The Interim and May Away Travel Courses
May Away, an academic travel-only term, features a three-hour travel course which requires 120 hours of student engagement. Pre-travel and course preparation will likely begin during the preceding spring semester, with a sufficient number of faculty/student hours to fully prepare students for the travel component. This preparation may include on-campus and on-line sessions. Even though students will begin coursework, the official start of the May Away term is the day after the last scheduled final exam day for spring semester.
May Away travel will begin within a few days after graduation; no on-campus housing will be provided for May Away students (faculty and students will meet at the airport or another pre-arranged place). Students eligible for May Away free tuition will be those who are full-time students in the preceding spring semester. Exceptions would be those students who have already used the annual allotment for the January Interim term because of their full-time status the preceding fall semester and are therefore not eligible for free tuition in May. Students are able to take advantage of the free tuition only one time during an academic year. Travel vouchers and transfer student travel scholarships may be used for May Away courses.
Graduating seniors may enroll in a May Away course. These seniors will be able to walk for graduation, but will not receive their diploma until after successfully completing the May Away course. Graduating seniors will have to file a graduation petition and a pre-completion request with the VPAA by February 1.
A student may take both a January Interim term course and a May Away course during the same academic year. May Away courses count toward the required total number of Interim courses for graduation.
May Away courses will follow the same calendar path as travel courses taught during the January Interim term. These new travel courses are available for student application beginning in February for the upcoming academic year. In this way, all travel courses (January and May) are offered to the current year’s students at one time.
Being allowed to travel as part of the curriculum of LaGrange College is a privilege; approval to travel is not automatic but may be granted through the Office of Global Engagement based on:
- A completed application, including instructor permission, references and required travel documents
- The student’s fitness for travel
- Meeting all academic, procedural, financial, and other prerequisites
End of September - Interim Registration for on-campus courses. If spaces are still available in the study away courses, interested students will be able to apply.
January - Interim begins.
February 1 - Balance of course fee is due in the Business Office (or at an earlier date if specified by an outside agency). All travel forms completed and passport uploaded into your application.
As part of completing the on-line application, students must make contact with the course instructor to obtain all necessary information, requirements, and the permission and signature of the instructor. Eligibility for all travel courses requires that the student:
Costs and Refunds
The costs listed in the online brochure are the anticipated per-participant travel charges for that particular course and include a fee for travel insurance. It is possible that these costs may require adjustments. If so, you will be notified by email and it will be updated on-line and in the Interim Bulletin published in the Fall.
If changes are necessary or you need to withdraw from the course, the student should contact the Office of Global Engagement by email so it is documented. Any deposits or payments to the College, unless already encumbered, may qualify for a full or partial refund. If payments were made to an outside agency, refunds will be at the discretion of the outside agency.
Please follow the on-line application instructions, How to Apply, found at Getting Started.
These travel programs offer opportunities for off-campus study either beyond the campus or beyond the borders of the United States. Such travel inevitably involves risk: accident, injury, illness, civil unrest, and other unforeseen circumstances. These risks are ones which neither those who sponsor travel nor those who travel can control. Participation in such an off-campus study program is purely voluntary on the students' part. As a condition for participation, LaGrange College requires that student travelers and their parents read and execute liability releases and other documents which signify they acknowledge, accept, and assume all risks. The College expects that students and their parents will use their own due diligence in informing themselves of current global conditions and in determining whether they wish the students to travel to given sites. The LaGrange College State Department Travel Warning Policy will determine if travel will be approved and it additional waivers need to be signed by the students.
Students participating in College-sponsored travel are expected to comply with all rules of behavior set forth by the course instructor and the College. After approval for travel is obtained, the College may terminate the student’s travel approval based on any disciplinary or other concerns which the College deems would make the student unsuitable for travel. Non-compliance with behavior rules during a trip may make the student subject to dismissal from the trip and the course, requiring the student to pay for an early departure for home.Although no major revisions are anticipated, LaGrange College reserves the right to make necessary changes in the status, costs, requirements, or other details of its faculty-led, study-away courses. Any course may be canceled for adequate reason, such as lack of sufficient enrollment or a U.S. State Department Travel Warning.