PROGRAM
DESIGN PROCESS
Initiating a Program
Program design with ACCENT is a creative collaboration, beginning at ACCENT’s San Francisco Center when your institution contacts ACCENT to discuss a new study abroad program. ACCENT first works with you to identify program needs and goals, then offers innovative ideas on how to enhance your program. Together, we explore possibilities for program location, academics, excursions, and activities.
Defining a Budget
Once the scope of the study aboard program is determined, ACCENT prepares a program outline with pricing for your customized program. The pricing outline serves as a program snapshot, and is useful in fine-tuning the program.
ACCENT Contract Proposal
When all details are in place, ACCENT San Francisco puts together a full contract proposal. Any last revisions to the program content happen at this point, and, when your school is ready, ACCENT issues a final contract.
Student Enrollment
For any program, students must apply, make payments, confirm travel arrangements, and complete enrollment materials. ACCENT San Francisco can administer any or all of these enrollment steps, depending on the needs your college or university. Some institutions sponsor open-enrollment programs through ACCENT, allowing students from across the U.S. to participate. Working with the program leader, the ACCENT staff can produce marketing materials to reach the best possible audience and help recruit students to the program.
Pre-Departure Preparation
For each program, ACCENT publishes and distributes to students a customized pre-departure handbook. In some cases, a member of the ACCENT San Francisco team attends the sponsoring school's pre-departure orientation to answer students' questions face-to-face. Before departure day, ACCENT verifies all participants’ travel itineraries and provides them with detailed instructions for their arrival in Europe. Leading up to departure, faculty and administrators also begin to discuss academic and logistic details with the ACCENT Europe teams.
More About Open-Enrollment Programs
Prospective students can find details and applications for open-enrollment programs on our website, or can call to receive information by mail. Students may also speak with one of ACCENT’s specially-trained staff members to find the program that best matches their academic and personal goals. ACCENT regularly mails printed information about its programs to the study abroad offices at hundreds of schools across the country, and lists programs with prominent study abroad search engines such as StudyAbroad.com, GoAbroad.com and Petersons.com. Each fall, members of the San Francisco team travel to many campus study abroad fairs, reaching out to students directly and coaching our U.S. partners on successful recruitment techniques.