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KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

POLICY TITLE: Study Abroad Policy

VOLUME, SECTION & NUMBER: 1.1.15

ENTITIES AFFECTED: Students

ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY:

Office of Global Strategies and International Affairs Department of Academic Affairs & Student Affairs Office of the Registrar

APPROVED BY:

The Kentucky State University Board of Regents

EFFECTIVE DATE:

November 28, 2023

POLICY STATEMENT:

This policy is designed to provide guidelines and standards for Kentucky State University (“KSU” or “University”) students who wish to pursue academic studies at international institutions. The policy ensures that students receive a quality educational experience that is both safe and academically rewarding.

This policy applies to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Kentucky State University who intend to participate in a study abroad program. This policy covers all study abroad programs, including exchange programs, faculty-led programs, third-party programs, and direct-enroll programs.

DEFINITIONS:

Cooperative Center for Study Abroad, The

The CCSA (the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad) is a non-profit association of twenty-eight colleges and universities in thirteen states. CCSA is overseen by a Board of Trustees made up our member institutions. Kentucky State University is a member institution of CCSA http://ccsa.cc/. Dr. Eric Yang serve on its board and serves as KSU Campus Representative.

The CCSA fosters international understanding and enhances the education of students through reasonably priced, short-term, for-credit courses - both within the United States and in other English-speaking regions. CCSA is headquartered at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Faculty-led Program

Faculty-led programs are credit-bearing study abroad experiences that are developed and led by KSU faculty and/or staff members. These programs are managed by KSU and are most often short-term summer programs, usually lasting between 2-6 weeks.

Individual Program

Individual Programs are also called Independent Study Abroad Programs. These programs are those in which the students enroll directly through a university or program that is not KSU-sponsored for the student study abroad term. The university or the accredited institution offering this program issues the transcript. Participating students must consult with their academic advisor and the Registrar for transferring credits. The academic advisor will help student understand how the courses taken abroad will be transferred to their KSU transcript and how they will count towards their plan of study. Transcripts of foreign courses may be evaluated by an authorized education service agency or through a course or program's articulation agreement between KSU and international partner institutions. All study abroad transcripts should be submitted to the Office of International Affairs directly from the host institution or program provider.

Kentucky Institute for International Students (KIIS)

The Kentucky Institute for International Students is a faculty-led study abroad consortium of colleges and universities in Kentucky and surrounding states. KIIS is dedicated to providing personalized, academically enriching, and affordable international education programs for college credit. KIIS believes study abroad should be an integral part of any degree program, regardless of academic discipline, and should prepare students to become globally competent upon graduation.

Kentucky State University is a longstanding member institution of KIIS. Dr. Eric Yang serves on KIIS and serves as KSU's campus representative for the institute.

Western Kentucky University (WKU) serves as the KIIS Sponsoring Institution, which, for the purposes described herein, means:

• All KIIS faculty are credentialed with WKU's Department of Academic Affairs;
• All KIIS course credit is issued by WKU and automatically transfers to each member institution following completion of a KIIS program (each member institution determines what those KIIS courses will count toward for their participating students—e.g., transfer equivalencies in the major core, major elective, general education, etc.);
• KSU follows WKU's accounting practices; and
• WKU does not charge students tuition for participating in KIIS study abroad programs.

Pre-Departure Orientation

Pre-Departure Orientation is a critical component of any study abroad program that helps ensure students stay safe and healthy when abroad. The orientation covers important health, safety, and cultural adjustment issues, as well as practical information such as enrollment and credits. The orientation also serves to orient students to the culture of the host country and counsel them on a range of social, academic, and other practical issues.

Third-Party Program

Third-party programs offer a wide range of available study abroad locations, types of programs, and academic content. Third-party providers are independent organizations that facilitate or administer study abroad programs. They often act as intermediaries by assisting program participants with logistics like course registration and housing arrangements.

ELEGIBILITY:

Students must be full-time, degree-seeking candidates at Kentucky State University at the time of application.

Students must complete at least one (1) semester at Kentucky State University before applying to study abroad.

Students must be in good academic standing and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA at the time of application. Any exceptions to this requirement must be approved by Academic Affairs and the specific study abroad program to which a student has applied. Such approval must be obtained prior to departure.

Students must maintain a good disciplinary record at both the time of application and prior to a program's start date. Students are ineligible to participate in a program if they are on an active disciplinary probation or academic integrity probation prior to a program's start date.

Students may study abroad for a maximum of two (2) semesters. Any exceptions to this requirement must be approved by the Office of International Affairs and the appropriate Dean.

PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS:

Students should carefully study the description of the programs they are interested in before submitting their applications to the Office of International Affairs and/or the study abroad programs. The application deadline is determined by the program's leader or sponsor/organizer. Students must complete all assignments associated with the program and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA.

For a short-term faculty-led study abroad program, students must register for the specific course designed for that program. The course must be approved by Academic Affairs. Students must receive final approval for the program from both their respective Deans' Offices and the Office of International Affairs. The program faculty leader or coordinator may interview the applicant and make a recommendation or decision.

Kentucky State University is a member of The Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA) for teaching and study abroad programs. Students must first consult with the Office of International Affairs before beginning an application form. Following consultation, students must complete the application form, receive approval from the KSU Campus Representative for CCSA and their respective Deans' Offices. The KSU Campus Representative for CCSA will assist students in applying for CCSA programs. Students must follow CCSA's procedures. The current KSU Campus Representative is Dr. Eric Yang.

Students who plan to study abroad individually or via a third-party organization not affiliated with CCSA or Kentucky State University must first seek recommendation and approval from their KSU advisors. Such students must obtain an approval of a Leave of Absence from their respective Deans' Offices and the Registrar's Office. They must ensure that the Registrar's Office will accept credits from their preferred study abroad institution. While studying abroad, these students must maintain full-time status (12 credit hours per semester). They must

also inform their Host Institutions to send an official copy of their final transcripts to their KSU advisors and the Registrar's Office and the Office of International Affairs.

MANDATORY PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATIONS:

All study abroad applicants are required to attend a Pre-Departure Orientation organized by the Office of International Affairs. These Orientations will focus on health and safety and will provide practical advice for cultural adjustment. Students must also attend any other program-specific orientations or any meetings organized by their programs' leaders/coordinators, the host institution, or the Office of International Affairs. Failure to attend the Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation may result in dismissal from a program. Students who are absent from any regularly scheduled pre-departure orientations will be required to make them up.

COSTS, FINANCIAL AID, AND SCHOLARSHIPS:

Students are responsible for all costs associated with their study abroad programs, with the exception of short-term grant-funded visit programs, which may allow for partial or full financial assistantship. Kentucky State University will not make any payments to a student's study abroad host institution. Students are responsible for paying close attention to their programs' descriptions. Program fees or costs may include:

• Application fees
• Airfare
• Local transportation costs
• Insurance
• Visa fees
• Meals
• Personal expenses

Students may be eligible to receive financial aid (grants and loans) or scholarships to participate in their study abroad programs. Students must consult with the Financial Aid Office to determine grant availability and their funding eligibility. Some short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs may be fully funded by an organization or a funding agency and may therefore grant scholarships to student participants. Students must read their program descriptions carefully to determine their eligibility.

HEALTH AND EMERGENCY INSURANCE:

Kentucky State University requires all enrolled students to have health insurance coverage. Students participating in study abroad programs must have health insurance and emergency coverage while abroad. Students must consult with their health insurance providers (University's group plan or their own personal plans) for their international coverage. If coverage is not provided by their health insurance providers, students are required to purchase an international or overseas health insurance policy for the period of time they will be studying and traveling abroad. The policy must include coverage for emergency medical evacuation and the repatriation of remains. The study abroad program faculty leaders and the Office of International Affairs staff will verify certificates of insurance coverage before students' departure. Kentucky State University will not be responsible for covering medical expenses of any kind for students studying abroad.

BEHAVIOR AND CONDUCT:

While abroad, students are subject to, and must follow, the laws of their host countries, as well as the policies of their host institutions and/or program providers. However, it is important to bear in mind that students will also retain their statuses as KSU students and will therefore also be held accountable for any infraction of the KSU Student Handbook (K-Book)/Student Code of Conduct. If Kentucky State University is made aware of any misconduct committed by a student while he or she is studying abroad, the student may be administratively dismissed from his or her program and sent home at his or her expense.

Students must attend all scheduled lectures and tutorials, and must complete all assigned work, projects, essays, and examinations by the due date set by their host institutions, their KSU faculty supervisors, and/or their faculty leader (chaperone).

CANCELLATION AND WITHDRAWAL:

Program sponsors will have different cancellation and withdrawal policies that participants must obey. Students must carefully read the specific program descriptions and their associated policies. For KSU-sponsored or organized study abroad programs in which KSU course are taught, students must follow the KSU course withdrawal policies outlined in KSU policies, catalogues, and syllabi. If a student chooses to withdraw from a program either prior to or while abroad, he or she is responsible for all costs associated with the withdrawal, as well as any costs owed to the providers, host institutions, etc.

If a student withdraws from a study abroad program or is removed from a program for any reason after arriving at a program site, the student is responsible for any withdrawal frees. Additionally, the student is responsible for immediately notifying the program's leader or coordinator.

For faculty-led programs, Kentucky State University shall have the right to cancel the study abroad program without penalty, and the University reserves the right to make academic alterations, deletions, or modifications to the programs as deemed necessary by the University. However, the University must notify students of any such alterations, deletions, or modifications as soon as practicable. If a program is canceled, or if changes to a program no longer satisfy a student's academic requirements, the student shall be refunded any money paid for the course and program.

Kentucky State University reserves the right to withdraw a student from a study abroad program prior to departure for any of the following reasons:

• Disciplinary action
• Cumulative GPA that is below a 2.5
• Failure to make payments or complete necessary application steps
• Violation of KSU's Student Handbook/Code of Conduct

All withdrawals based on the above conditions will be at the cost of the student. Students may owe significant program fees to study abroad providers and/or hosts as a result of such withdrawals.

GRADING:

Usually, the study abroad experience of a short-term, faculty-led program is an integrated part of a course in which a student is enrolled. In that case, the course will follow KSU's grading system. Some study abroad

programs, and especially individual programs, are non-credit-bearing programs. For credit-bearing study abroad programs, participants will receive credit for courses that they take for a grade. This does not include courses taken on a pass/fail basis. Students must inform their host institutions to issue an official copy of their transcripts to Kentucky State University. An official transcript must be sent to a student's KSU advisor, the Registrar's Office, and the Office of International Affairs upon completion of a study abroad program.

Courses taken as a part of a credit-bearing study abroad program that is based on an MOU and course articulation agreement between the host institution and KSU will be accepted by KSU with a letter grade. These grades will be factored into a student's GPA. When grades are assigned by faculty members from a host institution using that institution's grading scale, equivalency scales may be used to translate the grades to U.S.-based grades. However, equivalency scales (such as https://www.scholaro.com/gpa-calculator/) will only be used when a host institution has a course articulation agreement and MOU with KSU and if an evaluation has been completed prior to the start of the program. Otherwise, transcripts from a host institution must be officially evaluated by an authorized services such as WES.

For CCSA programs, Western Kentucky University (WKU) serves as the academic sponsor for CCSA. CCSA works with the academic departments at WKU to create transfer credit courses for students needing a WKU transcript. This WKU transcript can then be easily used to assign credit for KSU students.

For any individual or third-party study abroad programs, students are strongly encouraged to first consult with the Registrar's Office before participating in any such program. That is because KSU may not accept credits/transcripts produced by those programs. However, even if KSU does accept transcripts from an individual or third-party study abroad program, the transcripts must be officially evaluated by an authorized service agency such as WES.

EVALUATION:

Programs have different evaluation requirements. Some programs may require students to submit their program evaluation forms, while others may require students to attend a special session of program debriefing and evaluation. The Office of International Affairs will require all students to complete the Program Evaluation Form when returning to the United States from a study abroad site. In addition, students shall agree to deliver, upon request, information or presentations on their study abroad program so that they may be shared with new potential participants and for the promotions of KSU study abroad programs.

RELATED POLICIES:

Domestic and International Exchange Program Policy

STATUTORY OR REGULATORY REFERENCES:

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education's Policies