Departmental Responsibilities

When administering their own study abroad programs, departments/colleges are responsible for the following:

• Program Approval. Preferably 12-15 months prior to the beginning a new study abroad program, MU faculty members must submit to the Director of the International Center a completed Study Abroad Program Approval Form. This form was developed and mandated by the MU Study Abroad Advisory Council (SAAC). SAAC is made up of faculty members from nearly all MU Colleges/Schools and key administrators.
• Billing and Payments. Departments also must arrange for payment of program related expenses to host institution. This may be arranged by means of a cash advance or, in some cases, by establishing a contract with the overseas vendor.
  
  Once the program is approved by the Director of the International Center, Departments running their own study abroad programs may submit a request to the Provost's Budget Office to receive 80% of the educational fees and non-resident tuition back from the general fund for use in offsetting some of the costs of running the program.
• Work with the MU Cashiers Office and Office of the University Register. If this request is approved by the Provost's Budget Office, the department will need to work with the MU Registrar's and Cashier's Offices to set up administrative aspects of the fee sharing so that funds are transferred to the program account once the program participants enroll in and are billed for the course credits.
• International Memorandum of Understanding (IMOU). Prior to taking students abroad on an MU study abroad program, a formal IMOU must be completed and submitted to the IMOU Review Committee in the MU International Center. Drafting an IMOU is the responsibility of the department. IMOU templates and other information can be found on the For Faculty & Staff section of the IC Study Abroad web site
  
  Completed IMOUs are be submitted to Dr. James Scott, Director of the International Center and Vice Provost for International Initiatives and he will bring these to the IMOU Review Committee.
• Program Promotion. Departments choosing to administer their own study abroad programs are responsible for creating all program promotional materials, including program brochures and web sites. Program brochures and web links may be sent to the MU International Center. The MU International Center display web links for departmentally run programs on our website and display program brochures in the Education Abroad Resource Room (N52 Memorial Union).
• Application Process. Departments administering education abroad programs are responsible for creating, distributing, and collecting student study abroad applications from their program applicants. Departments are encouraged to adapt the International Center's application for study abroad to their needs
• Admissions Process. Departments administering education abroad programs are responsible for all admissions decisions and providing information on accepted students to the MU International Center. Student information (name, contact information and emergency contact information) is communicated to the Assistant Director for Faculty-led Programs via SharePoint. Please contact: umcintctrfacultyled@missouri.edu
• Orientation Process. Departments administering education abroad programs are responsible for providing country/program specific pre-departure orientation materials and information. This is in addition to the comprehensive pre-departure orientation focusing on health, safety, security and cross-cultural adjustment provided by the MU International Center to all MU students studying abroad.
• Student Registration and Billing. Departments administering education abroad programs are responsible for working with the Office of the University Registrar to ensure that all participants in their study abroad program(s) are registered at MU for the entire duration of their study abroad experience. They are also responsible to work with the Office of Cashiers to ensure that their students are billed correctly.
• Financial Aid. Departments administering education abroad programs are responsible for working with the Office of Financial Aid regarding financial aid eligibility and options for their program participants