3 9 to 7 Months Prior to Group Departure: Program Development
After the IU Overseas Study Advisory Council has confirmed approval of your program, departmental officials who will be responsible for program arrangements should review relevant IU policies, consider options for program logistics, and establish plans for student recruitment, application management and the identification of required resources.
Financial Administration
Organizing a program requires putting arrangements in place abroad – housing and transportation, perhaps classroom space rental, reservations for tours, entrance or admission fees to venues or museums, hiring of guides, arranging for lectures or presentations by local experts, hiring translators, etc. The precise details will depend on the specifics of each program.
Many IU programs contract with an organization with a base of operations in the local area and the business expertise needed to make such arrangements. That organization then deals with the local contracts and payments to local vendors, and IU makes a single payment to the organization.
Some IU programs work with travel agents. There are also a number of organizations that specialize in providing support for short-term faculty-led programs abroad.
Many of these ‘third party provider’ organizations can also offer 24/7 emergency support services.
Engaging a third party to deal with the local arrangements can help reduce the administrative burden to the IU unit. And many of these organizations have extensive knowledge of these locations abroad, having worked with programming in support of other institutions.
RESOURCE: List of Third Party Provider Organizations
Who in the unit would be responsible for negotiating, reviewing, and securing authorization for any required contracts?
Who in the unit would be responsible for identifying vendors and assuring they are set up in Buy.IU?
Who in the unit would receive invoices for services and initiate payment transactions?
Who in the unit would establish and administer fiscal policies and define the timeline for various student expenses, including
- program deposits
- program fee charges
- a withdrawal and refund policy
- calculation of estimates for out-of-pocket expenses
See IU Financial Policies for additional details.
Travel and Accommodation Arrangements
Will the unit book air tickets for all participants, assuring that the group will arrive and depart on the same timeline? Or will each individual participants book their own air tickets?
There are benefits to having the group arrive together and depart together, but group flights generally must be booked several months in advance of travel and the specific names of all travelers provided at that time. Ideally, if traveling together would be planned, the timeline would need to match up well so that students are identified and will confirm participation early enough.
If student participants book their own air tickets independently, guidance will need to be provided on the process, timing, and preferred route to assure arrival during an appropriate window of time.
Will accommodation be secured by a third-party provider facilitating the program, or will someone in the unit be responsible for identifying suitable housing and booking rooms?
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. include details for student safety. See additional details in the IU policy on Student Housing Abroad in the IU Education Abroad Policy on Student Housing.
Note that for short-term faculty-led programs the IU prohibition for using 12- and 15-passenger vans. This IU Policies website has some definitions to help identify/know if the vehicle the program would want to use is an issue.
See IU Travel Management Policies for additional details.
POLICY APPENDIX: IU Education Abroad Policy on Student Housing
What advance arrangements will need to be made for ground transportation? Will the group require a bus or van and driver for some days? Will the program need to secure public transport passes for the group?
Think through the program schedule and activities in advance so that valid cost estimates can be obtained, and all options can be considered.
IU requires that all program participants have insurance coverage for health care expenses while abroad. The unit must assure that all participants have appropriate coverage that covers accidents or urgent illnesses outside the U.S. and has specific provisions for emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains.
IU Education Abroad makes a group plan available to IU units. When programs are authorized, instructions on steps to take to enroll programs participants are provided.
Recruitment
Consider how information about the program will be distributed. Will just the faculty director share details with a select audience or will others in the unit contribute? Are there partner units that can assist with ‘getting out the word’?
Will flyers be distributed that provide program details? Will there be a website? Will information meeting be held to share information about the program and the application process?
From whom can students (and parents) get more information?
Prospective students need to have easy access to full information about the course, credits, the application process and eligibility requirements, program schedule, and expenses.
Questions may arise about unique student situations, including participation/access for students with physical disabilities; requests for academic accommodation; or guidance on resources for an ongoing health-related concern.
It is important to make clear and complete information available. This is the first step in setting expectations with students.
Application Management
How will the unit collect applications, assuring compliance with IU data security policies and following best practice?
IU requires that all program applicants and, if appropriate, have a parent/guardian countersign the standard IU Education Abroad Agreement & Release Form. (Signed forms must be retained for three years post program.)
Who in the unit will conduct a check of applicant academic records (to assess and assure eligibility)?
Who in the unit will conduct a check of student disciplinary histories? (Students with sanctions of disciplinary probation or stronger, i.e., deferred suspension, suspension, separation, or expulsion) may NOT participate in an IU Education Abroad program.)
If the program includes activities with children, for any length of time, the program may fall under the IU Programs Involving Children policy. For such programs, the organizers must submit a program registration and assure that program activities provide a safe environment for children and others with appropriate rules and procedures in place. Someone in the unit will need to conduct background checks for all participants.
Be sure to review relevant policy information in the IU Data Management Policy, IU Policy on Programs Involving Children, and IU Education Abroad Academic Policies – Disciplinary Status
Post-Acceptance
The program organizers will need to have contact information for an emergency contact for each program participant in case there is some kind of accident or incident during the program.
Programs are encouraged to collect scans of participant passports so that on-site staff have access to these details should there be an emergency.
Programs are strongly encouraged to require that students submit a health history form as part of the post-program acceptance process to voluntarily disclose any medical conditions that program administrations should know about. The information provided by students should be reviewed in advance of program departure so that the program organizers have opportunity to discuss with students any special arrangements or resources that might be needed should the student experience a health emergency abroad. See the Sample IU Medical History Form.
Copies of these forms should be kept by the director and must be kept in a secure place and be kept strictly confidential. This is required by U.S. law.