merida photo
If you are a person willing and ready to learn and participate in the culture, the Yucatan program offers many opportunities to do so, and you will return with a new view and an experience you will never forget.
– Eliza Hershey
Central College

visiting faculty program

Overview
The Central College Abroad visiting faculty program provides faculty members from cooperating institutions the opportunity to teach on our program in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, while pursuing research and language acquisition as well as develop teaching skills, cross-cultural skills and knowledge of an international community.

Central College faculty have taught on the Merida program for more than 30 years, and once every other fall we offer the same benefit to a member from one of our cooperating institutions. Faculty frequently teach courses they would teach at home, with a portion of the material adjusted to relate to the location. Past course offerings have come from a wide variety of disciplines including political science, biology, chemistry, business, music, English, sociology, psychology and others. 

Details

  • Applicants must be from one of Central College Abroad’s cooperative institutions.
  • The proposed course(s) must be available to all students (and taught in English), but may be adapted to accommodate majors in the field as well.
  • The visiting faculty member will teach the equivalent of two, lower-division 3-credit courses while in Merida. Ideally, one class would be a group of independent study or internship students utilizing opportunities for work specific to the Yucatán. 
  • Faculty are encouraged to help recruit students to the Merida program for the term they are in Merida.
  • Faculty are given up to $1,200 to cover round-trip airfare from home to Merida. This amount may be used for the faculty member’s travel expenses or for the travel expenses of their family members (spouse, children, and domestic partner). 
  • The college will provide room and board for the faculty and immediate family members in the Central College-owned facility during the fall semester at no additional cost (maximum of two rooms provided).

The Merida Program
The Merida program introduces students and faculty of all disciplines to the language, culture, history, society and peoples of Yucatan and Mexico. In addition, it enhances the knowledge of those who have some familiarity with Latin American history and culture, and the Spanish language. Embedded in the academic program is a commitment to intentional reflection, analysis and cultural exploration that leads to balanced cross-cultural understanding.  

Applications
The next opportunity for visiting faculty will be fall semester of the 2012-13 academic year. Formal applications including complete details will be available spring semester 2011.  Any faculty seeking additional information, or desiring to talk with a faculty member who has previously taught in Merida, should contact Annique Kiel, director of institutional relations at Central College at kiela@central.edu or 800-831-3629.