Academic Guidelines and Timing of Travel
Any student traveling with the group on the course's travel component must be registered for at least one of the associated courses to which the travel is tied.
A spring semester course with travel during spring break is the most common timeframe for an embedded course, but fall (Thanksgiving) break, winter break, or summer term are acceptable travel times as well. Please note that when travel occurs over winter break, the travel experience is part of the spring semester, and must have spring semester academic credits tied to it in accordance with procedures outlined in the following information.
Penn State courses occasionally involve travel or other activities that cannot take place during the semester boundaries in which the course is offered. In line with University Faculty Senate policy and in consultation with the Office of the Executive President and Provost, Penn State courses are term-based and therefore must fall wholly within the semester dates established by the university for the fall, spring, and summer terms. The LionPATH screen used to create course sections will henceforth require course section begin and end dates with semester begin and end dates. This will apply to all courses that have previously bridged semesters and will not be limited to those that carry post-semester travel component.
University Faculty Senate Policy 34-81 requires each student to "be registered for the course during the semester in which [its] requirements are completed and the grade or symbol must be assigned at the end of the semester." Among a variety of considerations, this Senate policy recognizes and is intended to comply with United States Department of Education Title IV regulations.
When coursework, including but not limited to international travel, will occur after the close of a semester, an additional course must be offered during the term in which the extended activity occurs. Course credit for the initial course and for the subsequent course must reflect the content of each course. An example of such a course would be an Art History class that runs during spring semester for three (3) credit hours. Immediately after final exams in May, the embedded travel component begins. Since the travel occurs after the conclusion of the semester in which the course credit is offered, an additional course set for a minimum of 0.25 credits must be established for the travel component in May. The approval of new courses that cover extended travel or activities, and amendments to existing courses that prepare students for the extended activities, are subject to University Faculty Senate course approval policies and procedures.
