UTSA Faculty-Led

Study Abroad Program

Procedures and Approvals

The following procedures are for study abroad programs conducted outside of the United States by UTSA faculty and for UTSA students. To begin the processing of your proposal, please send the completed (Parts I-IV) and signed proposal to the Director, Office of International Programs (OIP), MB 1.210.

Your proposal will be forwarded to the UTSA International Advisory Council (IAC). The IAC will review the proposal and develop comments and recommendations before forwarding it to the Executive Vice Provost (UTSA Senior International Officer) for final review and approval. If necessary, requests for exceptions to these requirements must be sent through the Dean (or Vice President) to the UTSA Executive Vice Provost for review and University approval.

UTSA faculty who propose to lead a study abroad program for UTSA must work with their college, dean, and department chair to ensure:

·  the academic rigor of the program fits college standards

·  the pedagogy of the program is appropriate to the field and to international study

·  financial obligations will be met

·  students are informed and engaged academically

·  first time study abroad faculty leaders attend a mandatory UTSA risk management workshop

Additionally, the college and faculty member need to inform the Executive Vice Provost (and Senior International Officer) via this proposal that:

·  the faculty leader is prepared for the responsibility of leading students in an international context

·  faculty and students are well informed of the risks and responsibilities of international study

·  the program is designed with the adequate supervision, logistical infrastructure, and risk management planning to promote student safety while abroad

There are five parts to this form and the first four parts (Parts I-IV) must be completed, appropriately signed, and submitted together in order to achieve program approval. Parts I, II and III must be signed prior to forwarding the proposal to the OIP.

·  Part I: program summary

·  Part II: faculty agreement form – reviewed and signed by the faculty leader

·  Part III: college approval form – reviewed and signed by department chair and dean

·  Part IV: Office of the Provost approval form – reviewed by the IAC, and then approved and signed by the Executive Vice Provost (and Senior International Officer)

·  Part V: Renewal Form

IMPORTANT: Timeline

·  please submit this proposal packet to the Office of International Programs by December 1st for programs to be held the next mini-mester, summer session, or fall semester

·  please submit this proposal packet to the Office of International Programs by April 1st for programs to be held the next spring semester

·  faculty will receive a reply within five weeks

·  in certain cases, a late proposal package may be accepted by the Office of the Provost, although the reply may be delayed

·  once a UTSA study abroad program has been approved, it does not need to repeat the entire approval procedures. However, the completion and submission of parts II and V of this packet is required each time a repeat program is offered.

Recommendations

·  If you are new to this type of program, experienced UTSA faculty are available to work with you to develop a successful program. The OIP also has helpful resources for international program development.

·  faculty

o  two adult leaders should accompany all groups so that there is a backup if anything prevents the faculty leader from leading

o  both male and female leaders are strongly encouraged for mixed-gender student groups

o  20:1 student-leader ratio for graduate students, 10:1 for undergraduate students

o  first-time faculty leaders should seek mentoring/advice from experienced faculty leaders

o  establish guidelines for non-UTSA participants (e.g. spouses, colleagues) that may be associated with their programs

·  student preparation

o  students should have completed basic coursework in the field of study of the program being offered

o  student conduct expectations and consequences for misbehavior should be clearly explained prior to departure, preferably in writing

o  students are required to attend a pre-departure orientation with the OIP and must submit the required paperwork prior to participation

·  logistics

o  although the UT system does not require it, federally sponsored and funded programs usually require the use of U.S. air carriers when available. Check your own sponsor’s rules

o  rules about housing, hotels, dorms and home stays should be clearly explained in written format to students prior to departure

o  comply with all UTSA policies and procedures for student drivers (http://www.utsa.edu/hop/chapter5/5-18.cfm_)

o  The use of third-party providers for services/deliverables (including transportation) in the foreign country may require the accomplishment of an approved UT System/UTSA contract or agreement. Contact the UTSA Office of Purchasing and Distribution Services to determine if a contract or agreement is needed.


Part I: Program Summary

Faculty Leader / Title
College / Department
Campus Phone / Email Address
Title of Program / Semester offered
Program Location and dates
(country and cities):

Please provide a written description of the program to provide context for the review process. This should include:

·  brief program description

·  rationale as to why program must be offered in this international location

Part II: Faculty Agreement

The following are UTSA requirements for faculty-led study abroad programs. Please be sure you understand and comply with all requirements.

UTSA student eligibility requirements

·  undergraduate students need a 2.5 cumulative GPA and minimum sophomore status at time of departure

·  graduate students need a 3.0 GPA and six UTSA credits completed

·  all participating students must attend a pre-departure orientation offered by the Office of International Programs (OIP)

·  the OIP will notify the faculty member if students are not approved to participate, e.g. if they do not meet academic requirements and/or fail to attend pre-departure orientation or submit required forms

Faculty

·  faculty leaders must be a member of the UTSA faculty and a UTSA college

·  faculty leaders will submit to the OIP the names and Banner ID numbers for students accepted to participate in the program by March 15th for Summer or Fall Semester programs or October 1st for Spring Semester programs

·  all first-time study abroad faculty leaders must attend University Study Abroad - Risk Management training prior to taking students abroad

Scheduling

·  all programs must be conducted entirely within the dates of a single UTSA semester, either Spring, Fall, Mini-Mester, Summer I, Summer II or 10-week Summer Semester

·  proposal forms should be submitted by the published deadlines of December 1 and April 1

Logistics

·  Programs may only be offered in countries in which the United States has official relations, and for which no Department of State travel warning has been issued

·  ground transportation providers must be licensed, insured, and in compliance with UTSA student travel policies: http://www.utsa.edu/students/travel/files/faqs.pdf

·  all student drivers must comply with published UTSA policies and meet all established requirements prior to departure

·  students need to be housed in buildings and neighborhoods that are safe – hotels, dormitories or other professional housing

·  The use of third-party providers for services/deliverables (including transportation) in the foreign country may require the accomplishment of an approved UT System/UTSA contract or agreement. Contact the UTSA Office of Purchasing and Distribution Services to determine if a contract or agreement is needed.

Academics

·  Programs must meet the criteria of the college in which they are offered

I understand and agree to comply with the UTSA requirements while conducting UTSA Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs.

Signature / Date


Part III: Department/College Approval

Faculty-led Study Abroad Programs need to be sponsored and supported by their respective colleges. As with traditional academic programs, the college is responsible for study abroad program academic standards, financial commitments, administrative coordination, and student advising. Additionally, the colleges are responsible for student residential and conduct issues while their faculty members are traveling with the program. Each college should consider their own strategies, resources, and priorities when planning faculty-led study abroad programs. They should prepare and apply their own internal procedures for preparing and presenting international study proposals.

Some considerations at the college level include:

·  benefits to college and students and how the program fits with degree and career preparation

·  learning objectives and why international study is useful to reach these objectives

·  syllabi that meets UTSA and SACS criteria (both undergraduate and graduate). SACS requires a separate syllabus with more rigorous grading and advanced assignments for graduate students

·  new course or existing course number

·  credit hours given and work required to earn those hours, including assessment

·  admission requirements and prerequisites (including language skills)

·  student advising appropriate to international study decisions

·  participating students must meet UTSA eligibility requirements for participation in any faculty-led study abroad program

·  marketing the program to students, recruiting students, and student refund/cancellation policies

·  financial costs for program (fixed and variable) and how students and college will share/divide those expenses, how faculty leaders will be funded and/or compensated

·  student funding and how much students will be charged. Note that in order for students to receive summer financial aid, undergraduate students must take six credits over the summer.

·  UTSA has limited competitive scholarship funding available for student study abroad, administered through the OIP. The scholarship deadlines are fixed, and not flexible. Because of this, it is important the participating students know their total program cost at a date well in advance of their travel.

·  collaboration with other colleges that have similar learning objectives could reduce burden of expenses, and faculty costs

·  qualifications of the lead faculty in the academic area, host country skills and possible student life/student conduct issues

·  partnership relationships with non-UTSA program providers, financial obligations and third party qualifications to lead/run such programs

·  program assessment through student evaluations, or other measures and metrics to indicate a “successful” program

·  policy regarding how student from other institutions will be able (or will not be able) to participate

I have evaluated the proposed faculty-led study abroad program on behalf of the college. Our department/college will commit the necessary administrative, financial and academic resources to support it.

Approval of Department Chair

Name / Signature
Department / Date

Approval of College/School Dean

Name / Signature
College/School / Date


Part IV: Office of the Provost Approval

At UTSA, our students’ safety abroad is always a top priority. The avoidance of any possible conflict of interest is another important priority. In addition to confirming the support of the college, the Office of the Provost requires the following information in order to determine that UTSA can support the faculty and students participating in this program.

Please provide verifiable statements to demonstrate each of the following:

1.  Program logistics and safety considerations:

·  Please provide a program itinerary

·  What are the safety concerns in the host country (including any travel warnings or current events of concern) and how they are being addressed?

·  Please identify all types of in-country transportation being used

·  Please describe the details of all housing arrangements being provided to the students

·  Please describe the types of academic and cultural activities the students will be engaged in and how any safety issues might impact these planned activities.

·  What are the local emergency contacts and public procedures?

·  Please provide details on the location of the nearest medical facilities and hospitals

·  Please provide contact information and recommended methods of communication for UTSA to use to contact you if an important message or communiqué needs to be sent

2.  Location-specific skills:

·  What is your background in the host country?

·  Are you working with a partner who has local skills? Please describe the partner’s qualifications and terms of the partnership agreement

3.  Experience and judgment for supervising students in daily living and situations abroad:

·  Please describe your experience working with students in non-classroom settings

·  Please describe any group travel in which you have participated

4.  No conflict of interest exists between UTSA employees, service providers, or other persons and entities:

·  Please identify any non-UTSA persons traveling or participating in the program

·  Please identify any costs being paid by the program for any non-faculty or non-UTSA participants

·  Please identify any facilities, organizations or sites being used abroad and how the facility owners will be paid, and identify any third-party contracts required by UT System or UTSA.

Reviewed and Approved by the Executive Vice Provost (and Senior International Officer):

Signature______Date ______

Submission Checklist:

¨  Part I: Cover sheet with Narrative description

¨  Part II: Signed Faculty Agreement Form

¨  Part III: Signed College Support Form

¨  Part IV: Provost’s Office Form

Renewal Checklist:

¨  Part II: Signed Faculty Agreement Form (current semester)

¨  Part V: Renewal Form

Part V: Renewal Form

Faculty Leader______Program location______

Title of program______Semester offered______

Once a UTSA international program has been approved, it does not need to repeat the approval procedures. Only Parts I and V are required to be completed each time a program is offered. This informs the University of all of the programs being offered and reconfirms the faculty is aware of current University requirements.

Please describe any substantive changes from the original faculty-led study abroad proposal that may affect safety, location, housing, academic rigor, student life or financial commitments:

Approval of Department Chair

Name / Signature
Department / Date

Approval of College/School Dean

Name / Signature
College/School / Date

Reviewed and Approved by Executive Vice Provost (and Senior International Officer):

______Date ______

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