FLITE – Faculty Leadership for International Training and Exchange
FLITE is a professional development program for U.S. college faculty and administrators to strengthen global leadership on their campuses.
In today’s interconnected world, preparing students for success requires equipping them with the skills and perspectives needed to thrive in a global workforce. The FLITE program empowers faculty and administrators at U.S. colleges and universities with the knowledge, resources, and professional networks to embed international education into their institutions and cultivate globally-minded graduates.
Overview
FLITE is a professional certificate course in International Education Leadership for higher education faculty and administrators delivered in partnership between the Council of American Overseas Research Centers and College of the Canyons.
The program consists of three elements:
Online Coursework. A 10-week online course consisting of synchronous and asynchronous presentations, readings, and discussions, led by experts in the field covering a broad spectrum of topics in international education, such as COIL programs, institutional partnerships, and student mobility.
Project. Participants - working individually or in teams - design a project to be implemented at their institutions following the program. The project is guided by IE Mentors who guide and advise the project throughout the course with regular meetings and written evaluations and assessments. Participants are required to submit a final written Project Report at the conclusion of the course, and a Project Presentation during the Overseas Faculty Development Seminar.
Overseas Faculty Development Seminar. After completing the online coursework, participants attend a 10-12 day professional development seminar at an American Overseas Research Center (AORC) in the CAORC network. During the seminar, participants engage in a variety of in-country activities, including lectures, discussions, site visits, and hands-on experiences at universities, NGOs, and historical and cultural sites. Participants also have opportunities to connect with local university faculty and researchers. At the culmination of the seminar, participants deliver their Project Presentation.
The 2027 Overseas Faculty Development Seminar component is scheduled to take place June 10-22, 2027 in Cambodia, hosted by the Center for Khmer Studies.
The seminar, "Cambodia: History, Society, and Culture" is an intensive 12-day program designed to deepen U.S. faculty understanding of Cambodia through direct engagement with local scholars, institutions, and cultural sites. Based primarily in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the seminar combines expert-led discussions, site visits, and field-based learning to explore key themes including Cambodian history, civil society, and cultural heritage. Participants will engage in seminars at the CKS offices, visit institutions such as the Royal University of Phnom Penh, and examine contemporary issues shaping Cambodian society. The program also provides critical historical context through visits to major cultural and historical sites, including the National Museum, Royal Palace, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, and the Killing Fields. In Siem Reap, participants will explore Angkorian history and contemporary preservation challenges through guided visits to Angkor Wat and related sites, as well as discussions on conservation and sustainable development. Throughout the seminar, faculty will collaborate with peers and Cambodian experts to reflect on how these experiences can be translated into curriculum development, fostering greater integration of Southeast Asian perspectives into U.S. higher education.
Overseas Faculty Development Seminar participants at Koh Ker, Cambodia in 2024
Course Objectives
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Participants will identify key models and strategies of international education, including COIL programs, institutional partnerships, and student mobility, through online modules and expert-led sessions.
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Participants will synthesize global education best practices and apply them to the design of a campus-based internationalization project tailored to their institutional context.
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Participants will analyze the relationship between global education and workforce readiness, drawing connections between theory and real-world applications.
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Participants will assess the strengths and challenges of their own institution’s international engagement strategies, using case studies, peer collaboration, and self-reflection.
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Participants will develop a comprehensive project plan that integrates international perspectives into curriculum, student experiences, or institutional partnerships, guided by faculty mentors.
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Participants will present and defend their internationalization project to peers and mentors during the Overseas Faculty Development Seminar, incorporating feedback and self-evaluation.
Program Leaders
Jeff Badger is the Program Director at CAORC where he leads the development and administration of fellowship and professional development programs that advance U.S. engagement with international research and scholarship. Working closely with CAORC’s global network of American Overseas Research Centers, he manages initiatives such as the Overseas Faculty Development Seminars that help U.S. educators internationalize curricula and strengthen global competencies.
Before joining CAORC, Jeff served as Professor and Chair of Fine Arts at Southern Maine Community College, where he worked from 2008 to 2023 and founded the Global Studies Center.
Dr. Jia-Yi Cheng-Levine is the Dean of International Affairs & Global Engagement at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California. Prior to that role, she was director of the international student program at COC and has been at COC for over 20 years. She came to COC from the University of Houston-Downtown as a Professor of English and has been a faculty member in the field for nearly 25 years. A native of Taiwan and an international student herself, Dr. Cheng-Levine earned her Doctor of Philosophy in English Language and Literature, with a special emphasis on Critical Theory, from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, after having earned her M.A. in English from the University of Georgia.
Dr. Tim Honadel is a life-long educator currently working at the College of the Canyons as Director of the International Services and Programs office. He has worked in dozens of countries spanning decades in his career. Dr. Tim has worked on environmental sustainability and compliance issues for private industry, state and local governments, and not-for-profit organizations. In his role at ISP, Dr. Tim’s primary focuses are logistics and coordination, as well as student and faculty mobility. He also spearheads agent partnerships for COC, managing a roster of over 200 agencies all over the world. He holds a doctorate in education from Aspen University.
Dr. Brent Riffel has taught History at College of the Canyons since 2008. He holds a doctorate in
modern American History, specializing in labor and race relations in the contemporary US. He is
currently faculty coordinator of COC’s Comprehensive Internationalization program . He was
co-coordinator of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning from 2015-2019 and has
recently taught as an adjunct faculty at John Cabot University in Rome. Prior to joining College
of the Canyons, he served as an editor and researcher at the University of Arkansas Office of
Education Policy. He has published articles in, among other publications, Southern Historian,
the African American National Biography, the Arkansas Historical Quarterly, the Ozark
Historical Quarterly, and in the recent collection, Arsnick: The Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee in Arkansas, 1962-1967.
Calendar and Fees
Applications Open: May 7, 2026
Application Deadline: November 30, 2026
Notifications: December 15, 2026
Participant Contract and Payments Due: Jan 29, 2027
Online Course Program Dates: March 1 to May 7, 2027
Overseas Faculty Development Seminar: June 10 to Jun 22, 2027
FLITE is a tuition-based program. If selected for the program, participants are required to pay a fee of $4,500 to CAORC. Funding may come from individuals, institutions, scholarships, or a combination. Tuition covers enrollment in the ten week FLITE online course and all course fees. Tuition also covers in-country costs associated with the 12-day Overseas Faculty Development Seminar, including single-room hotel lodging, activities and site visits, selected meals, and in-country transportation. The tuition fee does not cover international airfare to the seminar location. Specifics on cost will be shared with participants in a Program Agreement document prior to the FLITE program. Full payment is due by January 29, 2027.
Online Information Sessions
Join an informational webinar to learn more about the FLITE program. The session will outline the program’s objectives and structure, provide guidance on preparing a strong application, and include an open Q&A. The webinar will be led by representatives from the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, College of the Canyons, and the American Institute for Indonesian Studies.
