Partnerships
The Office of Education Abroad works with many third parties, such as approved program provider organizations. These educational provider organizations provide on-site logistical support (e.g. lodging, transportation, booking, guest speakers), local knowledge, and support and guidance in the event of an emergency or unforeseen circumstance abroad. During an emergency abroad, for example, a program provider may assist a student or faculty member with their knowledge of local resources, language support, and ability to respond to the emergency so that, for example, a faculty leader can more effectively attend to program participants. All program providers are required to submit to the Office of Education Abroad their comprehensive crisis response plan in the event of an emergency abroad (such as emergencies related medical, natural disaster, and crime), and to provide details regarding their on-site orientation, their process for vetting vendors (such as transportation companies or guides), and their communication plan.
For programs that utilize a third party organization, the Office ofEducation Abroad will need this organization’s relevant details, including contact information, at the program proposal stage of faculty-led program development.
Third-Party Organization Contracts
Most, if not all, third-party collaborations 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 and the Center for Global Engagement to ensure compliance with university policy and state and federal law. Students and faculty do not possess signature authority for these contracts, which typically require the signature of the President or Provost.
The Office of Education Abroad will work with the third-party organization to settle any issues for all involved parties. For study tours contracting the use of a transportation company, the Office of Education Abroad will request a copy of the transportation vendor's Certificate of Liability insurance. 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 third-party organization. If contract terms are not acceptable to any involved parties, the Office of Education Abroad may want to seek a different third-party collaborator.
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 third-party organization and the Office of Education Abroad. The Office of Education Abroad strongly recommends faculty use previously approved vendors for this reason and others. Third-party organizations that we have collaborated with in the past have already gone through the rigorous university vetting process and are more likely to be approved again.
For assistance in identifying previously approved third-party organizations or vendors to collaborate with, please contact the Office of Education Abroad.