Creating a Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program

1. Let People in Your Unit Know about Your Idea & Get Feedback
2. Get Approval from Discipline Chair (Submit Proposal Form A)
3. Get Approval from Department Chair (Submit Proposal Form A)
4. Get Approval from Dean's Office (Submit Proposal Form A and Proposal Form B)
5. Follow Course Development Guidelines for New or Changed Courses
6. Complete Budget Template (Submit to Dean's Office and [email protected])
7. Establish application and payment deadlines
   • $500 non-refundable deposit is advised 
   • Awarded scholarships are disbursed at the start of the program term

Additional Steps to Consider:

• Connect with Office of International Affairs
• Connect with Director of Global Engagement
• Connect with International Partners (if applicable)
• Read Forum on Education Abroad's Standards of Good Practice
• Make your program accessible to diverse student populations

1. Advertise Program (contact [email protected] to list your program in M-Navigator and on the Study Abroad Website)
2. Have Students Apply in M-Navigator
3. Interview Students and then Accept, Deny, or Waitlist Students in M-Navigator

Additional Steps to Consider

• Make a flyer (or have Global Education make one for you) and post around campus
• Present and run table at Study Abroad Fair
• Reserve table at new student Orientation
• Email students, post on social media, add meetings to calendar
• Print Banner
• Ask faculty in relevant courses for 2 minutes to introduce trip
• Schedule/Run interest meetings (at least 2 recommended)

1. Apply to get a PCard
   • CASL: Unit Business Admin submits request; Dean's Office approves
   • PCard should typically open at least two months ahead of trip and close one month after travel
   • Program leaders should make two copies of the front and back of the card, black out all but the last four digits, and keep a copy on their person during trip
   • Review card limits (including ATM withdrawal limit) and know when card balance gets renewed
2. Request a pre-planning meeting with your department administrator and the business process manager
3. Verify Participants Complete Post-approval Content in M-Navigator (including uploading a copy of their passport)
4. Get Visa & Passport (with expiration dates well past projected return dates)
5. Book Travel & Accommodations (notify students if they are to purchase their own airline tickets), and Pay Vendors
   • CASL: Unit Admins process payments; Prepay as many expenses as possible (e.g., hotels, museum tickets, tours, etc.)
   • Individual air travel recommended (vs. group travel)
   • Faculty and students can work directly with Conlin (if using travel agent) or third party vendor for airline tickets
6. Get Immunizations (if needed)
7. Schedule/Run Trip-Specific Orientation Meeting (see Travel.State.Gov for country-specific information)
   • Director of Global Engagement can be invited for support
8. Register Travel with University of Michigan, Register for Health Insurance, and Register with STEP
   • Study abroad groups will be registered for travel and health insurance by the study abroad support team
   • Verify travel and health insurance registration at [email protected]
9. Prepare for Clery Act Compliance
   • Register your program as possibly Clery-related
   • Understand that all program leaders are Campus Security Authorities under the Clery Act (Read what responsibilities this includes)
   • Submit any signed agreements related to facilities (e.g., housing, classrooms, labs, etc.) to [email protected]
10. Prepare for Compliance with the University's Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct Policy
    • Understand that you are an Individual with Reporting Obligations (IRO) under the University's Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct Policy.  This online training can help you learn more about your obligations as an IRO and how to handle a disclosure.  For more information about reporting obligations, please visit the ECRT website or contact ECRT at [email protected] with any questions.
11. Complete and Submit GROUP Safety Plan for International Travel (REQUIRED for travel to Travel Warning and Travel Restriction Destinations - must be submitted at least three weeks prior to departure)
12. Verify All Students are Registered Prior to Departure (students MUST be registered to participate)
13. Attend UM-Dearborn Study Abroad Orientation Meetings (in April; custom sessions can be run - contact [email protected])

Additional Steps to Consider

• Finalize costs with overseas contacts, if applicable (contact [email protected] for guidance)
• Complete U-M Travel Health Preparation Guide
• Review Preparing Students to Go Abroad
• Review SPG on international travel
• Review Travel Planning Resources
• Review Safety Abroad Orientation
• Review Travel Health Education Program
• Review Resilient Traveling website (see Instructor Resources)
• Review Global Information Resources
• Review How Much Money to Take and How to Carry Money
• Review International Communications
• Review Guidance on Clery Act and Study Abroad
• Request cash advance (if needed - work with unit business manager)
• Request hospitality gifts (if needed - work with unit business manager)

1. Submit Incident Reports in Timely Manner as Needed (also notify the Director of Global Engagement of incidents)
2. Report Clery Act-qualifying Crimes as Needed (also notify the Director of Global Engagement of incidents)
3. Report Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct as Needed (also notify the Director of Global Engagement of Incidents) and provide any individuals who come to you with concerns with this link to the Our Community Matters resource guide.  
4. Respond to Crises (if needed)
5. Collect and Submit Receipts
   • Download Concur app and upload all receipt images with phone while traveling (CASL: Concur app is preferred but legible photos of receipts can also be emailed to your unit administrator)
   • Submit expense report in Concur monthly for longer programs
6. Pay for Additional Expenses
   • Primary: Use PCard
   • Secondary: Use cash from ATM
   • Tertiary: Pay out-of-pocket and get reimbursement
7. Have Students Complete Course Evaluations

Additional Steps to Consider:

• Email [email protected] upon safe arrival of all participants

1. Submit expense report in Concur (within one week of return) 
2. Reconcile Cash Advances, Expenses, & Budget (work with department admin.; within 45 days of return)
   • Submit expense summary (i.e., total cost of trip) to dean's office
   • Departments are responsible for trip deficits
3. Request a post-travel meeting with your department administrator and the business process manager
4. Submit Grades
5. Return Student Course Evaluations

Additional Steps to Consider

• Report course successes and challenges to [email protected]

While the hope is to keep student charges to a minimum, there are times when student payments made via student accounts for study abroad program costs exceed actual expenses, and thus a surplus is left in the account after all expenses have been reconciled.  This policy is to provide campus-wide direction on how to handle such positive balances when they arise.  

In the event that any student paid to their student account an excess of $250 or higher above actual trip expenses after all program expenses have been reconciled and have been confirmed as being reconciled by the program leader and unit business administrator, a refund of all such overages for each relevant student shall be requested of Student Accounts by the unit business administrator.  It is the responsibility of each unit running a study abroad program to verify if an overage has occurred and how much that overage ended up being.  

Refund requests should be submitted and processed within two weeks of the completion of all expense reconciliations.  Email notifications should also be sent to each relevant student by either the program leader or unit business administrator explaining that fees paid exceeded program expenses by at least $250, thus a refund is being processed.

If any student paid an overage less than $250, the excess funds should be kept in the shortcode to help defray expenses for the next iteration of the study abroad program (either going toward student scholarships or paying for program expenses).  If a program will not be run again or if it is unknown if the program will be run again, a full refund of any overage made to a student account should be refunded.  If a program is unexpectedly retired later on, and for whatever reason, still has a balance in the shortcode account, it will be up to the unit overseeing the shortcode to determine the best use of funds.

Funds in study abroad shortcode accounts that are the result of direct student payments should only be used for student refunds or to fund future iterations of that particular program.  The only exception to this would be if a program were to be unexpectedly retired at a later date.