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Teaching Abroad Benefits - Faculty Voices
KIIS has 50 years of Faculty-Led Education Abroad Experience. Faculty from all academic disciplines have opportunities to teach abroad on 25+ Summer & Winter programs in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. KIIS handles student applications, payments, course registrations & orientations as well as overseas logistics and health & safety.
“Teaching in Ecuador is a blast! On campus we can show pictures, and pull out lab specimens. But in Ecuador, we walk out the door and we are surrounded by tropical life. One would have to work very hard to not be awed by the lushness of the rain forest, the biological richness and ruggedness of the mountains, and the magical beauty of the Galapagos Islands!”
– Malcolm Frisbie, Eastern Kentucky University Biology Professor, KIIS Ecuador Faculty
“Each summer I look forward to the opportunity to introduce students to the language and culture of Austria, Southern Germany and Switzerland. The long and successful history of the KIIS Austria program ensures that students become immersed in the program setting, and our Austrian host families and support staff do a wonderful job of helping students feel at home and form lasting bonds abroad.”
– Jordan Gabbard, University of Louisville German Professor, KIIS Austria Program Director
“Going abroad with students is the best part of my job! Students who go abroad are forever changed, both personally and professionally. They grow in so many ways, developing a skill for flexibility and cultural sensitivity that sets them apart from their peers. Finally, many of them gain language proficiency that cannot be duplicated in a traditional classroom, opening doors to new career opportunities.”
– Laura Hunt, Georgetown College Spanish Professor, KIIS Maya Mexico Winter Faculty
“We commonly visit places for 2-3 days at a time, but living in and exploring a new place for five weeks is a completely different experience. Students and teachers alike will end up feeling like they have a second home in the world.”
– Mike D’Ambrosio, Murray State University Music Professor, KIIS Salzburg Faculty
“I LOVE teaching and learning in a culture outside the United States. Tanzania especially provides a wonderful opportunity for students (and me) to evolve into people who understand the beauty and richness of our diverse world. We also realize that different experiences provide powerful learning moments.”
– Paul Clark, University of Louisville Nursing Professor, KIIS Tanzania Faculty
“By studying abroad and living with a host family, they really get to experience the culture from the inside out. It’s more up-close and personal rather than just observing it from a distance, and the language and cultural learning that happens in the classroom can be applied and expanded every day in the streets, in the host families, on weekend trips, etc. so it’s much more vivid and meaningful.”
– Lisa Kuriscak, Ball State University Spanish Professor, KIIS Spain I & Spain II Faculty
“One of the greatest aspects of teaching abroad is the close connection one makes with the specific location. The classroom extends outside the walls and into the location and its surroundings, and on-site teaching adds an unmatched dimension to the lessons learned from students.”
– Michael Baker, University of Kentucky Music Professor, KIIS Salzburg Faculty
“I’m honored to be able to take students to Munich and Paris each year and watch them develop their sense of independence and their awareness and appreciation of other cultures. This winter program offers so many experiences in two amazing European cities over ten days! Students are able to learn academic content through active learning approaches that make extensive use of these unique sites.”
– Charlotte Rich, Eastern Kentucky University English Professor, KIIS Paris-Munich Winter Co-Director
“The best part about teaching abroad with KIIS is the opportunity to watch your students’ perspective grow and broaden firsthand. While we get to see this happen on our home campuses, of course, there’s nothing quite like seeing students step out into the unknown of another country, language, and culture and finding themselves on new but steady ground, with you as their guide.”
– Jeff Richey, Berea College Religion & Asian Studies Professor, KIIS Japan Faculty
“One of the greatest benefits of teaching abroad for me is the ability to connect with scholars in my field as we travel. In conversations over meals or exploring archaeological sites and museums, I have the opportunity to discuss current scholarship in classics, share ideas on teaching and learning, and revel in discipline-related humor–all of which help to inspire and reinvigorate me for teaching at my home campus.”
– Kathleen M. Quinn, Northern Kentucky University Classics Professor, KIIS Greece & Italy Winter Faculty
“As a faculty member, the chance to journey through familiar coursework in an unfamiliar location gives the material and the learning process a sense of aliveness that stimulates the mind, helps one’s research and creates endless curiosity.”
– Doreen Maloney, University of Kentucky New Media & Video Professor, KIIS Berlin Faculty
“Teaching abroad is the best way to see the world while you practice your craft! I have found that working in my field in another country allows me to feel like a resident rather than a tourist. Students and professors alike get to sample real life in our program country.”
– Myra Beth Bundy, Eastern Kentucky University Psychology Professor, KIIS Austria & Argentina Faculty
“While I enjoy teaching about Latin America on campus at Marshall, my students learn far more about the region in their courses with me abroad. Beyond just reading about politics in a book, you actually get to see politics in action on the street and hear it from the voices of those directly involved.”
– Shawn Schulenberg, Marshall University Political Science Professor, KIIS Argentina Director
“I feel incredibly lucky to be able to show students the incredible culture and life in Munich each summer. There is nothing better than seeing a student grow to love the country that has shaped my life so profoundly.”
– Bess Dawson, University of Kentucky German Professor, KIIS Munich Director
Faculty Benefits Include
- Infrastructure already in place: KIIS handles all overseas planning and logistics
- Excursion opportunities in your field of expertise
- Round-trip international airfare to the program site
- Food, accommodation, travel, and other overseas living expenses covered
- $3000 stipend for Summer ($1500 stipend for Winter & Summer Two-Week programs) paid prior to departure
- Comprehensive medical insurance for the duration of the program
- Security and terrorism evacuation insurance
- Indemnified against liability (common limits apply)
- Large pool of students from which to recruit (from among all KIIS member institutions). Faculty also may recruit outside KIIS member institutions.
- State-side orientations provide an opportunity to meet fellow faculty members and student participants
- Great professional development opportunities
- Dependent students of KIIS Faculty (that have taught with KIIS in the last 5 years) can receive a $500 – $750 KIIS Faculty Dependent Scholarship when registered to participate on a KIIS program.
Eligibility
KIIS Summer and Winter faculty positions are open to full-time or part-time faculty from KIIS Full-Member Institutions.
Faculty must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
KIIS strongly recommends all participants (students and faculty) be up-to-date on both their seasonal flu and Covid-19 vaccinations (i.e. the latest Covid-19 booster shot) before their travel abroad.
Credentialing
You must be credentialed in the academic discipline of your course proposals. This means you:
- Hold a doctoral or terminal degree in the discipline OR
- In certain cases, hold a master’s degree or have a minimum of 18 graduate hours in the discipline.
Faculty are encouraged to apply from all disciplines including, but not limited to:
- Business and Economics
- Engineering
- Health Sciences
- Humanities
- Law
- Physical Sciences
- Social Sciences
Course Instruction
- You are not required to speak or teach in the language of the KIIS program host country.
- The majority of KIIS Summer and Winter courses are taught in English.
- Only three KIIS Summer programs are restricted to language faculty (Paris II, Spain I, Spain II).
- Language faculty may apply to teach on other KIIS Summer programs.
Visit our Selecting a Program page for more information.
Tips for Success
Faculty Features and Accomplishments
In Japan, Kentucky is perhaps most associated with its fast-food avatar, KFC. Ever since 1974,…
Dr. Matthew Herman teaches Music Theory and Composition at Western Kentucky University and also regularly…
Dr. Peter Fosl, a Philosophy professor at Transylvania University and a KIIS Barcelona Faculty member,…
Dr. Laura Hunt teaches Spanish at Georgetown college and teaches on the KIIS Maya Mexico…
“As instructors, we might expect to see the impact we made on our students in a distant future. Teaching abroad, however, is an experience that allows the instructor to align students’ learning abilities and skills with the abroad setting to create an immediate effect on the student. Teaching abroad has improved my on-campus teaching as I strive to create the right alignment between student learning ability and the classroom or field environment to produce a transformative learning experience.”
– William Mkanta, Western Kentucky University Health Care Administration Professor, KIIS Tanzania & Zanzibar Winter Director
