Academic Guidelines

1. All BC study abroad programs must have two BC personnel traveling with the group who will act as faculty coordinators. All programs must include a group flight and BC faculty must travel together and with the students. Faculty coordinators who have a group larger than 20 students are highly encouraged to consider bringing along a third faculty member to serve as an additional faculty coordinator.
2. Faculty coordinators must be full-time faculty members at BC or must be working in tandem with a full-time faculty member at BC.
3. All BC personnel traveling with a study abroad program must perform an academic function such as teaching a course or providing program direction for students participating in the program.
4. An Approval to Participate in Summer Study Abroad Program form signed by appropriate administrative personnel is required from each BC employee planning to travel with a group.
5. Faculty must have the same academic credentials to teach in a study abroad program as a course on a BC campus.
6. All tenets of academic freedom that apply to on-campus courses shall be observed for courses taught in international locations.
7. All overseas study courses must provide at least 48 instructional contact hours (or equivalent) for each three (3) semester hours credit. Instructors must be able to document that this requirement will be met by providing the Study Abroad Office and their associate dean with a course syllabus that describes course objectives, educational activities on-campus and abroad, course requirements, methods for grading, and evaluative procedures to be used on the study abroad program.
8. At the beginning of the program, students should be provided with a syllabus of the course that outlines all of the above-stated details about the course.
9. All overseas study programs offered by BC must be designed primarily to provide an educational experience for students. Non-BC students who wish to participate in a study abroad program must register for at least one course either for credit, audit, non-credit, or continuing education. Every effort should be made to recruit degree-seeking students who will register for credit; however, non-degree-seeking students may participate. Any participant who is not an enrolled Broward College student must purchase comprehensive insurance for the period of the study abroad travel.
10. If two courses are offered, program coordinators should encourage students to enroll in both courses to ensure that there will be sufficient tuition revenues generated to pay both faculty members teaching in the program.
11. Whenever possible, participating faculty shall utilize traditional methods of student evaluation, including final exams, shall be utilized for all foreign study programs.
12. All students participating in BC study abroad programs must be at least 18 years of age and high school graduates and have completed one full semester at Broward College.

Recruitment of Students

1. The primary responsibility for the recruitment of students rests with the faculty member(s) in charge of the study abroad program; however; they will be assisted by the Study Abroad Office which shall seek to publicize equally all study abroad programs offered by the College.
2. Students participating in BC-sponsored study abroad programs have entered into a contractual relationship with the College. Instructors are responsible for making sure that all promised educational and travel services are provided. Care should be exercised when writing brochures or letters and when communicating with potential participants and their family members not to "over-sell" or "over-promise" details about the program that cannot be fulfilled. Brochures and promotional materials must be approved by the Dean for International Education.
3. Academic aspects of each program should be emphasized in all printed material and in discussions of programs with prospective students.
4. Faculty coordinators must conduct a personal interview with each student who wishes to participate in the program before accepting a deposit or application.
5. When there is reason to question the advisability of accepting a particular student for participation in a study abroad program, the faculty coordinator should discuss the matter with the student or secure the assistance of the Study Abroad Office. If there is still reasonable doubt (which can be documented), the student should be referred to the Vice-President for Student Affairs for assessment to determine if the student can benefit from an overseas experience.

Financial Matters

1. The total cost of operating study abroad programs must be borne by the students participating in these programs, except for funds provided through study abroad scholarships. This includes faculty participation both before and during the study abroad program.
2. All travel funds should be sent directly to the  College Cashier's Office by either student participants or faculty coordinators for deposit into the designated account. All participants other than the faculty coordinators must make identical monetary contributions to the program.
3. Faculty Coordinators may collect payments from students and participants but must provide a Cashier's Office receipt for funds paid and be certain to deposit checks into the cashier's account within 24 hours of receipt.
4. Required payments for tuition and all program fees, less any College-funded tuition scholarships, must be made in full before departure.
5. All participants should be provided with a written copy of a cancellation policy/refund schedule for each study-abroad program. This may vary from program to program based on travel agency requirements and dates of the anticipated program.
6. Students who participate in study abroad programs may apply for a summer study abroad scholarship (SSSA); however, they should be cautioned that funds are limited and the deadline for application is in mid-February. No awards will be made larger than one-third of the travel portion of the program. Applications should be forwarded to the Study Abroad Coordinator or the current Chair of the International Education Committee.
7. Faculty coordinators of study abroad programs should be aware of college procedures involved in requesting funds for study abroad programs. They are required to document the purpose of each expenditure by presenting invoices for airline tickets, travel agent fees, and other legitimate program-related costs before funds are released. Requests should be made on time and allow for several days and even weeks for the transaction to be approved.

BC Representative's Responsibilities Regarding Student Matters

1. BC Faculty Coordinators who lead study abroad programs are expected to act in a professional, reasonable, and prudent manner at all times while responsible for students in a foreign location.
2. The use of illegal substances is strictly forbidden by any participant in a college study abroad program and should lead to the immediate termination of the program for that student.
3. Program coordinators are "on call" at all times while overseas to assist students with health and safety issues. This responsibility cannot be reassigned or abrogated. At no time should a BC course be conducted overseas without a responsible BC faculty member representative present.
4. Students are responsible for notifying faculty coordinators of their medical needs including dietary restrictions or prescription drugs which may not be readily available overseas.
5. Faculty coordinators are expected to discuss all aspects of the program with students in the pre-departure orientation. They should observe reactions and anticipate issues that may arise while traveling with these individuals.
6. Faculty coordinators should warn students about the dangers of theft of their possessions, and urge them to safeguard all important/valuable documents (passports, airline tickets, money, etc.) Students should be encouraged to wear money belts and/or neck wallets at all times.
7. In the event it becomes necessary to seek assistance from college personnel while abroad, program coordinators should observe this order:
   1. Study Abroad Coordinator
   2. Dean for International Education
   3. Vice President for Academic Affairs
   4. Vice President for Student Affairs
8. Faculty coordinators should never advise anything illegal or contrary to college policies. Do not recommend, suggest, or require any unsafe, unwise, or imprudent behavior. Students who participate in such activities should be informed that they are doing so at their own risk.
9. Faculty coordinators should not knowingly use unsafe equipment. Provide appropriate guidelines and warnings regarding safety.
10. Faculty coordinators should document in writing any unusual incident involving an injury to a student and, upon return to the US, report the status of such incident(s) to the International Education Office.
11. All students must sign an "Education Abroad Agreement," releasing Broward College from liability. While liability forms will usually not prevent litigation if negligence can be proved, an "assumption of risk" clause in the agreement may provide some protection.
12. Faculty coordinators must provide the Study Abroad Office with a roster of student participants, Passport ID pages, and emergency contact information for family members while out of the country.
13. The Americans with Disabilities Act does not apply in other countries. Physical accessibility is often limited in international settings. Wheelchair users and students with mobility problems need to be cautioned that BC cannot guarantee accessibility in buildings and public transportation in overseas locations. However, students with disabilities cannot be denied participation in study-abroad courses solely because of an existing disability.
14. All students must be provided with the opportunity to evaluate the foreign study course/program in which they participated. This form, provided by the Study Abroad Office, should be administered by a mature student at the end of the program and submitted directly to the Study Abroad Office which will review them on time and forward them to the director of the respective study abroad program. The faculty coordinator cannot be present while students are filling out the form.
15. All travel involves some risk. Faculty coordinators should never assure students that they are completely safe or put the college in a position where an injured student can allege that we promised him/her that some activity was completely safe.
16. Faculty coordinators should be sure students are aware of all emergency procedures and 24-hour phone numbers in the event of a medical crisis or any other emergency.
17. Students should be warned of the dangers of overindulgence in alcohol. Not only can they serve as a poor representative of the United States and BC, but they can endanger themselves and put others at risk by overindulgence. Unruly or disruptive behavior, whether under the influence of alcohol or not, will not be tolerated. Students engaged in such behavior, in the judgment of the Program Coordinator, will be sent home at their own expense.
18. Faculty coordinators are encouraged to include a participation component in determining the final grade. This grade can be influenced by negative participation including unruly or disruptive behavior of any kind.
19. Most programs are tightly scheduled and leave little or no time for independent travel. Independent travel away from the study abroad program is prohibited unless expressly permitted by the Faculty Coordinator. Students who request to travel independently (i.e., any excursion not already planned for the group) must obtain written permission via a "Time Away Form" provided by the Study Abroad Office.
20. Students requesting to travel independently after the end of the study abroad program (however, before returning to the US) must arrange their flights, and insurance and obtain permission from the Program Coordinator before airline tickets are purchased.
21. Whenever using a travel agent to arrange transportation, program coordinators must use only licensed and insured travel agencies.
22. All students must be provided before departure with current information on the country(s) to be visited and medical health information (including any required and recommended vaccinations and/or medications) for the country(s) to be visited. Please consult these sources for such information:
    • U.S. State Department
    • Center for Disease Control (CDC)
23. For any College policies not expressly addressed in this document, program coordinators and students should refer to the College Policy and Procedure Manual.