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Criteria for Establishing New Student Exchange Agreements

There are few better ways to contribute to the globalization of the university community than through the establishment and support of international student mobility programs. Through sustained cultural immersion and exposure to diverse academic experiences, students greatly expand their worldview, perspectives and personal development. Student exchange programs are a vital component in a broad array of study abroadopportunities for Montclair students.

Traditional exchanges involve a balance of students coming and going and do not involve the exchange of tuition payments. These types of exchanges are supported and administered by GEC. Student mobilityagreements with overseas institutions that involve tuition and/or other program payment and/or do not anticipate students flowing to and from Montclair State in balance will be developed by GEC in cooperation with academic departments. All student mobility agreements must be approved by the Provost and signed by the President.

Typically, one or more faculty are involved at the start-up phase to explore and then initiate a student exchange agreement that aims to result in a flow of students to and from the partner institutions.

The process to complete an exchange agreement has two parts:

1. Consider the questions below under “Essential Considerations…”

2. Complete all of the tasks in the “New Exchange Program Checklist: Required”

Essential Considerations Before Establishing an Exchange Agreement

All Montclair State university-wide and departmental/school exchange programs are administered through the GEC in partnership with faculty and deans. GEC has witnessed successful exchanges flourish and other exchange agreements that wither due to lack of good planning, commitment, or foresight. Therefore, departments and faculty should carefully consider the following prior to seeking to establish an exchange agreement.

Montclair State student interest. Will Montclair students be interested in the exchange? It is essential to keep a balance between the numbers of students coming and going on an exchange. Generally there has been little problem getting international students to come to Montclair State, however, the range of places Montclair students choose to study abroad is limited. Consult with GEC regarding popular study abroad locations, and be mindful of language constraints and student objectives.

Curricular “fit.” Is there curricular support for the exchange? Will Montclair students be able to find courses that fit into their major and advance them toward their degree? Will incoming students be able to get the courses they want at Montclair? Does an opportunity exist to approve course substitutions for major, minor or Gen Ed requirements?

Faculty “buy in.”Is there faculty/departmental interest in supporting the exchange? Students require faculty support to go abroad. Ample faculty support is necessary to carry the exchange agreement through the entire process including the ongoing encouragement of students to participate in the exchange.

Competitiveness/Redundancy. Are there already established exchanges or study abroad options in the same country or region? Are similar courses offered? If yes, it may impact the number of Montclair participants.

Depth of the institutional partnership. Are there ties between Montclair and the partner institution beyond undergraduate exchange? Extended relationships with multiple levels of cooperation can help to support the relevance and success of the exchange in the long-run.

Student services/Policies. What sort of support services does the foreign institution offer students? Do they provide orientation, academic advising, and medical and psychological services? Are the foreign institution’s policies compatible with Montclair’s policies? Do they provide or arrange housing for exchange students?

Emergency preparedness. Is there comprehensive emergency planning at the partner institution related to national disasters, political instability, pandemic planning, etc.? What mechanisms exist at the host institution for assisting students in time of emergency, and for communicating with Montclair contacts and parents?

Academic calendar compatibility. What is the academic calendar of the foreign institution? Does it offer the possibility for exchanging students without semesters overlapping?

Language of instruction. What is the language of instruction? Do enough Montclair students study the language of instruction at the foreign institution to make the exchange viable? Or, does the foreign instruction offer a sufficient array of courses instructed in English?GEC or Department of Modern Languages can help address this question.

Exchange balance. It is common that more students are interested in coming to study at Montclair State on exchange than Montclair students are interested in going on exchange. How will the department promote the exchange? Will the partner institution and/or Montclair department provide incentives such as scholarships, subsidies or flexible course approvals? The exchange must be dynamic and remained balanced over time to be successful.