Ä¢¹½´«Ã½

Policy Statement

The Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ supports the creation and development of student programs abroad and aims to encourage and enable students, faculty, and staff to participate in international experiences. These opportunities are designed to offer valuable experiences for participants to further their academic objectives and enrich their overall experience at URochester.

Reason for Policy

Student experiences abroad vary widely in style, size, and complexity. This policy serves to standardize the development of programs and ensure compliance with all appropriate rules and regulations. Adherence to this policy and the accompanying rules and regulations will enable the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ to ensure that experiences abroad meet education, health, and safety standards, meet internal and external reporting requirements, and comply with applicable Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ policies.

Scope

This policy applies to all Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, schools, units/departments, and affiliated institutions developing or creating an international program(s) involving Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ students. This policy includes, but is not limited to: enrollment in courses, experiential learning, internships, service learning, and other learning activities, which occur outside of the U.S^[1].

Examples include but are not limited to:

• A faculty or staff member leading or organizing a program with a URochester student or group of students outside of the U.S. may include research, service learning, experiential learning, internships, or non-credit.
• A faculty or staff member accompanying students on a research program abroad funded by a national grant (e.g. NSF grant).
• A faculty or staff member coordinating an international exchange where students take electives at a partner or host university.
• A faculty or staff member creating a course with a component—or part of a component—that is conducted outside of the U.S. (e.g. spring break component of a course taught outside the U.S.).
• A faculty or staff member looking to create a new partnership with a university, college, or non-profit educational organization outside of the U.S.
• A coach organizing or leading a global trip abroad for a competition and/or cultural excursion.
• A student leader organizing an experience outside of the United States as part of their organization, club, or extra-curricular group.

This policy does not apply to programs that are developed, created, or otherwise administered by non-Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ third party organizations.

Program Approval

All Ä¢¹½´«Ã½-supported student programs abroad must be vetted and approved by the appropriate department, Center for Education Abroad (CEA), and dean of school. Programs to high-risk destinations, or programs that involve activities determined to be high-risk, will be subject to additional review by the International Travel Review Committee.

Program Agreements

All faculty or staff are required to consult with the Center for Education Abroad (CEA) prior to the development of any travel arrangements or formal agreements (such as Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) or contracts), which involve taking students abroad in any capacity. All agreements for international activities must comport with the University’s Signature Authority Policy.

Training

All trip leaders and program participants are required to complete all relevant pre-departure training. This may include, but is not limited to:

• An in-person health and safety orientation session;
• The completion of designated training modules in MyPath; and
• Formal acknowledgment—via signature or digital sign-off— that faculty expectations, as determined by CEA have been read and understood​.

Program Guests

Guests such as spouses or other family members may, in limited circumstances, be permitted to accompany a faculty or staff member on a URochester-supported program and must be approved during program development. Guests shall have no formal roles or responsibilities regarding the operations of the program, and interaction with the program participants should be limited to pre-approved activities.

Relevant Standards and Policies

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½-supported student programs abroad must comply with all applicable Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ policies and procedures related to international programs or travel, including the International Travel Policy^[2].  This policy has been developed within the framework of the standards of industry practice.

[1] Per International Travel Policy, “international travel is defined as travel undertaken outside of the 50 United States. U.S. territories are considered international.

[2] International Travel Policy lists additional important references, such as relevant Human Resources policies.