Paris Center Call for Proposals: Summer Courses

The Vice President for Global invites Rice University faculty to submit proposals for courses to be taught at the Rice Global Paris Center during Summer 2026. Courses may be new (pending the required approvals) or previously taught, but should include a clear and compelling rationale for why the course should take place in Paris.

Deadline to submit proposal: September 15, 2025

Submit your proposal using the Rice Global Course Submission Webform (requires Rice Google account login). Before you start the form, we recommend reviewing the Rice Global Paris Course Proposal — Application Preview & Preparation Guide

The Rice Global Paris Summer Program offers faculty a unique opportunity to bring their teaching to life in one of the world’s most dynamic cities — with full support from Rice Global. This is an exciting chance to offer students an international academic experience without placing additional administrative or logistical burdens on faculty.

Faculty Support through the Rice Global Paris Summer Program Includes:

• Comprehensive administrative and logistical support for all aspects of course implementation — from student recruitment and travel coordination to on-site logistics in Paris. Faculty can focus on teaching, while Rice Global handles the rest.
• Pre-departure preparation for students, including cultural orientation and travel planning.
• Standard student housing in Paris, arranged by Rice Global.
• Faculty compensation equivalent to a standard summer salary for a 3-credit course.
• Faculty travel support and individual housing accommodations in Paris for the duration of the course — includes round-trip flight stipend and comfortable, market-standard lodging for one person. While accommodations are designed for solo occupancy, limited adjustments may be possible depending on individual circumstances.

Department Benefits:

• Increased access to global learning for Rice undergraduates — especially those in academically demanding majors who might not otherwise participate in semester-long study abroad programs.
• Visibility and engagement for your department, as these courses can draw students who may be exploring options for majors or minors.
• A strategic recruitment tool — faculty can advertise their participation in the program and help position their department as globally engaged and innovative.
• Access to new learning environments and academic resources.

By removing the typical barriers to faculty-led study abroad and providing full institutional support, the Rice Global Paris Summer Program enables faculty to deliver high-impact, globally focused courses — and to inspire students through immersive learning in an extraordinary setting.

Faculty Please Note:

• Rice Paris Summer courses, like all summer courses, do not count toward your academic year teaching load.
• All proposals must be for summer courses only, as this call is specific to the Rice Global Paris Summer Program.
• Travel outside of Paris may be possible; however, any excursions must be confined to day trips only. Overnight trips are not permitted due to logistical, budgetary, and staffing constraints.
• If you are interested in exploring other opportunities (such as using the center and/or student housing for your own student programs, or other possible student programming), please contact us directly at pariscenter@rice.edu to discuss options.

Please keep the following in mind when submitting your proposal:

Instructor Limit:

• Only one instructor may be funded per course.
• If you would like to include a second instructor, please note that Rice Global Paris cannot provide support for an additional instructor, and they would need to find funding from other sources.
• You will have the opportunity to include information about a second (self-funded) instructor at the end of the proposal form.

Credit Requirement:

• All proposed courses must be for 3 credit hours.
• We are unable to fund courses that are fewer or more than 3 credits.

Approval Requirement:

• You will need to obtain approval from your Department Chair for your proposal.
• If you are a department chair submitting a proposal, please obtain approval from your dean.

Repeat Instructor Applicants/Courses:

In order to provide equitable opportunities for all faculty, instructors may teach in the Rice Global Paris program for a maximum of two consecutive summers. After teaching for two years in a row, instructors are asked to take at least one year off before submitting another proposal.

Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis. If selected for a third consecutive summer, the course would need to be scheduled during one of our less in-demand sessions (i.e., sessions that are typically harder to fill). This helps us balance faculty participation and distribute teaching opportunities more broadly.

If this applies to you, you are still welcome to submit a proposal below — just please be aware of this policy when doing so.

Proposals should be for a 3-week-long short course during one of our four summer 2026 sessions.

Session dates:

Session 1 Monday, May 18 - Friday, June 5, 2026
Session 2 Tuesday, June 9 - Monday, June 29, 2026
Session 3 Friday, July 3 - Thursday, July 23, 2026
Session 4 Monday, July 27 - Friday, August 14, 2026

Submit your proposal using the Rice Global Course Submission Webform. You must log in with your Rice Google account to access and complete the form.

Important:

Google Forms automatically saves your progress when you're logged in. This autosave feature stores your responses as a draft for up to 30 days, allowing you to return and complete the form without losing your work.

What You’ll Need Before Submitting

Before you start the form, we recommend reviewing the Rice Global Paris Course Proposal — Application Preview & Preparation Guide

This will help you prepare your responses and gather your required materials.

You will need to upload the following documents:

For Previously Taught Courses

• Your most recent syllabus
  

For New Courses

• A draft syllabus
  
• A completed Draft Course Schedule Template (3-week format)

About the Course Schedule Template

Your draft schedule should reflect a clear, day-by-day structure of your proposed course. Include classroom time, excursions, and any independent or group work. We are looking for a linear and intentional plan that clearly supports your course goals and takes advantage of being in Paris.

We understand this is a draft, and that your schedule may evolve. However, submitting a clear plan helps us evaluate logistics, budget needs, and alignment with the program.

About the Approval Requirement

Your department chair must email their approval directly to pariscenter@rice.edu
no later than September 15, 2025 (the application deadline). Please be sure that they include your name and course name in the approval.

If you are a department chair submitting a proposal, please obtain approval from your dean.

Please make sure they send this on time — your proposal will not be considered without it.

• These courses are intended for current Rice undergraduate students.
  

• We are looking for courses that use Paris as a key part of the course experience. This could include:
  

  • Collaborations with Paris-based institutions
  • Guest speakers from Paris or Europe
  • Relevant site visits in the city
  • Any other meaningful integration of the Paris setting into your course content
    

• Courses must enroll a minimum of 12 students to run. While most courses typically enroll between 12 to 15 students, instructors should be prepared to accommodate up to 20 students if needed.

  To help ensure your course reaches the minimum enrollment, it is important that instructors actively support outreach and promotion efforts. This may include sharing the opportunity with students, collaborating on targeted messaging, or participating in info sessions coordinated by Rice Global.
  

• Please balance classroom instruction with excursions, field visits, or other experiential learning when designing your course.
  [Click here to review the Registrar’s guidelines on contact hours.]
  

• Courses that fulfill a distribution requirement are more attractive to students.
  

  • For new courses, consider whether the course can be proposed as a distribution requirement. Note: Your department may have earlier deadlines for these requirements. Please consult your department coordinator.
    
  • For existing courses, check whether it can be reclassified with a distribution requirement.
    Note: Your department may have earlier deadlines for these changes. Please consult your department coordinator.
    
    

• New courses can be submitted as pilot courses, but they are still subject to standard department and school approvals.
  Click here for more information on that process and consult your department coordinator.

• Proposal Deadline: September 15, 2025
  
• Decision communicated: Late September - early October 2025
  
• Student Application Launch: Fall 2025 (with support from Rice Global staff)
• Faculty-Rice Global Paris kick-off meeting: late October/early November 2025
• Faculty-Rice Global Paris planning meeting(s): Spring 2026 - depending on session date
  

Rice Global Paris staff is available to discuss:

• Proposal components
• Paris-based learning opportunities
• Course design ideas
• How to plan excursions or site visits
• Any other questions you may have

Visit our overview page to find a list of FAQs.

Would you like to speak to faculty who have previously taught a course in Paris? Let us know!

Email ParisCenter@rice.eduwith any questions or to schedule a time to talk.