OIP administers an International Travel Grant Program which supports faculty travel to present scholarly papers at international conferences and to conduct collaborative research abroad. During the past several years, an increasing number of UNC Charlotte faculty members have participated in formal institutional linkage programs as well as bilateral exchanges with faculty members from universities outside the United States. Following are suggestions and procedures to assist faculty members in planning such exchanges in a manner that will provide maximum gain from the experience for both the individuals and for the universities involved. As plans for an exchange are developed, they must be examined from the perspectives of department peers and the University as a whole, as well as the perspective of the individual faculty participant. Although some of these activities may be appropriate to the visitor, others may require experienced departmental hands.
Careful planning is required to take full advantage of such opportunities.
A plan that merely permits a UNC Charlotte faculty member to teach the usual courses in a new environment in exchange for a visitor who is able only to cover standard courses here may not be worth the extra effort involved. Development of a detailed plan for the work to be done at UNC Charlotte by the visitor shifts the balance in favor of the exchange both from the points of view of the faculty members and the universities. Prepare a prospectus for consideration by the department chairperson. The prospectus should include a detailed explanation of the reason you seek this exchange opportunity, what you expect to gain from the experience, research you wish to accomplish, what impact this will have on your department, a realistic assessment of the funding required, and a listing of any factors that may discourage participation. The alternatives for the foreign visitor should be known, and a preliminary plan prepared for his or her contribution to UNC Charlotte while in residency.