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Policies & Procedures: Faculty leading Students Abroad

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Admissions Policy

1. Prior to enrollment in any study abroad program, the student must be in good academic standing, defined as having a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of no less than 2.00. No student who is on academic or disciplinary probation will be allowed to study abroad on any program through EIU. Faculty-led program leaders may and are encouraged to establish additional criteria and procedures for admission (i.e. interview, recommendation letters, etc.) and to communicate this clearly in all program-related publicity (e.g., brochures, flyers, program website, and information meetings). For other types of study abroad programs, the Office of Study Abroad sets eligibility requirements, in collaboration with its international partners.

2. All students applying to a Faculty-led Program are required to submit standard application materials to the School of Continuing Education on or before the published deadline. The faculty director will receive a copy of the application materials and is responsible for making preliminary admissions decisions and informing the students. In cases of judicial or criminal violations, or disciplinary probation, consult with the Office of Study Abroad before making an admissions decision. Faculty directors make admissions decisions in writing to the School of Continuing Education based on their established eligibility criteria and procedures. Any rejections must be legitimate, explained in writing, and will accompany a student's file.

3. For Customized Study Abroad Programs (where faculty lead students abroad, but do not teach), standard application materials should be submitted to the Office of Study Abroad. The faculty leader does not typically have a role in making admissions decisions.

4. All students are required to attend a free Travel Consultation with Health Services. All students who have received mental health treatment/counseling of any kind must also attend a free Mental Health Consultation with the EIU Counseling Center. Students who do not attend EIU or do not live in the area may request phone consultations.

5. The Office of Study Abroad will submit the names of the program applicants to Judicial Affairs to determine if each student is in good conduct standing with the University and/or has a disciplinary record. If any parts of a student's application are found to be dishonest, he/she may be dismissed from the program, and a report will be filed with Judicial Affairs.

Advertising/Marketing

• All contracts must be complete and prices finalized with the School of Continuing Education before any part of the University can begin advertising or marketing the program.
• Advertising must be truthful and emphasize both the benefits and detriments associated with the program.
• Advertising must not include any price or estimated price without approval from the School of Continuing Education. 

Behavior Problems

• Please review the section of the Faculty Director Handbook on behavior.
• In the event of a violation of the Conduct Code or the Statement of Responsibility, it is the faculty director's duty to respond. Depending on the severity of the violation(s), the responses may include an incident report/verbal warning, an incident report/written warning, and/or an incident report accompanied by a termination report.
• The following behaviors are among those that may result in immediate dismissal from a program: alcohol abuse; physical or sexual assault; harassment; possession, use or distribution of illegal drugs; setting a fire or possession of explosives; possession of a weapon, including BB guns and knives; and theft. Students who are dismissed incur all the expenses of returning home and do not receive any refund from EIU.

Cell/Satellite Phone

• Every faculty-led study abroad program must provide at least one cellular or satellite phone number to the Office of Study Abroad prior to departure or no later than one business day after arrival. Program leaders may choose from a variety of options to comply with this policy and will need to plan and budget in advance. Typically, a department will buy a phone for its ongoing programs; there are different cell requirements for different countries (e.g., SIM cards).

Compensation

• Eastern Illinois University faculty are compensated according to the guidelines established by the current University Professionals of Illinois agreement for study abroad course assignments. Students are compensated according to standard university policies for the employment of students.

Course Content/Sequence

• Content and sequence of course(s) and learning experiences must be designed for academic credit.
• Excursions and class activities should have academic relevance to the course and learning environment.

Course/Curriculum Approval

• The first stage of approval for all study abroad courses is standard approval through the appropriate University Councils. 
• Study abroad courses meet the same standards as other courses offered by the University and are subject to all of the standard policies and regulations.
• The Faculty-led Study Abroad curriculum is a specified set of courses (transplant or unique) selected for a specified term. Only those courses already approved by appropriate University Councils may be submitted for selection. 

Course Types

There are two course types that create the backbone of all faculty-led study abroad programs. Only one course type is recognized per program.

• Unique Study Abroad Course. This is an EIU course created specifically for the study abroad experience; the course content is not offered at the EIU campus and does not already have its own specific course identifier (i.e., course prefix and number). Student credit hours must comply with University credit policy. All participants must earn the same number of credit hours for completion of the course. Subject to approval of appropriate EIU departments, the course may be counted as a substitute for general education or other curricular requirements. To obtain approval from the appropriate EIU departments for course substitution, a Course Substitution Form must be completed and submitted with a Program Proposal, which is due at the end of March in the year prior to the program's implementation.

• EIU Course Transplanted Abroad. This course of instruction is already available on EIU's campus and can be offered in an international setting. The CAA/CGS-approved course content and requirements are the same off-campus as they are on-campus. No substitution credit is permitted. It must be clearly demonstrated how each course will be enhanced by the international environment and will be scheduled and taught individually, meeting the same number of classroom hours and study time as it would if it were being conducted on campus. Credits received per student must comply with the credit policy. This coure type requires a Program Proposal, and a course schedule, which is due at the end of March in the year prior to the program's implementation.

Credit Policy

 

• The unit of measure is the semester hour, which approximates the effort expended in 12.5 clock hours of “class time” and 25 clock hours of “study time.”
  • Class time is lecture, actual meetings where students are sitting down for class.
  • Study time is anything else that engages students with the learning objectives of the course.
• A faculty-led study abroad program must demonstrate 12.5 hours of class time/lecture for every credit earned. It is expected that 25 hours of study time will also be included for every credit.

• No more than 1.5 credits may be earned in one 7-day week.

• Transit/transporation time may not count for class time or lecture.

Director Qualifications

• The faculty director must have academic credibility and appropriate credentials for leading a travel-study course.
• The faculty director must have visited the host country and must be able to provide realistic information to students, unless the program is being administered by an approved host partner that is providing the orientation and other management logistics.

Emergencies

• All faculty leaders must turn in a Faculty Emergency Contact Form before departure, and a copy of of each leader's passport. This form should nclude at least one 24/7 cell or satellite phone number. Faculty leaders must also familiarize themselves with Emergency policies and procedures, as outlined in the Faculty Director Handbook.

Financial Reporting

• EIU requires complete financial reporting for all expenses incurred by the Program. If you are not familiar with reporting expenditures according to the University’s accounting procedures, then schedule an appointment with the Director of OAPD (School of Continuing Education) to review them. You are required to submit all receipts and documentation for expenses incurred within 10 days of your return.

Health Insurance

• Health insurance as provided through the payment of regular academic fees while attending EIU does not cover students while in transit or during the program while in a foreign country. Study abroad students are enrolled in HTH International health insurance and emergency assistance plan.

Health and Safety

• Faculty directors should report any health incidents using the Accident/Illness Report Form, which can be downloaded from the online Faculty Director Handbook.

Independent Study

• For Unique Study Abroad Courses
  • Subject to approval of appropriate EIU departments (on a Course Substitution Form), a Unique Study Abroad Course may substitute for a fixed-credit independent study.
  • Subject to regular independent study policies and procedures, a student may do an independent study after he/she returns and base it on the program (i.e., video production of the experience, extensive essay for publication, etc.).
• For EIU Courses Transplanted Abroad
  • Subject to approval of appropriate EIU departments, a student may engage in an independent study during or after a program identified by EIU Courses Transplanted Abroad. When combining all courses transplanted abroad, a student may not exceed 1.5 credits per week.

Liability Policies

• All students enrolled in any study abroad program must complete and sign University General Counsel reviewed and approved paperwork prior to departure.
• Program locations, facilities, and transportation must meet EIU standards of safety.
• Program must contain pre-departure and on-site orientations that include safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural, and religious conditions in the host country(ies), as well as group expectations and planning logistics.
• Professional training must be provided for all program-related "risky" activities that have been built into the course/program.
• Faculty Directors and any other leaders must not endorse, encourage, facilitate, or partcipate in any independent student activities that may involve a high degree of risk.

Mandatory Seminar

• All faculty directors and co-leaders are required to attend a Responsible Study Abroad Seminar prior to departing on their programs. New faculty leaders must attend the seminar before their first program; subsequently, they must attend every other year. This seminar includes important information about policies, procedures, protocols, health/safety considerations, behavior problems and legal issues relevant to those leading programs abroad.

Participation

• Students:  Only those students who are officially registered and whose names appear on the official class rosters available through the Director of OAPD may participate in the course by attending lectures, laboratories, or any related educational experiences (unless approval is obtained from the Office of Study Abroad---usually because of a disability).  Students may enroll for credit or audit, if approved by the professor, but both cost the same.
• Faculty:  Only EIU professors assigned to the courses may participate in course instruction.  Only those professors listed with the Director of OAPD may participate in course instruction as adjunct professors, or guest lecturers.
• Assistants:  Only those assistants listed by the official faculty members may participate.  Assistants may include, but are not limited to, student or faculty assistants, tour guides, docents, or other local assistants whose expertise is required to meet the goals of the course.  A list of such participants by name or title must be on file with the Director of OAPD.
• Family Members:  Only those family members who are officially listed with the Director of OAPD may accompany the assigned EIU professor(s) during the study abroad program.  Family participation is limited to the spouse and children of the faculty member or members.  Any other family members must register as students for the course.
• The University will not provide any financial or administrative support (housing, childcare, etc.) or assume any responsibility for accompanying non-participants (spouses, children, etc.). Faculty directors are responsible for obtaining health, evacuation, and repatriation insurance for any accompanying non-participants, and must not allow these individuals to interfere or disrupt the academic program.
• Unauthorized Participation: Faculty serving as resident directors of study abroad courses are responsible for insuring that students, professors, assistants, and family members meet the official enrollment guidelines.  Evidence of participation of unauthorized students, employees, family members, or other participants will be reviewed for appropriate resolution by the Director of Study Abroad.

Program Cancellation

• EIU reserves the right to discontinue any study abroad program at any time before or after departure, at its sole discretion. Among the reasons for discontinuation and cancellation are travel warnings and advisories from the US Department of State and insufficient enrollment. If a program does not reach minimum enrollment by the deadline, it may be cancelled.

Program Clearance

• Shortly after the application deadline, Faculty Directors are informed by the School of Continuing Education whether or not their respective programs enrolled a sufficient number of students to run. After a program has been cleared, Faculty Directors must notify the Office of Study Abroad immediately of any student's absence by the first day of activities or if a student drops or leaves the program for any reason.

Program Report

• Faculty Directors are required to submit a Program Report within 90 days of completion. Guidelines for writing this Report are available on the Study Abroad website.

Purchasing and Contracting

• All policies of fiscal management approved by Eastern Illinois University apply to study abroad courses. The Director of OAPD is the authorized fiscal agent for all faculty-led study abroad courses that operate on tuition recovery, and full authority for finalizing and administering all costs for the curriculum.

Registration & Billing

• The Director of OAPD handles registration and lists of participants approved for study abroad courses.  Students register for the courses through the School of Continuing Education.

Refund Policy (Students)

• If a student cancels participation in any faculty-led study abroad program, he/she must send a written, signed notice of cancellation to the Office of Study Abroad or fill out and submit the Drop Program Form, accessible from the Study Abroad website. If either of these acceptable forms of cancellation is received on or before the application deadline, the student will be charged only for a $50 processing fee. If either of these acceptable forms of cancellation is received after the application deadline, then the student will be charged for all fees normally charged by EIU in association with the program. EIU takes no part in or responsibility for refunds of anything that it does not charge. Before paying any entity outside of EIU, students are advised to read and comprehend its refund policy. EIU is not responsible for any services not directly provided by EIU.

Student Orientation

• Because facuty-led study abroad programs are intense group experiences, whereby success depends on good group dynamics and clear expectations, faculty directors are required to schedule at least one pre-departure orientation with their student participants. This orientation must provide students with information on safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural, and religious conditions in the host countries, as well as defined expectations and planning logistics. Faculty directors should also inform your students that they must attend a general pre-departure orientation organized by the Office of Study Abroad.
• In addition to the pre-departure orientation, faculty-led programs must have an on-site orientation, conducted during the first two days after arrival to acclimate students to the new surroundings. Information about navigation, housing, transportation, banking, ATM withdrawals, food and restaurants, pharmaceuticals, and other necessary information to daily living should be a part of the orientation. Areas to avoid and other general safety precautions should also be clearly identified. In addition, it is advised that there be frequent opportunities during the program for students to process and reflect on their intercultural experience.

Supervision of Students

• Faculty directors and other leaders must supervise and direct students in the academic and intercultural goals of the program. Among other things, they are also responsible for supervising and monitoring each student's conformance to University policies, standards of conduct, and local laws.
• Faculty should be familiar with the Conduct Code and the Statement of Responsibility for study abroad students. Since you will have both an academic and disciplinary role with students, you should outline your expectations and limits and communicate those to students during thee pre-departure and on-site orientations.

Travel Arrangements

• All travel arrangements must be initiated through consultation with the School of Continuing Education to ensure that they meet university policies. For programs that include airfare, faculty directors have two choices:

1. To make travel arrangements through an EIU-approved vendor.
2. To put travel arrangements out to bid through the Business Office. The Procurement Bulletin website available to the public is at http://www.procure.stateuniv.state.il.us/ and any travel agency can bid.

Tuition and Fees

• Each student in a faculty-led study abroad program will be registered and will pay full tuition, administrative and program fees regardless of whether that person is enrolled for credit or for audit. 

Students pay EIU In-State Tuition, a Program Fee, and Administrative Fees.

• Tuition: Covers the faculty directors' salaries
• Program Fee: Covers the faculty directors' expenses and all the student/program expenses.
• Admin Fees: Cover the services of the School of Continuing Education and the Office of Study Abroad.

Because faculty-led study abroad courses are offered through a tuition recovery model, no tuition waivers apply.  However, this model does not affect an individual student’s financial aid status.

Tuition Recovery

• Faculty-led Study Abroad Programs are offered through a tuition-recovery model.  Faculty salaries, travel, tours, lodging, meals, publicity, tuition and fees are assessed to recapture all of the costs of the program. The Director of OAPD develops the program budget and determines the minimum number of students required to recapture costs.  If a program does not enroll the required minimum number of students to recapture costs, it may be cancelled.
• Financial aid does not cover tuition and fees for tuition-recovery courses. Scholarships, waivers, and discounts also cannot be used to cover tuition and fees for these courses.

University Policy

• Faculty and students are required to comply with all University Regulations, Rules, and Policies in the same manner as if the program was being conducted on campus.

Withdrawal

• It is expected that Faculty will not withdraw from directing a program, except for an emergency. If it is impossible to serve as Faculty Director, immediately notify the School of Continuing Education and the Office of Study Abroad. Depending on the withdrawal date, the Program may be cancelled or a replacement obtained.