Step 1: Department Head submits a completed Off-Campus Field School Program Application Form

The application form requires a description of the program, its courses including a field itinerary, a promotional plan, and a budget that identifies sources of funding in addition to HSS and participating students. The Associate Dean, Curriculum and Programs is available to answer questions during the preparation of the application. Tips for preparing a Harlow campus field school are available on the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences website. Applicants must have consulted with and received approval from their Department Head in advance of submitting an application for a field school.

Application Deadline: 5:00pm March 15th, or next business day (i.e., approximately 12 months before a May program begins, 16 months before a September program begins, 20 months before a January program starts begins, and at least 24 months before a Harlow field school begins).

Applications must be submitted by March 15, 2024	For programs to run May-August 2026 (Spring, Intersession or Summer terms)
	For programs to run September to December 2026 (Fall term).
	For programs to run January to April 2027 (Winter term)
	For Harlow programs: acceptance of proposals suspended until further notice.

The Secretary of the Associate Deans will send out an email notice in February  as a call for applications, with a reminder in March.

The Secretary to the Associate Deans maintains an inventory of all submissions. The submitted application will be used for steps #2-4.

Step 2a: Academic review of formal application by CPC

All formal applications are referred to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Curriculum and Programs Committee (CPC) for academic review at its May meeting. CPC is asked to identify suggestions for pedagogical improvement and consistency with changing university policies. Particular attention is paid to a programs’ course design section (section 3 of the application) and its connection with the field school location. Instructors are encouraged to state the skills and knowledge students would acquire by participating in the field school. CPC does not render a decision on whether or not the field school ought to be offered but shares its evaluation with the Associate Dean (Curriculum and Programs).

Step 2b: Financial review of the application

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Senior Administration Officer performs a standard review of proposed expenditures to ensure financial diligence and consistency with university policies. The SAO reports their evaluation to the Associate Dean (Curriculum and Programs).

Step 3: Application reviewed by Field Schools Committee

Each year, the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences strikes an Off-campus Field Schools Committee comprised of the Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences (Curriculum and Programs), the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Senior Administrative Officer, and three faculty members. Ideally, the faculty members will not be affiliated with departments who are requesting funds for field school delivery that year.

After review by CPC, and ideally in May, the Field Schools Committee reviews applications, guided by the following considerations (however, meeting all of these criteria is not a guarantee that an application will be successful):

1. Pedagogical considerations, such as the academic benefits to students, and the relationship between course content and the proposed location(s) of study. The pedagogical relevance of the field location(s) should be stated clearly in the application.
2. Benefit to HSS students and programs. The proposed program should prioritize students in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Memorial University and the application should state how such priority will be put in practice. Interdisciplinarity is generally an asset as it makes a field school relevant to students from various programs
3. Fairness and opportunity considerations, such as the rotation of program delivery such that a request that is unsuccessful one year is given greater priority for conditional acceptance the following year, and vice versa; and,
4. General cost considerations within the available Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences budget. The committee may rank proposals based on the cost of delivery per student, per credit hour, the effort made to secure alternate sources of funding.

Step 4: Approval by the Dean

Deadline: May 30, or next business day (i.e., approximately 11 months before a May program starts, 15 months before a September program starts, and at least 23 months before a Harlow program starts)

The Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences makes a decision that is communicated in a timely manner to the applicant and the Department Head. Any offer of funding is accompanied by conditions and the Office of the Dean reserves the right to withdraw its financial support. If the application is successful, the Department Head will include the course(s) in preparation of the teaching plan. If the request is unsuccessful, the faculty member is eligible to re-apply the following April, and is encouraged to speak with the Associate Dean who will offer suggestions to improve the program design.