Program Development and Budget Process

Program Development and Budget Process
- RIT/
- RIT Global/
- Faculty/
- Lead a Study Abroad Program/
- Program Development and Budget Process
Now that you have a solidified program idea and have done some preliminary research, it’s time to formally develop your program. This page is designed to help you understand the proposal and budget process. The Education Abroad office is here to walk you through each step.
Proposal Deadline for New Faculty-Led Programs
A call for new Faculty-led Study Abroad proposals will open on January 15, 2025. The proposal deadline for new faculty-led study abroad programs is April 15, 2025, for programs that will run in Spring 2026, Summer 2026, and Fall 2026. New faculty-led study abroad programs include any programs that have not run before and programs that are running again but have a new location and/or course.
Faculty must submit the Phase I proposal by this deadline. Download and save the proposal form before filling it out.
Prior to the April 15 deadline, we encourage faculty to:
1) Watch the Faculty-led Study Abroad Fundamentals webinar to learn about the faculty-led development process and how to get started.
2) Meet with your Department Chair and Study Abroad Liaison about your program idea.
3) Meet with RIT Global to share program ideas and get feedback on program feasibility, program model options, best practices, etc.
4) Familiarize yourself with the Faculty-led resources on our website.
Renewing Programs: Faculty renewing a program need to notify the RIT Global office of their intent to offer a program the following year (Spring 2026, Summer 2026, Fall 2026) by the April 15 deadline. You will then work with the Education Abroad team to submit your Phase I Proposal in a timely manner. However, if you are changing the location and/or course, you must submit the Phase I proposal by this deadline.
If you have any questions about the proposal process, please contact Zhanna Ivanova at ziiegp@rit.edu.
Faculty-Led Proposal Phase I
You will need to complete the Phase I form outlining the academic rationale for your program. Present it to your Department Chair and Dean for review and approval. Submit the final document and approval to the Education Abroad office.
Download the Phase I Form (save it to your computer before filling it out).
Faculty-Led Proposal Phase II
Complete the Phase II form outlining the program and travel logistics. Submit the final document to the Education Abroad office for approval by Risk Management and RIT Global. Download the Phase II Form and save the proposal form before filling it out
Budget Planning
Use this budget template to help you estimate program costs (the link will download an Excel file to your computer). Once you’ve done some research, you’ll bring this to a meeting with Education Abroad to build the total program budget and student budget.
Important Contacts
Successful study abroad programs are a team effort. Here are some important contacts and resources you may need to reach out to:
College Study Abroad Liaisons
CAD
Christine Shank
crspph@rit.edu
CET
Melissa Aponte
mxacet@rit.edu
CLA
Lauren Hall
lxhgpt@rit.edu
CLA
Trent Hergendrader
wthgsl@rit.edu
CHST
Ashley Jackson
adjiao@rit.edu
COS
Catherine Mahrt-Washington
cewsse@rit.edu
GCCIS
Gina Shevchuk
gmsics@rit.edu
KGCOE
Amy Neufeglise
alpiao@rit.edu
KGCOE
Matt Marshall
mmmeie@rit.edu
NTID
Matthew Anderson
mkaieo@rit.edu
SCB
Hillary McCormick
hemiao@rit.edu
Financial Study Abroad Liaisons
CAD
Jason Spaid
jesssc@rit.edu
CET
Katie Smith
kmkcto@rit.edu
CHST
Sueann Maynard
samcto@rit.edu
CLA
Israel Brown
ixbgla@rit.edu
COS
Angela Dolliver
agdcto@rit.edu
GCCIS
Kim Shearer
kbsast@rit.edu
KGCOE
Anne Stevens
amscto@rit.edu
NTID
Christy Kuhn
clknfb@rit.edu
SCB
TBD
SOIS
Mary Merkel
mrmspa@rit.edu
Education Abroad Contacts
Current RIT Partnerships
View a list of current approved overseas partners and travel operators/tour vendors who might assist you in the development of your program.