Study Abroad and Travel Study Courses Policy

Purpose

To ensure that the college offers travel study courses which are academically sound, are as safe as possible for participants, and which meet Minnesota State System Board policy requirements.

Definitions

Study abroad or Travel Study Course is defined as a faculty-led, credit-bearing experience of generally less than six weeks in which the majority of the instruction is provided at an off-campus location within the United States or abroad.

Field Trip is a short term excursion which takes place as a minor part of a campus-based or online course.

Policy

Course Approval

• All study abroad and travel study courses must be proposed and approved using standard Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) forms. Field trips conducted as part of a campus-based or online class are excluded from this policy.
• Study abroad and travel study courses shall be taught using a course syllabus that follows the M State syllabus policy.
• The course must be approved by AASC as a regular course.

Faculty

• The faculty member must be employed by and on contract with M State at the time the course takes place.

Participation

• Faculty shall select participants for the study abroad or travel study course and will use a standard application form.
• All students must be registered for the course;
• Community members must also register for the course, but they may choose to audit the course.
• Faculty may not collect or use “protected class” information as selection criteria (e.g., race, ethnicity, age, or disability).
• Following their selection, accepted participants must complete appropriate health information forms, which includes information about an asserted disability.

Funding/Fee/Expenses

• The budget for the course shall include all tuition, fees, expenses, and deposits paid by the students.
• Any deposits shall be applied directly to the program fee.
• Airline tickets purchased are the property of the participants.
• Any change or cancellation fees are additional charges paid by the participant.
• College funds may not be used to subsidize travel for non-college purposes, including family members who have no assigned responsibilities.
• Children of faculty under the age of 18 must be accompanied by another adult. Faculty cannot use “free” trip slots or other incentives that are sometimes offered by travel organizations for family members.
• Faculty may not receive payments or incentives of any kind from a tour company, host institution, or other organization.
• The appropriate M State personnel must sign contracts on behalf of the college.
• For international trips, all participants, including faculty, faculty family members, students, and community members are required to have insurance prior to travel that shall include repatriation and evacuation coverage.

Contact Information

Prior to travel, the course instructor must provide the applicable dean’s office with travel contact information for each participant, for example, cell phone number; local emergency contact information for each participant; contact information for each overnight stay, for example, hotel numbers; contact information for the tour agency or agencies; and travel contact information for the tour instructor.

Policy Standards

Prior to travel, faculty members must review any applicable M State and Minnesota State System Board travel policies and procedures with the students.

All applicable M State and Minnesota State System Board policies shall be followed, including but not limited to:

a. Foreign Currency reimbursement conversion

b. Alcohol use

c. State Department Travel Warnings

d. Credit card use

e. Conflict of interest

f. Vehicle Use Policy

Travel Follow-up:

Upon return, the course instructor must provide the applicable dean’s office with information regarding any deaths, as well as illnesses or accidents requiring hospitalization that occurred during or as a result of program participation to the applicable campus academic dean and to the Dean of Student Success.