2 12 to 10 Months Prior to Group Departure: Program Approval

The President of Indiana University has authorized the Overseas Study Advisory Council to approve or disapprove all proposals for any type of study abroad or international activity organized for IU students, whether or not for credit. The major criteria applied in evaluating proposals for new programs are academic quality, cultural enrichment, student costs, impact on existing programs, administrative efficiency, financial solvency, and student health and safety. Proposals are usually prepared by one or more faculty members with assistance from Education Abroad, the campus international programs office, and their home department(s).In cases where the IU unit is making arrangements for research, short-term conference attendance, brief performances or visits, use a modified version of the proposal outline and guidelines available here.

Please note, if students are traveling abroad alone, based on a faculty or staff members’ recommendation or encouragement but without their direct involvement, no proposal is needed. Individual graduate student travelers are required to submit an international travel form for each university-affiliated international trip.

All proposals should follow the instructions below.

The Approval Process

Draft proposals for new programs are first submitted to Education Abroad for a preliminary review by an experienced staff, who can answer questions about program organization, budgets, credits and university regulations. They can help identify problems or ambiguities so that the proposal is clear and complete. IUI International Affairs and IUSB international programs offices also provide assistance for their campuses and require approval of proposal drafts.

Most proposals for new programs will be reviewed by the Overseas Study Advisory Council (OSAC), or a subcommittee thereof. Programs are approved with the proviso that the sponsor must adhere to the monitoring process in order to receive reauthorization for the program.

Program designs can vary significantly, and could include short-term, stand alone programs (during a summer term or a semester/winter break), semester-long courses with some component overseas (spring or fall break or after the end of term), long-term (semester or academic year) study abroad, or other models. Courses could be designed for limited audiences (a select group of pre-determined students) or open to students across schools or campuses; offered as non-credit or for credit. Funding is available to support a visit to the proposed program site to enhance the organizer’s knowledge of that location through Education Abroad Program Development Grants.

If the proposed program involves a bilateral exchange, please follow these IU Global instructions regarding the application process for partnership agreements before submitting a proposal for consideration by the Overseas Study Advisory Council. Demonstrating approval for the institutional partnership is a necessary component of your proposal.

Deadlines for Submission of Proposals

Proposals may be submitted to Education Abroad at any time. They should be submitted via the iAbroad portal; under Program Management, select “Start New Program Proposal”. (New users should use the Departmental Access Request Form to request access in advance of initiating a proposal.) Estimated time for completion of the review and approval process is a minimum of 60 days.

Advance planning is essential. The Overseas Study Advisory Council must approve all proposals before any recruiting, advertising, or scheduling for the proposed program begins. Organizers should recognize and consider the time required to obtain necessary course approvals, guarantees of financial support, and to make the necessary logistical arrangements both here and overseas.

Ideally, the planning process should begin 12 to 15 months in advance of an academic program’s projected start date. Non-credit international activities (conference attendance, research project, internship opportunity, music performance, etc.) should begin the proposal process as soon as the activity has been identified.

Supporting Letters

Proposals should be accompanied by two letters, addressed to the IU Associate Vice President for Education Abroad: one from the chairperson or division head, and one from the Dean (IUB and IUPUI) or Chancellor (other IU campuses) of the sponsoring faculty member. These letters should confirm:

1. that the proposed program has been approved by the faculty member’s academic unit and by the relevant college, school or campus;
2. that the proposal is considered a valuable academic program which will enhance their course offerings;
3. that the faculty member has demonstrated strong leadership, been a good role model and would be capable of responding to a crisis on site, with examples that would speak to these skills (see the IU Education Abroad Policy on Program Leadership Roles, Responsibilities and Eligibility); and
4. what the department’s financial contribution to the program will be, if any. (The salaries and reasonable travel-related expenses for accompanying faculty directors/instructors may be provided by the home department/school and/or included in the budget based on student fees, as per unit and campus policies and practices.)

If the program uses service-learning as a teaching strategy or engages students in volunteer experience, please provide a letter from the host community or host organization(s) which conveys their openness to your presence.

IU Proposal Outline

Follow detailed instructions below to prepare a proposal. Consult Education Abroad for assistance and guidance.

Continuing Program Authorization

After each program occurrence, the program sponsor must submit a written report (see guidelines for Education Abroad Post-Program Reports) and evaluations from all student participants to Education Abroad so that continuing program approval can be considered. For more information about OSAC’s program evaluation policy and continuing program authorization, please see the Education Abroad Program Evaluation Policy.

Resource Materials

Indiana University is a member of The Forum on Education Abroad and supports its Standards of Good Practice. Forum members developed these standards for the field so that there would be an agreed-upon set of best practices on all aspects of study abroad, including student selection, academics, policies and procedures, health and safety, ethics and integrity, etc. These can guide you as you develop your program.

The Forum on Education Abroad, of which IU was a founding member, is recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice as the Standards Development Organization for the field of study abroad. The Forum published Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad in 2004 which have since been revised. The Forum’s Committee on Standards recently created a short publication that applies the Standards specifically to faculty-led short-term programs.

IU Education Abroad aspires to adhere to the Forum’s Standards in its programming, from the design stage up through the various levels of program development and execution. For the full set of Standards and queries, see the Forum on Education Abroad Web site. Program leaders should review the resources on Leading Short-Term Education Abroad Programs prior to taking students abroad. Should you need additional information not available to you through this handbook or through in-person training, please contact us with your questions.

Indiana University has an institutional membership to the Forum on Education Abroad; all IU faculty/staff can have access to their resources. Please email the Education Abroad general office email address (edabroad@iu.edu) to added to the Forum membership list.

For additional information see, Indiana University Student International Travel Safety Policy Statement.

Meeting the requirements of and conforming to the general guidelines for proposals above, sponsors of proposed programs should provide as much of the following information as possible, but not every question will apply to every proposal so respond only to those which are applicable. Consult Education Abroad for assistance and guidance. Proposals and all supporting materials should be submitted  via the iAbroad portal; under Program Management, select “Start New Program Proposal”. (New users should use the Departmental Access Request Form to request access in advance of initiating a proposal.)

Download a Word version of the proposal outline and guidelines here.

Download a Word version of a modified version of the proposal outline and guidelines for use for Student Attendance at Meeting or Conference abroad or for Field Research here.

Basic Description of the Program

1. Briefly describe the proposed program and its location. Provide a program mission statement.
2. At what academic institution abroad will the program take place, if any?
3. Sponsoring academic units at Indiana University
4. Co-sponsoring U.S. institutions or organizations, if any
5. Co-sponsoring host community organizations and program providers, if any
6. Dates of the program and frequency of repetition [Note: IU policy discourages program overlap with regular home campus classes that result in students missing classes.]
7. Estimated number of participants; minimum and maximum numbers that program can accommodate

Rationale

1. What is the educational rationale for conducting this program overseas?
2. Is there any conflict or overlap with existing IU programs overseas?
3. What evidence is there of IU student demand/need for this program?
4. Explain how the site was chosen and evaluated.

Eligibility

1. Academic requirements (minimum GPA, prerequisites, class standing, language level) [Note: IU policy prohibits participation of students on academic or disciplinary probation]
2. Open to students from all IU schools and/or campuses? Students outside IU? [Note: It is not common to open IU programs to outside students due to the complex logistical issues.]

Orientation Programming

1. Describe the pre-departure orientation (how many sessions; who will conduct them; content)
2. Describe the on-site orientation (who will conduct it; content). Distinguish between academic preparation sessions and those that focus on logistics.

Educational Program Abroad

[Note: Proposals for non-credit programs need only respond to item E.9]

1. Briefly describe the overall instructional program
2. How many credits will each participant be required to take?
3. Indicate whether students will be enrolled in:
   1. Courses taught by an accompanying U.S. faculty member
      1. Provide syllabi for courses that will be taught and the IU equivalent course number for each.
      2. Provide CV and/or list of qualifications.
   2. Regular host university courses
      1. Provide description of university, range of courses offered, and illustrative courses descriptions.
   3. Special courses for international students taught by host country faculty
      1. Provide course descriptions for courses that will be taught and the IU equivalent course number for each.
      2. Provide CV’s and/or list of qualifications of instructors.
4. Which major, distribution or other requirements can be satisfied on the program?
5. Outline the instructional schedule and provide the classroom contact hours [Note: IU courses traditionally involve 12.5 hours in a classroom setting per 1 credit hour and incorporate lab hours at a 50% value. Therefore, pedagogical time outside of a classroom setting (museum tours, meetings with local authorities, etc.) should probably be factored in at a 2:1 ratio.] See some Additional Guidance Regarding Allocation of Time Abroad.
6. Describe classroom or other teaching facilities on site
7. Who will determine students’ grades and on what basis?
8. If student research is involved, provide documentation showing Human Subjects approval, as appropriate.
9. If the program uses service-learning as a teaching strategy, or engages students in volunteer experiences, follow the guidelines for Education Abroad Activities with Service Learning or Volunteer Experiences. Please provide a letter from the host community or host organization(s) which conveys their openness to your presence.
10. If non-credit, describe the program’s purpose and activities

Note: If any planned activities abroad include contact with children, see policies and procedures outlined in the Education Abroad Policy on IU Programs Involving Children.

Note: If any planned activities abroad include snorkeling or SCUBA diving, see IU Policy on Snorkeling and SCUBA Diving.

Student Learning and Development

1. Describe how the program will bring IU students into direct contact with the host culture in meaningful ways.
2. Indicate how the program incorporates the program site into its pedagogy.
3. How will the program link discipline-specific learning outcomes to the location of the program?
4. How will the program provide language development appropriate to the mission of the program?
5. How might you build in reflection exercises so that students become more aware of the cultural differences around them and how they are responding to them? (Research has shown that when program interventions take place – such as reflection assignments – students experience deeper learning. For examples, see the faculty toolkit from the University of Kentucky.)
6. Describe how the students’ international experiences will be integrated upon return to campus (re-entry activities, student publications, exhibits, etc.).

Support Services Abroad

• Will there be a U.S. faculty resident director on site? Please note that if the faculty or staff member does not have additional on-site staffing, he/she must attend to a wide range of student issues, including logistical, academic, personal, medical and emergency response. (Some program models provide for additional on-site support to handle these circumstances.) There will be resource materials and an annual workshop for those who have received approval to teach for or direct a program. It is recommended that all programs include two responsible individuals so that there is always someone on hand to deal with crisis matters. The second-in-command might be another faculty member, a staff member or an advanced graduate student. Is the IU faculty or staff member prepared for the Program Leadership Roles and Responsibilities associated with education abroad programs?
  
• If there will not be a U.S. faculty resident director, describe the office or individual overseas who will address students’ logistical, academic, personal, medical, and emergency concerns.

Health, Safety, and Security

Review the complete Country Specific Information Sheet(s) for your destination(s) at the website of the U.S. Department of State and the Health Information for Travelers of the Centers for Disease Control and respond to issues raised.

Note: Giving consideration to the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisories, except in special circumstances, Indiana University will not offer or support study abroad in countries given Level 4 Travel Advisories, countries given Level 3 Travel Advisories (unless exempted), nor any section of a country given a “do not travel” advisory under Level 1, 2, or 3. Requests for exemptions based on “special circumstances” are evaluated on a program-by-program basis through a process established by the Safety and Responsibility Committee of the system-wide Overseas Study Advisory Council (OSAC). The Committee has the authority to make the final decision on such requests from program organizers.

Note: Programs involving children must comply with all Indiana University requirements, as outlined in the policy established by the Safety and Responsibility Committee of the system-wide Overseas Study Advisory Council (OSAC).

What safety and security preparation will be provided by the group? What security measures will be taken on their behalf?

All programs must explicitly address health, safety, and security for their program, including how related situations would be handled if/when they arise.  This can be done by submitting the IU Education Abroad Health, Safety & Security Plan.  Plans are also filed with the head of the department administering the program so that these officials are aware of the details.  Programs sponsored by a regional campus will also submit this form to the assigned Education Abroad Campus Coordinator).

Supplementary Activities

Describe excursions or group activities and how they directly complement the academic program. It is important to disclose all planned activities in detail so that Education Abroad can review them. Unapproved activities may expose the program leader to personal liability.

IU will not authorize high risk activities.

Consider the risk factors associated with the supplementary activities you organize on behalf of IU. Make clear in program materials which activities are expected of the participants vs. those offered as recommendation for their free time. Although you may have little control over what students do on their own time, we expect program leaders to guide students if their choices put them at risk.

Offer students alternative options when/if they are uncomfortable or unable to meet the demands of supplementary activities. Do not organize or recommend activities if you are not familiar with the local vendors who are offering them.

Consider building in an activity with IU alumni abroad. Contact the IU Alumni Association intlalum@iu.edu for assistance.

Note: If any planned activities abroad include contact with children, see policies and procedures outlined in the Education Abroad Policy on IU Programs Involving Children.

Note: If any planned activities abroad include snorkeling or SCUBA diving, see IU Policy on Snorkeling and SCUBA Diving.

Student Housing Abroad

Program leaders have the responsibility for ensuring that student housing is located in safe neighborhoods abroad and that such housing complies with basic emergency, safety and security measures.  This includes ensuring that accommodations are equipped, for example, with smoke alarms, multiple avenues for egress, etc. should an emergency arise. Generally speaking, licensed facilities such as hotels, motels, and hostels must comply with local safety ordinances.  Airbnb rentals and similar types of private rental housing may not and are therefore discouraged.  In the case of host families, the program leaders must take steps to ensure that the host families have been appropriately vetted in advance, which typically includes at minimum an interview with all the host family members and a survey of the space in which the student(s) would live.  When working with a logistics provider, on-site organization, or other entity to secure student housing abroad, program leaders should use this policy as a foundation for communicating what is expected of those vendors.

Indiana University also requires that sleeping arrangements provide for a separate bed for each program participant.

Single gender housing is not required; however, every effort must be made to ensure that students are comfortable with their housing assignments.  As a general practice, program leaders assign housing based on the gender listed on the student’s passport and/or IU student record, then allow for adjustments based on student requests. It is advised that program leaders have preemptive conversations with their students and let students voice who they wish to live with.  It is acknowledged that some local cultures are more conservative and won’t allow unmarried, mixed gender room assignments.  In such cases, it is the responsibility of the faculty leaders to understand the context ahead of time and convey this to their students.

It is also expected that there will be locks on students’ rooms as a method of securing the space both while students are away as well as when they are inside the room.  If the nature of the program housing is such that this is not feasible, for example on a field-based program where students are housed in group tents, then it is the faculty leader’s responsibility to ensure students are clearly made aware of the accommodation arrangements in advance of enrolling in the program.  In these situations, a ‘safety in numbers’ approach is recommended, where students have their own bed (sleeping bag, mat, cot, etc.) and share the space with those with whom they feel comfortable.  Students should also be advised that they consider bringing a personal alarm, emergency door stop alarm, etc. to secure their space while in their rooms or when sleeping.

POLICY APPENDIX: IU Policy on Student Housing Abroad.

Student Budget

• What fee will IU charge for this program?
• What costs will the IU fee include? (fees to host institution, room & board, health insurance, excursions, books and other materials)
• If not included in the IU fee, what are estimated costs for room and board, personal expenses and international airfare?

Program Budget

Contact Education Abroad for assistance in preparing a realistic budget projection. You will need to consider costs for the following:

• Salaries for instructional staff
• U.S. staff travel to program site
• U.S. staff displacement allowance
• Tuition & fees to host institution abroad
• Fees for use of instructional space
• Administrative costs (publicity, office expenses)
• Group excursions (bus rental, hotels, guides, admission fees, etc.)
• Student housing (if paid through program fee)
• Student meals (if included in program fee)

Note that although each program operates a little differently, there are some general financial rules that apply. Each program should plan accordingly to make payments in advance or to make financial resources available for accompanying staff members to pay for various program expenses as they arise. Please note that University policies prohibit mixing personal and program funds, so you should not count on using your own personal bank account as a vehicle for transferring funds abroad.

Program Administration  

Describe the procedure for registering students, collecting fees, paying program costs abroad, enrolling participants in student health insurance, conducting checks of academic and disciplinary records, collecting and retaining documents (Agreement and Release forms, emergency contact information, medical history forms), etc.

• Who will establish program policies, including withdrawal and refund policies?
• Who will establish the protocol for behavioral expectations, including developing a clear definition of behavior that warrants dismissal of a student from the program?
• If the program involves activities with children, who will pursue background checks for all faculty, staff, students, volunteers and who will register the program with the University Superintendent of Public Safety by filling out the online form located on one.iu.edu, per the policies and procedures outlined in the Education Abroad Policy on IU Programs Involving Children.

Supporting letters