HACU-IOHE/OUI - Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

STUDENT MOBILITY PROJECTHACU-IOHE/OUIThe HACU-OUI Student Mobility Project was originally set up following the conclusions reached at the 7thInternational Conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), which was held betweenMay 3-5, 2007 at the University of Alcalá, Spain.The student exchange program seeks to promote international mobility by enabling full-time university students to takeacademic courses at sister universities.Both the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and the Inter-American Organization for HigherEducation (OUI-IOHE) play a significant role in fulfilling the objectives of the program, that is, they facilitatenegotiating agreements between key institutions.The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are responsible for establishing the procedures for the accreditation andrecognition of the credits earned in the exchange programs, namely those that are part of the Mobility Program.The following universities are currently involved in the OUI-HACU pilot project:Universidad Pública de NavarraPamplona, EspañaSusana GintoRelaciones Internacionales011 (34 -948) 169-473Fax. 169-641sginto@unavarra.esInter American University of Puerto RicoSan Germán, Puerto RicoProf. Agnes MojicaChancellorTel: (787) 264-1912 or (787) 892-5634amojica@sg.inter.eduUniversity of Central FloridaOrlando, FL, Estados UnidosDr. Consuelo Stebbinsstebbins@pegasus.cc.ucf.eduAssistant Vice President for InternationalizationUniversity of Central Florida Orlando, Florida 32816Tel (407) 823-5575Universidad de OttawaOttawa, ON, CanadáUniversidad Pedagógica NacionalBogotá, ColombiaEliksa KrausovaVP Colombia OUIkrausova@pedagogica.edu.coTel 57-1-310-1110 - Fax: 57-1-347-3535Patricia Moreno- moreno@uni.pedagogica.edu.coCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis Obispo, CA, Estados UnidosW. David ConnVice Provost for Academic Programs &Undergraduate Education Professor of City & RegionalPlanningPhone: +1 805 756 5474Valene Mathews (admin. assistant) +1 805 756 2246Fax: +1 805 756 2367 - Email: dconn@calpoly.eduUniversidad del Claustro de Sor JuanaMéxicoDr. Victor Grovas HajjCoordinador de Asuntos Internacionales e IntercambioAcadémicoTel: (52) 55 51 30 33 55 - Fax: (52) 55 57 09 38 14vgrovas@ucsj.edu.mx - intercambio@ucsj.edu.mxNortheastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL, Estados UnidosWojciech WlochInternational ProgramsW-Wloch@neiu.eduUniversidad Simón BolívarVenezuelaGuillermo Yaber (representante)Carmen Caleyaccaleya@usb.ve - calfonso@usb.veUniversidad del SalvadorArgentinaAmparo GhioConsejo Superior OUIamparo.ghio@salvador.edu.ar(5411) 4813-7310 - (5411) 4824-4281

Universidad de GuadalajaraGuadalajara, Jal., MéxicoKarla GarnicaRedes Inyternacionales de Colaboración y ProyectosEspecialeskarlagd@cgci.udg.mx - karlagarnica@gmail.comCel. 333.136.81.05Lic. Juliette RedingJefe de la Unidad de Organismos Internacionalesjuliettem@cgci.udg.mxUniversidad Técnica Estatal de QuevedoQuevedo, EcuadorIng. Tito Cabrera VicuñaVicerrector generalvicerrector@uteq.edu.ecCell: 0970515206Jose Elias Cuasquer Fuel- fcambiental@hotmail.comUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesMéxicoRosa María Padilla Vegarpadilla@correo.uaa.mxTel: 011-(52) (449) 106-85-42Universidad de PanamáPanamáEldis C. Barneseldis_b@yahoo.comCel.: (507) 6-676-0205Centro Universitario de Lins (UNILINS)BrasilProf. Bernardo Luiz Costas FunióCoord. Enga Civil e Enga Ambientalbernardo@fpte.brtel: (14) 3533-3283Universidad Técnica Particular de LojaEcuadorMaría Dolores Mahauad BurneoDirección de Relaciones Interinstitucionalesmdmahauad@utpl.edu.ecUniversidad Piloto de ColombiaColombiaJeannette Bermúdez RojasDecana Ingeniería Civilmjbermudez@unipiloto.edu.coTel: 3322974Universidad Central de VenezuelaCaracas, VenezuelaProf. Fulvia Nieves de GradiciaCoordinadora AcadémicaFacultad de Ciencias Económicas y Socialesnievesf@faces.ucv.veCel: 00584142650339 - Ofic : 00582126052461Universidad Santo TomásBogotá, ColombiaNubiola Pinzón GómezDirectora Relaciones Internacionales e Interinstitucionalesnubiolapinzon@correo.usta.edu.coCel: (57) 313 391 54 23Université de MontrealMontreal, CanadáAlain Boutetalain.boutet@umontreal.caSample Agreement:The attached sample agreement is attached for the consideration of universities that are contemplating to enter astudent mobility agreement with other universities. This agreement reflects a framework for this studentexchange possibility.The universities will decide freely if they need to make adjustments or modifications to the agreement. We arerequesting that the institutions that sign agreements inform us so that HACU and OUI may keep an updatedrecord of the universities participating in this student mobility project.

Memorandum of Understanding 1Student Exchange Programbetween the Inter-American Organizationof Higher Education (IOHE) and theHispanic Association of Collegesand Universities (HACU)1 This Memorandum of Understanding has been inspired on the CREPUQ (Council of Rectors of Canadian Universities).

BETWEEN:The Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE)represented by Patricia Gudiño, Executive Secretary Generaland:The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)represented by Dr. Antonio R. Flores, President and CEOThe following has been agreed upon:

INTRODUCTIONGiven the importance of establishing and expanding the existing relations between the member institutions of HACUand/or IOHE and of offering students the opportunity to become familiar with the language and culture of differentcountries, as well as creating an academic experience for students at the university level, the parties agree, through thisdocument, to establish a student exchange.OBJECTIVEThe student exchange program has the purpose of facilitating international mobility, allowing a full time student enrolledat a higher education institution (home institution) to take courses at another institution (host institution) that will be partof the required course work for graduation at the home institution.REQUIREMENTS OF THE PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONSDemonstrated experience of the HEIs in organizing and managing student exchange programs.Recognized capacity of the HEIs to offer assistance and advice to students who participate in mobility programs, interms of general orientation, as well as in academic matters.An adequate infrastructure to support the students in all institutional and migratory procedures to participate in themobility program.The participating Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), members of HACU and/or IOHE are identified in Appendix A.REQUIREMENTS OF PARTICIPATING STUDENTSThe aspiring exchange student, in addition to article 5.6, must meet the following conditions:To have covered the equivalent of at least a whole year of course work as a full time student at the home institution andto be officially enrolled in the same program during the time of his/her stay at the host institution.To have a good command in the language in which courses are taught at the host institution, except if the program wherehe/she is enrolled is precisely the study of that language.To meet all academic admission requirements of the host institution.To meet all specific program requirements in the chosen academic program, as established by the host institution, as wellas by the sending or home institution.OBLIGATIONS AND PRIVILEGES OF THE PARTICIPATING STUDENTSThe candidate admitted to the exchange program:Continues to be enrolled as a full time student at the home institution and assumes all financial commitments required bythe home institution (such as tuition and fees). The host institution in turn agrees not to charge the students it isreceiving for these charges again.Commits to study full time at the host institution during at least one semester, and for no more than one school year, inthe program of studies approved by the home or sending institution.

The student agrees to:a.) Cover the various expenses that may be required at the host institution (such as administrative expenses), afterthese specific expenses are communicated to the student prior to departure from the home institution.b.) Cover his/her transportation expenses, insurance and living expenses (room and board) for himself/herself and,if circumstances require, for his/her spouse and/or dependents.Take advantage of student aid programs he/she may be entitled to as a student of the sending institution.Receive at the host institution the necessary orientation, advice, academic background and help in the housing search andassistance with any medical emergencies on campus.OPERATION OF THE PROGRAMHACU and IOHE will each assign a coordinator, whose role willbe to ensure the proper operation of the program. Thesecoordinators will make certain that the program is promoted at his/her association, keeps communication with theindividuals responsible at each of the participating institutions, and assists in the publicizing and dissemination of anypertinent information related to the exchange program.Each participating HEI appoints a person responsible for the exchange program and provides the coordinators of HACUand IOHE with all the appropriate contact information of this individual (name, title, address, telephone,fax number, ande-mail address) (Appendix A).With the purpose of securing the appropriate promotion of the student exchange program, the individual responsible ateach institution will provide each year to the HACU and IOHE coordinators with all the necessary information regardingthe promotional actions taken to keep potential candidates adequately informed and in contact with each responsibleindividual at the institutions involved.The selection process of the universities involved in the exchange of students must be characterized by flexibility, insuch a way that an HEI has the possibility of establishing MOUs with several of the participating institutions, thus alsohaving the opportunity to send students to several institutions.The bilateral agreements signed by the participating HEIs will create the necessary mechanisms needed to clarifythemes, such as: differences in academic calendars, evaluation and grading systems, accreditation and/or handling ofcourse equivalents, and other aspects.Given the need to have a framework for institutional collaboration in order to accomplish the objectives of a program ofthis nature, both OUI and HACU will facilitate the negotiation of the necessary institutional agreements (MOUs) for thispurpose.The number of participants admitted to the exchange program each academic year will be determined by each specificreciprocal agreement (MOU) between the institutions, depending on the number of slots available at each program ofstudies at the receiving institution and the number of eligible students. In spite of all good intentions to ensure a balancein the number of students exchanged, it is necessary to allow for the possibility of occasional slight imbalances.Imbalances may occur, especially when North/South exchanges take place. If thisoccurs, universities must select one ofthe following solutions:The sending institution agrees to pay the regular tuition at the host institution for any students, exceeding the originalnumber of exchange students agreed upon;For each three students in excess, the sending institution commits to provide a scholarship to cover room and board(lodging and meals) for a student that it receives from the other institution;

For each five students in excess, the institution benefited will commit to accept a graduate student from the other for afull graduate program with the corresponding right to receive a degree if all necessary requirements are met.Given the differences in the cost of living between the HEIs in the context of the Americas, the universities in the UnitedStates and Canada are urged to provide supplementary assistance to participants from the South in terms of low costlodging, special cafeteria plans, and other similar aid.DURATION OF THE AGREEMENTThis Memorandum of Understanding will be valid from the time of the signature by the Parties for a period of five (5)years. At the time of expiration of this MOU, a complete evaluation will be conducted to determine the conditions forrenewal of this agreement..Each Party can terminate this agreement on the first day the second semester of the year (August, September, or October,depending on the school calendar) as long as written notification is provided ahead of time, at least one semester prior tothe end of the agreement.In testimony of the agreement, the corresponding authorities sign this document, two copies in English and two copies inSpanish, with the same contents and effects.FOR THE INTER-AMERICAN ORGANIZATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION (IOHE)______________________________________Patricia Gudiño, Executive Secretary General______________________________DateFOR THE HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HACU)________________________________Antonio R. Flores, President and CEO_______________________________Date