Program Leader Handbook - International Education and ...

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Appalachian Overseas Education Programs Program Leader Handbook Advise the student to fill out a “Special Course” form , to have it signed by the Department Chair, the appropriate Dean, and to turn in an original copy of the form to OIED. Please instruct the student that after obtaining the dean’s signature, the student should not leave the form in the Dean’s Office but should instead walk it over to OIED. NOTE: For independent studies in the summer term, OIED needs to receive the “Special Course” forms by mid-February. 4. Financial Matters 16 Program Cost to the Student It is very important at this point to advertise what the program cost is and what it covers. Students should also be made aware of additional expenses not included in the program cost that they will need to budget for: cost of required immunizations, medical preparation, visa, meals not covered by the program cost, the minimum amount of spending money to bring along, etc. Make sure you only advertise the activities included in the program cost that you know you will be able to provide based on the minimum number of students to be recruited. You may keep in mind that if you show the program budget to program participants or to discuss it with them in detail, they may hold you accountable on how you spend the program funds. Payment Schedule and Cancellation Policy Distribute copies of the “Courses, Payment Schedule, and Cancellation Policy” form specific to your program and go over the payments and deadline requirements. Explain clearly if tuition will be charged for your program (it is the case for summer programs) or if there is the possibility of qualifying for “an overload” as this may be the case for full-time students enrolled in a fall or spring term AOEP. If students need to pay tuition, please explain that the tuition cost is NOT included in the program cost and that it is due in addition to the last installment payment for the program cost as stated on the Payment Schedule (usually by early April for summer AOEPs). Please notify the students that at the time the last installment is due, their student accounts may not show a tuition charge because Appalachian’s billing cycle differs from the AOEP billing cycle. However, it is imperative for students to understand that they will need to “pre-pay” their tuition even though a tuition charge may not show on their student accounts at that time. Also, please alert the students to read carefully the Cancellation Policy clauses, and remind them that if they cancel on or after a scheduled payment date, they still remain obligated for the payments scheduled to be paid prior to and/or on the official date of their cancellation notice. The initial deposit check is non-refundable regardless of the official date of the cancellation. If a student decides to cancel his/her participation, he/she needs to inform you in writing, with copy to Meg Kennedy and Nathalie Turner. Students should be reminded that if they have not paid in full the program cost, tuition, and any other pending charges on their Appalachian State student account by the final payment deadline, they may be withdrawn from the program while (1) still owing the full program cost, (2) not being entitled to any refunds, (3) losing any applicable financial aid eligibility status. Financial Aid Please strongly advise students to contact their Financial Aid advisor PRIOR to submitting their application to OIED. Students need to have a clear understanding of what their financial aid award will cover before signing up for your program. Financial aid awards are typically disbursed about ten (10) days prior to the program’s departure date. To avoid being dropped from the program if their student account balance is not cleared on the final payment deadline, students will need to submit to OIED, by that final payment deadline, proof of approval of their student loan amount covering the full outstanding balance of their student account. If their documented loan approval amount covers only a portion of their outstanding student account balance, the students will need to pay off the portion not covered by their financial award by the final payment deadline. Failure to pay off that difference may result in their being dropped from the program while still owing the full program cost and losing their financial aid eligibility. Revision Date 5/8/13 507_AOEP_LeaderHandbook
Appalachian Overseas Education Programs Program Leader Handbook 5. Country Entry Requirements The Information Session is a great avenue to alert students that if they do not already have a passport, they should start applying for one immediately as the process takes several weeks. Also, visa requirements vary with the country of destination and the citizenship of the traveler. Non-US citizens may have different travel requirements to the program destination. The AOEP student application form inquires about the participant’s country of citizenship, but as program leader, you may want to bring up this possible situation as early as possible, since obtaining visas for non-US citizens can often be a lengthy process and may affect the student’s participation in the program if it is not dealt with in a timely fashion. Likewise, you should discuss visa requirements with students who have dual citizenship as their visa requirements may depend upon which passport they intend to travel with and present to the customs authorities. NOTE about International Students at Appalachian: You may have degree-seeking international students applying to your program. Although they may already be “studying abroad” from their home nations, they provide an invaluable point of view to the academic and cultural experience of all your students. International students should be reminded that they may have different visa requirements to process early on and to check right away with Natalie Best, Assistant Director of International Student Services in OIED, that their paperwork has been completed in order to re-enter the United States. 17 6. Health Orientation While it is the students’ ultimate responsibility to check for health issues associated with any AOEP’s countries of destination and their own personal health status, it is highly recommended that you brief students on information concerning health risks at the program site. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is a great information resource (http://www.cdc.gov/travel) as well as the Consular Information Program at the U.S. Department of State (http://travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html). As some program destinations may require vaccination series starting 6 months before departure, you should contact the University Travel Services Nurse at Appalachian Student Health Services (see Important Contacts on page 3) early on to find out the medical requirements specific to your program location(s). If your program destination requires vaccinations to be dispensed more than 3 months prior to the departure date, you may want to invite the University Travel Services Nurse to talk to your students about medical preparedness specific to your destination early on. Otherwise, Appalachian Student Health strongly recommends that program leaders involve the Travel Nurse in the discussion of program specific health issues 8-12 weeks BEFORE the program’s departure date. If immunizations are required for entry in the country, inform the students that they will need to submit to you a copy of their immunizations records prior to departure. For more information on how Appalachian Student Health can assist you in preparing your group for travel health at the pre-departure orientation, please refer to the Student Health section on page 38. Please remember that if immunizations and/or medications are required to travel to your program’s destination, it is your responsibility, as program leader, to ensure that all your students have indeed obtained those mandatory medical requirements. Strongly advise students with pre-existing health problems and/or disabilities to consult with their medical provider prior to signing up for your program and encourage them to disclose on their application any pre-existing health problems as the Study Abroad Health Report and Release form in the application packet urges them to do (see a copy of the release and health disclosure forms in Appendix F). While the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) precludes requiring those with disabilities from disclosing them, you should clearly state that disabilities or health issues not voluntarily disclosed cannot be accommodated. Advise students that if they have a disability, medications, or medical treatment that requires accommodations in order to participate in the program, they must register with the Office of Disability Services and work with that office, OIED, and yourself to determine whether a reasonable accommodation in the host country is feasible. If you have any concerns about a student’s physical or otherwise ability to participate in your program, make sure that you communicate your concerns to us right away. A student should never be denied participation in a program without the program leader first consulting with OIED and the university attorneys. Revision Date 5/8/13 507_AOEP_LeaderHandbook
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