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Instructions for Faculty Trip Leaders

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Marks, Melanie B.  
Professor of Economics / Study Abroad Coordinator
Business and Economics, College of

 

Study Abroad Faculty Advisory Committee

Marks, Melanie B.  
Professor of Economics / Study Abroad Coordinator
Business and Economics, College of

Cantrell, Phillip A.
Assistant Professor of History
History, Political Science, and Philosophy

Edwards, Wade
Associate Professor of French
English and Modern Languages

Emerson-Stonnell, Sharon
Professor of Mathematics
Mathematics and Computer Science

Goetz, Lily A. 
Professor of Spanish
English and Modern Languages

Isaac, Steven W.  
Associate Professor of History
History, Political Science, and Philosophy

Koesler, Rena A.
Professor of Recreation
Health, Athletic Training, Recreation, and Kinesiology

Martz, Brett
Assistant Professor
English and Modern Languages]

 

 

Information for Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs

A. SHORT-TERM STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM PROPOSALS

There is no deadline for Short-Term Study Abroad Proposals. However, before publicizing your study abroad program, a Short-Term Study Abroad Program Proposal must be submitted to and approved by the Office of International Affairs. Please note that trips to countries with U.S. Department of State travel warnings will not be approved. Before submitting your proposal, and periodically while planning your trip, be sure to check the Department of State website to ensure your travel destination is not under a warning.

Please review the guidelines before planning your trip. There are requirements related to length of trip, contact hours, and number of chaperones.

 Refer to the following budget worksheet for help in estimating the price of a study abroad program.

**REPEAT PROGRAM PROPOSALS**

Faculty members who have led a study abroad program within the last 3 years may use the repeat proposal form (interactive .docx - If you try to open this form from the website, you may receive an error message. To avoid this, right click the link, click "Save Link As" and save the file as a .docx document on your computer before opening.) Please note:

  • This form is for previously approved study abroad programs.
  • A complete proposal (link above) must be submitted every 3 years.

  • If it has been 3 years or more since your last study abroad program, you cannot use the repeat proposal.

B. MARKETING THE SHORT-TERM STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM

Once your short-term study abroad program proposal has been submitted and approved, the Office of International Affairs can assist in publicizing your program by assisting in the creation of a website, funding 20 (11x17) full color posters and flyers for display in our office.  Examples of posters are below.

Ireland (Microsoft Publisher file)

Thailand (pdf)

You must use images that are not copyrighted, unless you have permission from the owner or have purchased the images.  Some websites that provide free stock images include http://www.sxc.hu/ and Wikimedia Commons.

C. FORMS  

Every student participating in your program will have to complete the Application, Health Report, and Conditions of Participation form. It is up to the individual faculty member to decide if faculty recommendations will be required. If  you choose to require recommendations, please use the form that is linked below.  

**Please note that the Study Abroad Application Faculty Led is a new form and is not the same as the general study abroad application. Students attending faculty-led programs should complete this form instead of the previous one.

**Be sure to tell students that faculty recommendation forms should be submited DIRECTLY to the faculty leader of their study abroad trip, not to the Office of International Affairs.

  • Study Abroad Application FACULTY LED- (interactive .docx - If you try to open this form from the website, you may receive an error message. To avoid this, right click the link, click "Save Link As" and save the file as a .docx document on your computer before opening.) 
  • Health Report Form (interactive .docx - If you try to open this form from the website, you may receive an error message. To avoid this, right click the link, click "Save Link As" and save the file as a .docx document on your computer before opening.) 
  • Conditions of Participation Form (pdf)(parent signatures needed, even if over 18)
  • Faculty Recommendation Form (pdf)

D. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

All students must attend a mandatory risk management session administered by the Office of International Affairs. Failure to attend will result in the student not being able to participate. 

Faculty members leading a study abroad trip for the first time must also attend the risk management session. Faculty members who have already led study abroad trips only have to attend a risk session every 3 years.

All students are also required to purchase an international health insurance policy.  

Look over the Health Report and Release forms to see if you have any students who could present you with problems relating to travel and to interacting abroad.  If students have signed the Release form, you may send a list of your students to the Director of the Counseling Center and to the Director of Student Health.

ALL students and faculty members participating in a Longwood University study abroad program, including faculty-led short-term programs, must provide proof of adequate insurance to cover them while abroad. Your current health insurance provider in the United States MAY NOT cover you while abroad. ISIC also provides you with other coverage, so you must have more than just a health insurance policy while abroad.

  • Students and faculty can apply for international insurance coverage through ISIC here: https://order.isic.org/card-order/apply-for-card
  • Please review ISIC's Description of Coverage. This information is correct as of October 2012. These insurance benefits are subject to change at any time without notice, and Longwood is not responsible for these changes.
  • The ISIC card DOES NOT provide trip insurance for things such as flight changes and cancellations, lost baggage, or cancelled trips. Longwood does not require trip insurance, so if a student decides to get trip insurance, it is his/her responsibility to find that coverage. A Longwood faculty member may require trip insurance for his or her particular trip.
  • You will have to ACTIVATE your ISIC card before your coverage and benefits become active. You may activate your card by clicking this link: https://activate.isic.org/activation/]
  • Please allow up to 21 business days for your card to be delivered. We recommend ordering your card AT LEAST one month in advance of your study abroad trip.
  • Instructors who are planning trips through STA Travel can order ISIC cards for themselves and their students directly through STA Travel.
  • Proof of coverage must be provided to the Office of International Affairs BEFORE you leave for your trip. Acceptable documents for proof of insurance coverage include receipt for ISIC purchase, copy of current activated ISIC card, etc.
  • Please note that you are not required to obtain coverage through ISIC, but if you decide not to use ISIC, you MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF EQUIVALENT COVERAGE (not just medical coverage). Please review the Description of Coverage above to determine if the insurance you choose provides appropriate coverage while abroad.  

***Faculty members may also choose to purchase insurance through iNext. This program can sometimes be cheaper than ISIC for short-term trips and offers emergency evacuation coverage, which is not offered by ISIC. Consider whether or not emergency evacuation coverage could be relevant for your trip. For more information on coverage through iNext, please see the following document.

 E. FILING YOUR REQUEST FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION (RTA FORM)

You must complete an RTA form, accompanied by an Out of Country form for your study abroad program (this must include a list of program participants).  

 
 

F. AGENCY ACCOUNTS

You will need an agency account for your program. This is where the money from student fees will be deposited.  Agency Account differ from State of Virginia accounts in that purchases do not need to be made through the eVA system and the State of Virginia purchase card cannot be used. You can be reimbursed for expenses incurred on your personal credit card from the agency account. To set-up an agency account, you will need to contact Dawn Peebles, Financial Reporting Manager. To pay for trip expenses from an agency account, you will need to complete a payment request form (listed below).

Procedures for the transferring of scholarship funds to your agency account are outlined here.

Payments from Students
In order to make payments, students should turn in a study abroad program payment slip with their payment to the office of cashiering. Once your agency account is set up, contact the office of international affairs and we will send you these payment slips to distribute to your students. Be sure to fill out the Trip Name and Trip Account lines on the form before distributing them to your students.

G. PRICING YOUR TRIP

It is important to keep in mind that revenues collected must cover all trip expenses for the group. Remember there are now funds provided by the provost's office to help defray the costs of bringing a second faculty or staff member on the trip. See section K. Because of changing exchange rates, and unexpected occurrences, it is recommended that you build in a price buffer. It is easier to issue refunds than to raise the price of a trip later on. Use the currency converter to get a feel for the current exchange rate. Also note that there is a refund policy that allows you to establish a nonrefundable deposit. It also explains the consequences associated with a student dropping out of a trip.

H. PREPARING FOR YOUR TRIP

It is required that faculty leaders submit required documents to the Office of International Affairs by the deadlines listed in the faculty leader checklist (below).  It is also required that you register your student group with the Department of State before departure (see the STEP program).  Students should also register themselves and indicate who information may be released to in an emergency. Listed below are also links to additional information about culture shock, disabilities, Center for Disease Control suggested vaccinations, and how to obtain a passport. 

 Reference the faculty checklist for group study abroad program for a list of what of is due and relevant dates. 

I. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN

Trip leaders are required to develop an emergency plan that will be distributed to all participants. The plan must also be submitted to the university. A copy of the Emergency Situations Guide should also be carried by the leader for reference if needed.

Your Emergency Plan must include the following:

  • US Embassy contact information in your destinations
  • US Department of State hotline number
  • How to contact Longwood via dispatch (see risk presentation information)
  • Make sure to note that this can be called collect.
  • Make sure to provide exact number including country code which can be different for different locations.
  • Other key Longwood numbers (see risk presentation info)
  • Your cell-phone information (if relevant)
  • Hospital contact information
  • Hotel contact information
  • Emergency numbers of tour companies (if relevant)
  • Police station contact information
  • Key meeting places (and other procedures) should a student get separated from group
  • Look over the Health Report and Release forms to see if you have any students who could present you with problems relating to travel and to interacting abroad.  If students have signed the Release form, you may send a list of your students to the Director of the Counseling Center and to the Director of Student Health
  • Example Emergency Plan

  • Faculty-Led Programs Emergency Operations Handbook

J. EXPENDITURE REPORT

Upon your return from a study abroad, you are required to submit an expenditure report that details how the money was spent for your trip. This should include an itemized list and accompanying receipts. Information should include all expenditures as follows:

  • Expenditures and receipts for airline travel and other forms of transportation
  • Expenditures and receipts for housing
  • Expenditures and receipts for excursions
  • Expenditures and receipts for meals
  • Expenditures and receipts for admission fees
  • Any other uses of money

In some cases, receipts are not available (for example, from street food vendors in Thailand). During the trip, faculty leaders should keep a log of these expenditures. These expenditures should be detailed in your expenditure report with an indication that receipts were not available. It is your responsibility to carefully document your expenses.

You must also give a simple accounting report of your total expenditures and your revenues from student payments (see sample report here). If surplus funds were returned to students, this should be indicated as well.

This report must be submitted to Lorie Kennon in accounting within 3 weeks of your return. It will be kept on record in the accounting office.

K. Compensation for Faculty Trip Leaders and Financial Assistance for Second Chaperone

Please note that the provost's office now allocates funds for financial assistance to help defray the costs of bringing a second faculty or staff member on study abroad trips as a second chaperone. Compensation and financial assistance will depend on the number of students enrolled on the trip. Be sure to read the footnotes on the following Excel spreadsheet carefully. Please see the revised compensation structure (.docx) for faculty trip leaders. You must enter your FULL e-mail address and system password to open the spreadsheet.

 
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