Earlier in the planning process, you had a course number assigned to your program. The participants you've selected will now be able to register for your course by contacting Distance and Continuing Education to enroll.

Additional registration considerations:

• Non-NDSU students complete a special student (non-degree seeking) application (available in print from the Admissions Office, Ceres Hall 124).

It is important to closely monitor key deadlines for registration and billing.

Program Fee :

The program fee is the cost of the program as described in the program's brochure and/or other advertising. This generally covers tuition at the host institution (if applicable), lodging, some meals, group transportation, excursions, and the Program Director's expenses and may include airfare if group travel is being arranged.

Tuition and fees :

Students are charged NDSU tuition at the appropriate rate for the number of credits that will be awarded by the program. This tuition is not included in the program fee. Salary budget is covered under tuition amount at a rate of $180 per student for a three-credit course. Students are charged regular student fees for study abroad.

Financial arrangements :

OIP requires financial agreements from all students on group programs. Copies of this form can be found on the OIP Web site as part of the short-term study abroad application packet.

Billing process :

Originals of completed financial agreements must be sent to OIP with the finalized program fee amount for billing. If billing is done by Distance and Continuing Education, it will be applied during the month before financial aid is released for the semester.

Students will be charged for the class and program fees upon registering for the class. Students with financial aid will pay for it after the financial aid has come in. If going through Distance and Continuing Education, students will be charged for both the program fee and for tuition.

Program withdrawal penalties :

Students who withdraw from a group study program after they have been accepted to the program will be subject to the penalties indicated on the Financial Agreement form.

University Purchasing Cards :

NDSU Purchasing Cards can be issued for departmental purchases and/or study abroad. The card can be used for program expenses on the study abroad program itself and include expenses you incur for the group. By using your Purchasing Card for program expenses, you normally receive a better exchange rate than if you were carrying Travelers' Checks or getting cash advances.

If you have a Purchasing Card
If you currently have an NDSU Purchasing Card issued by your department and plan to use the card while you are doing a site visit or a study abroad program, you will need to complete an additional Purchasing Card Application and Use Agreement application. The Accounting Department also requires you to complete a Travel Advance form if you are requesting a PIN for cash withdrawals on the card. These applications are available from Purchasing. You may need additional funds beyond the $2,500 per transaction/$5,000 per month credit limit to cover expenses for your group program. If so, the application allows you to request an additional amount of money per transaction and/or for the monthly credit limit, although this applies only in unusual circumstances. On the application, indicate the dates of your travel for study abroad.

Once the application is received, Purchasing will allow your Purchasing Card to be used for international program expenses. Keep a copy of the Purchasing Card Application and Use Agreement application, as it lists authorized expenses. Your PIN will be sent to you via U.S. mail. Please allow two weeks for the PIN to arrive. The PIN will be deactivated after your return.

If you don't have a Purchasing Card
If you do not have an NDSU Purchasing Card, request a Purchasing Card Application and Use Agreement application (and a Travel Advance form, if you are requesting a PIN for cash withdrawals on the card) from Purchasing. On the application, indicate the dates of your travel for study abroad. Signatures required include yours as Program Director/Co-director, with departmental and director approval coming from the OIP. At the time of signature, the section headed "New Cardholders Only" will be completed by the OIP. A card will then be issued to you, and Purchasing requires that you attend a short training session. Keep a copy of the agreement, as it lists authorized expenses. The PIN is sent to you via U.S. mail. Please allow two weeks for your PIN to arrive. Your card should be returned to Purchasing after your study abroad travel is completed. Your card will be kept for future program use.

Purchasing Card information :

Use your Purchasing Card to make as many program arrangements as possible in advance of departure. This could include student housing reservations, deposits, entry tickets, or any other expenses for student activities. Keep receipts of any purchases on your Purchasing Card. When you return, give the receipts with a complete accounting of each expense to the person who will be electronically clearing these expenses.

While you are on the program, and if you have a PIN, you will be able to withdraw cash to pay for expenses that cannot be put on the Purchasing Card. Keep the cash withdrawal receipts and attach them to a complete listing of how the cash was spent as well as to any receipts received for those cash payments. Please note that you are charged a cash advance fee each time you withdraw cash on your PIN. It normally is 3% of the amount you withdraw or the minimum ATM charge, whichever is more.

If you cannot use your Purchasing Card for advance program purchases, you are able to do wire transfers or request checks in foreign currency from the Accounting Office. Both of these methods of payment take several days for processing, so planning ahead is essential. Bills from service providers need to accompany any check requests to Accounting. E-mails and faxes of invoices are normally acceptable as long as the information is clear and the amount is included.

If you are using personal funds or a cash advance to pay program expenses, you will need to keep all receipts for any funds spent on the program. Attach to the receipts a complete listing of what the charge was for. After you return, a Travel Expense Voucher (TEV) needs to be completed for reimbursement. The same TEV may be used for personal expenses and group expenses; however, personal expenses and group expenses should be separated on the TEV.

Airline tickets :

You have the option to have your program fee include air ticket costs for all participants, or have each student pay for his/her own travel. The program director and students should fly together to begin the program. Return dates can be flexible as students may want to stay in the host country and explore.

International student participants :

International students will need to contact the Office of International Programs to determine if they need visa documents to enter other countries, to have documents signed for return to the U.S., and to determine if they have a valid U.S. visa.

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NDSU has an obligation to provide participants with certain types of information regarding programs abroad. Thus, an in-depth pre-departure orientation program must be made available for the students. In general, student participants should be given clear information regarding what a particular program entails. The most important types of information address the following issues: program requirements, behavioral expectations, safety, and health. Additionally, if the program involves exposure to the culture of the area, then participants need to be provided with information on local culture, cross-cultural communication, and cultural adjustment strategies.

The Study Abroad Advisor in the Office of International Programs should be invited to assist with this orientation. The Office of International Programs provides pre-departure orientation that provides general information for all destinations on student conduct, safety, and health. Each participant is provided with a copy of the Study Abroad Student Handbook (also available on the OIP Web site).

The Tour Director should plan a minimum of one pre-tour preparation meeting in addition to a pre-departure orientation. We encourage faculty to incorporate the tour as part of a class. If not possible, we recommend the tour director have at least one meeting focused on tour course content and pre-tour academic preparation.

Program Requirements :

Be sure that all of your participants have a clear understanding of what the course requirements are and how their work will be evaluated and graded. Distribute a syllabus and an itinerary that shows both the course expectations for each day of the program and the destination for each day if the program moves from place to place. Hotel address, phone, and other contact information for each day would also be valuable in case a student becomes separated from the group. Please encourage your participants to share a copy of this itinerary/syllabus with their families or significant others, in case students should need to be reached during the program.

Ensure that students also understand what the course dates are, when and where they will be expected to make an appearance (if the group is not traveling together to the program site), when the program concludes, and when final projects are due. Clarify whether or not you will provide extensions for those who find themselves unable to complete work on time.

Safety :

Although the in loco parentis laws no longer apply on the university campus, parents expect their children (including their adult children) to be supervised while abroad on a university-sanctioned program. Your responsibility to your participants is to provide them with a stimulating academic experience in as safe an environment as is feasible given the nature of your program. You are liable for participants' safety only insofar as you put them at unnecessary risk, have not informed them of potential risk, or are not acting in your capacity as Program Director (i.e., are away from the group and unavailable for contact during the program).

Students remain subject to NDSU's student conduct regulations (see Appendix 2) even when they are off campus or out of the country, and they need to be made aware of this. Your participants also need to be aware that they are subject to the laws of the host country; due process is not the "law of the land" in may parts of the world, and regulations regarding drugs, alcohol, driving, and general public behavior may be far more severe than in the U.S.

The university's alcohol policy (Appendix 2) is also binding upon NDSU students abroad. In many countries, the legal age for alcohol purchase and consumption is younger than in the U.S. Explain to your students what the ramifications of drunkenness will be in relation to host country law, to their personal safety, and to continuation in your group program.

The "Conditions of Participation" form that your students signed should be reviewed with the group, with emphasis on the types of conduct that could lead to their being terminated from the program and sent back to the U.S. at their own expense, with forfeit of their tuition and program fees. Inform students of the disciplinary process, including verbal warning, written warning, and expulsion from the program.

Students should be strongly discouraged from putting themselves at increased risk during the program; for instance, even if hang-gliding lessons are available during their free time while on the program, they need to wait until they've returned to the States to learn that feat!

Check the State Department country-specific information and check for local safety and security conditions (www.state.gov). You checked this information in the planning stages of your program, but it is a good idea to check again just prior to departure.

Explain to participants what responsibilities are yours for the duration of the program and where your responsibilities to them, and to the program, end. Specifically, be sure students are clear which events mark the start and end of the program.

Health :

Inform your students about any health hazards in the host country (insects, drinking water, etc.). Check the Centers for Disease Control Web site (www.cdc.gov) and note if there are any required immunizations for the program destination. Be sure that students are advised of other risks or hazards inherent in your program, whether it's about the rafts that will be used to cross the river on your field trip or the three-mile hike with their gear to reach the first night's lodging.

In general, uninformed students are a tremendous risk to you and your program, both for reasons of sanity and of liability. For instance, if students know in advance that they will be spending two nights in a tent on a riverbank, you will have less whining about the living conditions while on the program and fewer chances of damage claims after you've returned to campus.

Health Insurance:

All students participating in a North Dakota State University sponsored tour will be covered by the NDSU study abroad insurance plan. This insurance includes coverage for possible hospitalization and repatriation expenses. It is the responsibility of the tour director to make sure that students are informed of this requirement. Faculty directors need to add in the cost of the insurance into their budget proposal.

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Check that each student has the following :

• valid passport (expiration date at least six months after program ends)
• valid visa (if needed)
• International Student Identity Card
• a copy of the course syllabus
• a copy of the course itinerary (including each destination, hotel address, phone number, and schedule of events)

Check that you have the following :

• valid passport (expiration date at least several months after program ends)
• valid visa (if needed)
• your NDSU Purchasing Card (and your PIN)
• Program Director Field Manual (contains NDSU emergency contact)
• copies of provider contracts
• a list of your in-country contacts (including medical, legal, local police)
• U.S. Consulate or Embassy telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address
• a photocopy of page one of each participant's passport
• a photocopy of each participant's Medical History/Health Insurance Verification and Emergency Information/Emergency Treatment form
• Study Abroad Program Evaluation forms (Appendix 3, to distribute and collect before your group disperses)

Check that you have forwarded the following to the OIP :

• your complete itinerary
• your 24/7 contact information while abroad
• your health insurance and emergency contact information
• a copy of your in-country contacts list (including medical, legal, local police)
• a photocopy of each participant's Medical History/Health Insurance Verification and Emergency Information/Emergency Treatment form (unless the OIP collected the applications)

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