It's official-- the next location for BSU-in is San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's time to assemble the teaching team for BSU-in-PR for Spring 26. Faculty interested in teaching BSU courses in Puerto Rico: read on!
What is BSU-in?
BSU-in is a study abroad initiative designed to address critical challenges and opportunities in international education. In short, it is a Study-Abroad-Office-directed, BSU-faculty-led, semester-long study abroad program. This program emerges from a commitment to increasing student access, providing programs of the highest academic value, and keeping study abroad enrollments within the institution.
BSU students, BSU faculty, BSU courses, BSU prices -- on a host campus abroad/away. When the Study Abroad Office surveyed current students about their interest in study abroad (Fall 2023), we got the clear message-- students DO want to study abroad/away, and the primary barriers seem to be cost and relevance to degree plan. BSU-in addresses both of these concerns! It is priced to students at the exact same cost of a BSU on-campus semester, almost to the dollar-- it does NOT cost extra! And it features Ball State courses and Ball State faculty, with an emphasis on UCC courses and intro-level courses that might satisfy requirements for just about every BSU undergrad. It also features flexibility-- students are allowed to take an online course or two while they are abroad, which means students from many different majors may be able to study abroad for a whole semester without setting them behind on their progress toward graduation.
Why we're excited about BSU-in-PR?
The location in San Juan, Puerto Rico is very exciting; a captivating coastal city offering a warm tropical climate and a rich cultural experience, all in a vibrant international city. It's a one-of-a-kind study away destination, with part of the uniqueness being the accessibility-- students will not need a passport or student visa to participate in this program, and the currency is USD-- perhaps making this program possible for even more students.
What about teaching at BSU-in-PR?
Faculty for BSU-in are loaded to teach in this program according to the academic unit's needs/goals. Loadings for BSU-in courses happen within the academic unit-- so if there's a class your department offers that might be a good fit for BSU-in-PR, you would be loaded to teach that course in San Juan instead of in Muncie. As a rule of thumb, BSU-in offers a menu of 4-11 courses taught by a team of 2-4 faculty. The program should offer courses from a variety of disciplines, with preference given to UCC courses (from any tier/domain). We can also consider non-UCC courses on a case-by-case basis. Because we're working collaboratively with departments, we will remain flexible with the actual loading; in the Fall '24 semester (BSU-in-Puebla), for example, one faculty member taught one 15-week BSU-in course and three other courses online (not associated with the program). Another faculty member taught two BSU-in courses on a ten-week calendar and two courses online (not associated with the program). One faculty member went to Puebla just for a five-week course-- the rest of his loading was on the main (Muncie) during the first ten weeks of the semester.
Who covers travel costs for BSU-in faculty?
Housing, flights, excursions, and ground transportation are covered by Study Abroad. We will also provide a modest stipend to assist with other incidental costs. Salary compensation is through the academic unit-- this program is loaded through the academic units, so your salary should remain constant.
How can I increase my chances of being selected for the BSU-in-PR teaching team?
Faculty for BSU-in are selected collaboratively between Study Abroad and the academic units. The most desirable BSU-in-PR faculty members are those who can teach at least one UCC course-- and even better if you can offer more than one UCC course (from multiple tiers or domains). We can also consider non-UCC courses on a case-by-case basis, especially if the non-UCC course is in addition to at least one UCC course. One of the most important factors in selection of the courses and faculty is the enthusiastic endorsement from your Chair. We would strongly suggest discussing with your unit leader before formally indicating interest to Study Abroad.
Spring 2025 and/or Puerto Rico aren't right for me/my department, but I'm very interested in this program. Is a different BSU-in location/term a possibility?
Yes. Locations for BSU-in will change each term (and some locations may be recurring, depending on student and faculty interest). Fall 2024 was in Puebla, Mexico. Spring 2025 is in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Fall 2025 is in Seoul, South Korea. There is a possibility of a still-to-be-announced second location for Spring 2026. Future locations beyond Spring 2026 have not yet been selected. You are welcome to indicate interest at any time, even if it's for a future term/location.
What next?
Interested faculty are encouraged to discuss with their Department Chairs and Ashley Coker, Director of Study Abroad (acoker@bsu.edu, 285.2652). Then please indicate your interest in teaching at BSU-in-PR by completing this interest form. You may indicate your interest at any time, with the suggestion to submit by March 15th. The Study Abroad Office's goal is to confirm the Spring 2026 teaching team no later than June 1st.