Exchange Opportunities for Wesleyan Faculty

The Wesleyan faculty is a vibrant community of teacher-scholars with strong international interests and connections. The Fries Center for Global Studies is prepared to support those interested in developing international exchange agreements that align with their teaching and research needs and that will benefit our students demonstrably in term of their global education. 

Other offices at Wesleyan also support our mission of enabling intercultural dialogue and exchange. The Office of International Student Affairs provides support and guidance on every aspect of international student life at Wesleyan – immigration, cultural, academic, personal, and financial. The International Compensation and Taxation team in the Finance Office provides guidance on financial matters related to the University’s foreign national students, scholars, employees, and visitors.

We outline below the ways in which the Fries Center for Global Students currently supports faculty in this regard. Please click here for more information regarding faculty support, career development, and other grants at Wesleyan University.

• Establishing an Exchange

  The Fries Center for Global Studies accepts faculty exchange proposals for consideration. The Fries Center for Global Studies Advisory Board reviews all proposals submitted to ensure that they align with the needs of our students and faculty. Pending the Advisory Board's recommendation for implementation, faculty work with the FCGS staff to develop their exchange, finalize the written agreement and proceed with next steps stipulated by the proposal.

  Those interested in developing a student focused exchange should first meet with the Fries Center for Global Studies staff to discuss your interest and to review the proposal's potential viability. In some cases, a formal exchange agreement is required in order to welcome incoming visiting students. Keep in mind that this process can take up to a year to formalize and that faculty are expected to be instrumental in establishing the exchange. They will also be expected to advise interested participants, from both Wesleyan and abroad. To get started, please email the Fries Center for Global Studies to arrange a meeting.

  Faculty interested in creating a faculty-led program, a faculty exchange or a student exchange should contact the Director, Study Abroad at egorlewski@wesleyan.edu to discuss feasibility and planning. 

• University of Bologna Faculty Exchange

  Under the auspices of Wesleyan University's formal exchange agreement with the University of Bologna, interested Wesleyan faculty may spend 1-2 weeks in residence at Italy's oldest and one of its most prestigious institutions. Deadlines for the application are in June and November of each year for the following semester.

  The University of Bologna sends out its call for applications each year in late October. One professor per semester from one of the three consortia institutions (Vassar College, Wellesley College, and Wesleyan University) may apply to participate, but only if they have already made arrangements for a peer at UniBo to invite them and to complete required paperwork. Typically only one faculty member participates per semester.

  Ecco helps to find hosts and provides support in preparing the application, but applicants typically establish their professional relationship with a UniBo professor beforehand. Participants tend to rotate among the three consortium institutions (Vassar College, Wellesley College, and Wesleyan University).

  The agreement allows faculty the opportunity to pass a short period of time (1-2 weeks), in Bologna to carry out research, meet colleagues, and engage in some very limited teaching (1-3 talks -- as agreed with the host -- in a class, graduate seminar, or open to the broader university audience). The exchange can go in BOTH directions, i.e. one can either apply to go to Bologna or invite a colleague from Bologna to come to one of our institutions.  Knowledge of Italian is not required and the exchange can take place in ANY field or department.

  The sending institution covers the faculty member’s transatlantic airfare and travel to and from airports; the host institution offers lodging. Board is not covered.  

  As a small teaching component is required, it is important that the exchange take place when there are students present (usually not in the summer, but with the summer session at Wesleyan, the exchange may be possible in some departments in that period as well). Most people from the US travel during the fall/spring breaks; the Italians can often come to the US in September, as their fall semester starts later.

  Here are the steps: 

  The selection process for both exchange directions is carried out entirely in Bologna by an UniBo committee.  In order to apply, a faculty member who wishes to go to Bologna is required to find a UniBo faculty member who agrees to act as a sponsor. Alternatively, a faculty member can invite a UniBo professor to Wesleyan, and ask them to apply to the exchange. This can be a colleague the faculty member happens to know; or a colleague who is contacted directly (the ECCO office in Bologna can help find suitable partners, if necessary).  

  Once the UniBo faculty member agrees to sponsor the US faculty member or to come to one of the Consortium institution they are required to submit an application (attached) to the UniBo committee stating the approximate dates of the planned visit and how the visiting faculty member will be involved in teaching (a public lecture, a visit to a class, etc.).  The Unibo faculty member needs to send the application from their institutional email address.

  Please note:

  • • Application does not guarantee acceptance
    • The host institution provides lodging
    • The scholar's own university pays for the flight and travel to Bologna
    • Board is not covered by host or home institution

  Interested Wesleyan University faculty should contact: Emily Gorlewski, Associate Director of Study Abroad