446 ■ III: ROLE FUNCTIONS OF DOCTORAL ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE
typical undergraduate, and some even had children in college (the mean age of the first
class was 43 years). Yet, it was calculated that an affordable program could be created;
however, the concern was that if the activity were optional, it likely would not have a
full participation. Thus, the goals of making the DrNP program more innovative with
an emphasis on global learning would not be complete. Further, the department chair
did not see administratively how the DrNP program could be operated effectively with
some students going abroad and others not. As this program was conceived after the
first class matriculated in September 2005, the 11 enrolled students were approached in
January 2006 about their willingness to participate. The program proposal would only
move forward if all 11 students agreed to participate. Initially, only 10 of 11 students
were willing, but with some coaxing the one recalcitrant student agreed. Thus began
what turned into a full year of planning in order to get the graduate study- abroad pro-
gram designed, approved, funded, and then scheduled.
HOW IS THE PROGRAM FUNDED?
The germination of this idea came at an opportune time for the DrNP program. The
Drexel annual budget planning process for the following academic year usually begins
each February and this allowed strategic time to create and submit a proposal to the
associate dean for Doctoral Education and Research, to the college dean, and to the uni-
versity provost using the standard budget procedures. There were two strategies taken
that were critical for the rapid and ultimate approval in the first cycle submission. First,
this new graduate study- abroad program closely matched the evolving mission of the
university to enhance its international image and reputation; one way was by increas-
ing study- abroad offerings to students. This program’s particular emphasis on graduate
students, specifically doctoral students, was deemed highly innovative in the approval
process. Second , the department chair proposed of using a creative financing procedure
that would make the offering more palatable to prospective students, who might initial-
ly think they could never afford to attend both a 3- year doctoral nursing program and
participate in a 14- day study- abroad program which would certainly require them to
take time off from work. The faculty believed the idea of a mandatory study program
would be attractive to students who were looking for a distinctive DrNP doctoral pro-
gram, but in the end, the idea had to become “real” to the prospective student. Since
funding the doctoral study- abroad program involved funding both student and faculty
travel, each will be discussed separately.
Funding Doctoral Students Studying Abroad
To make the program both attractive and “doable” for prospective students, the de-
cision was made to take the full cost of the program (airfare, housing, events, health
insurance, and administrative costs) and to divide the total cost of the program to each
individual student into a DrNP international study fee paid in eight separate quarterly
payments. Because Drexel is on quarters, this allowed the first- year students to make
a payment of some $450 over four quarters in year 1 and 2, and thus attend the study-
abroad program in their seventh quarter (spring quarter) in year 2. On their return, they
did make one final payment in the summer quarter.^2 If the students are on financial aid
(and many of them are), their international study fee is considered part of their financial
aid package as the program is mandatory. This is a very critical point. If it were optional,
financial aid would not cover it. This procedure had been followed for years, and has