Host Institutions

The Office of Education Abroad requires that faculty leaders work with third-party host institutions, such as program providers or other universities. These institutions provide on-site risk management, logistical support (e.g. lodging, transportation, booking, guest speakers), local knowledge, and support and guidance in the event of an emergency. In a crisis, for example, a host institution may assist a faculty leader with their knowledge of local resources, language support, and ability to respond to the emergency so that the faculty leader can more effectively attend to program participants and themselves. All host institutions are required to submit to the Office of Education Abroad their comprehensive risk management protocols and a crisis response plan in the event of an emergency and to provide details regarding their on-site orientation, their process for vetting vendors (such as transportation companies or guides), and their communication plan.

The Office of Education Abroad will liaise between you and the host institution to gather necessary information, develop an itinerary from your proposal and scope, and confirm risk management protocols. Faculty should not work with host instiutions alone, although they are welcome to participate in the sourcing process for potential collaborations.

Host Institution Contracts

Most, if not all, host institutions involve a contract that requires signature authority on behalf of the university. If this is the case for your program, the contract must undergo review with the Office of Education Abroad to ensure compliance with university policy and state and federal law. Faculty leaders do not possess signature authority for these contracts, which typically require the signature of the Associate Provost, Provost, or President.

Once the Office of Education Abroad reviews the initial contract, we will work with the host institution to settle any issues for all involved parties. For study tours travelling to certain locations, additional contractual addenda may be needed, such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) supplemental addendum for programs travelling to countries in the European Union. Once the contract is settled, the Office of Education Abroad will procure the appropriate university representative’s signature and return the final contract to the host institution.

Third-party contract review may occur separately from the proposal review process, depending on the nature of the contract. Be aware that the review process may take several weeks to several months to complete, given the level of communication among and the limited resources of the host institution and the Office of Education Abroad. We strongly recommend that faculty use previously contracted vendors for this reason. Host institutions with whom we have collaborated with in the past have already gone through the rigorous university vetting process and are more likely to be approved again.

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