Education Abroad Program Development

Scope

All university units, administrators, faculty and staff members proposing any type of program through which an IU student or pre-college student would study, intern, engage in service, conduct research, or participate in a non-credit bearing experience abroad.

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Policy Statement

Before recruiting, advertising or scheduling events for an Education Abroad Program, approval must be obtained from the Overseas Study Advisory Council (OSAC) through a process administered by IU Education Abroad.

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Reason for Policy

By requiring programs to be vetted and approved by OSAC, this policy seeks to safeguard the health and safety of participants and maintain the academic integrity of IU Education Abroad Programs. An Education Abroad Program out of compliance with this policy runs an unacceptable risk that, should a health or safety crisis occur, the IU faculty member or administrator leading the trip will not readily have the institutional resources, information, and contacts to respond appropriately to the emergency.

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Procedures

1. IU Education Abroad should be contacted for advice and assistance as soon the planning of an Education Abroad Program begins. At IUI, the Office of International Affairs should be contacted as well.
2. The Education Abroad Program proposal should be submitted to the IU Education Abroad electronically.  The proposal will be reviewed by OSAC or a subcommittee thereof.  OSAC supports the Standards of Good Practice of the Forum on Education Abroad and will use those guidelines when evaluating the proposal.  When submitting a proposal for an Education Abroad program, please follow the guidelines set forth at https://abroad.iu.edu/policies/program-dev/proposals/guidelines.html.
3. The submitter or faculty sponsor may be asked to meet with members of the IU Education Abroad staff or OSAC to discuss the proposal in more detail.
4. The submitter should expect the approval process to take at least 60 days.
5. OSAC may approve the proposal as submitted, approve the proposal on certain conditions, ask the submitter to amend and resubmit the proposal, or deny the proposal.
6. Throughout the duration of an Education Abroad Program, including the program development process, program leaders are required to comply with the relevant policies, procedures, and guidelines for best practice as outlined in the Education Abroad Office's Program Development Handbook.

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Definitions

Education Abroad Program means any university-sponsored or university-administered program that involves travel by minors or IU students outside the United States, whose program arrangements and logistics are developed under the supervision of a University faculty or staff member.

Examples of Education Abroad Programs include, but are not limited to:

• IU courses involving an overseas travel component;
• Research activities, conference attendance, and other programs outside the United States involving IU undergraduate, graduate, or professional school students.
• Pre-college activities abroad sponsored by the University;
• Overseas internships or service-learning programs organized by IU units; and
• Overseas trips organized by university student organizations, clubs, or teams.

This definition excludes other forms of university-sponsored, university-affiliated, or university-administered travel, such as

• Internships, volunteer activities, practica, or similar experiences arranged independently by students;
• Faculty research;
• Faculty or staff travel for university business;
• Alumni travel sponsored by the Indiana University Alumni Association; and
• Offshore and cross-border programs within the scope of INT-01, Agreements with Overseas Institutions and Cross-Border Activities.

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Sanctions

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History

Some versions of this policy dates back to the late 1960s, but the policy was formally adopted when Overseas Study became a university-wide unit separate from the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington (https://overseas.iu.edu/about/history.html)

Policy contacts and links were updated June 19, 2017, and again on September 16, 2021 as part of a routine review of all OVPIA policies.

In July 2024, references to the renamed IU Indianapolis campus were updated in this policy.

In July 2024, references to the renamed office, IU Education Abroad, were updated in this policy.

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