Semester at Sea selected Colorado State University to negotiate a new partnership. The new partnership would begin after their previous partnership with the University of Virginia, which ends in 2016.

Mary Stromberger, chair of the Faculty Council, sent an email to faculty Dec. 19 explaining the possible partnership.

In the email, Stromberger said universities that partner with Semester at Sea create the curriculum and approve the faculty that travel with the students.

Semester at Sea is an abroad program where students spend about 100 days on a cruise either across the Atlantic or Pacific oceans and visit eight to 11 countries. While on the ship, students take 12 credits which are taught by faculty aboard the ship and special guests, according to Stromberger’s email.

The email also said CSU faculty met with members of Semester at Sea’s Board of Trustees in August, and after visiting many other universities this fall, have begun negotiations with CSU.

Stromberger said this partnership would offer faculty opportunities to “teach abroad, lead students on field excursions and globalize our courses.”

Director of Education Abroad at CSU, Laura Thornes, said this partnership would be great for CSU and its students.

“The CSU Office of International Programs is very excited about the possibility of partnering with Semester at Sea,” Thornes said. “CSU faculty, staff and students seem quite interested in working with such a well-known organization.”

Senior English education student Kendall Umepsu participated in Semester at Sea in spring 2013 and said she hopes the partnership promotes the program at CSU and provides more scholarship opportunities to CSU students.

“It was the most educational experience of my life, but not in the sense of what you learn in the classroom,” Umepsu said. “I learned more about myself, the world and everything else that semester than I have my whole four years at CSU.”

Many of the details of the negotiations and the potential deal are currently confidential, according to Stromberger. More details will be available in the coming weeks.

Collegian Reporter Sady Swanson can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan.