces on students undigested bits of information. Study abroad, by contrast, opens your mind to ideas in the contexts in which they originated. Ideas-in-places have long lasting effects.”
– Paul Ranieri, Ball State University English Professor, KIIS Greece Faculty
