The intiating UCI faculty member and his/her Department will be responsible for the following:
Upholding DISE requirements.
To be eligible to participate, incoming and outgoing students must be matriculated at their home university, making normative progress towards their degree, and in good academic standing.
During the exchange, incoming (students from abroad coming to study at UCI) and outgoing students (UCI students going abroad to study) must be enrolled, or engaged in the case of graduate students, full-time.
Exchange duration can be a minimum of one quarter to a maximum of one year.
Exchange must be reciprocal – the number of students from each institution will be approximately equal over a specified period of time (e.g. 3 years).
Developing the agreement.
The UCI department and host university department will develop the specific aspects of the exchange.
Each will secure appropriate approvals from their institution.
Developing and administering the details of the exchange for outgoing students
Determine which classes students can take abroad and how they will fulfill degree requirements at UCI.
Select student participants – determine criteria, a selection process, promote the exchange, etc.
Provide information to students (info may come from partner institution) – cost, visa requirements, health insurance, housing, etc.
Convey necessary information to other offices on campus (e.g. Registrar, Financial Aid, and Graduate Division).
In case of emergency, convey information to participant’s parents/family.
Developing and administering the details of the exchange for incoming students
Determine classes students can take or are recommended to take at UCI.
Provide information to students (via partner institution contact) – cost of living estimate, housing options, visa requirements, health insurance requirements, etc.
Convey necessary information to other offices on campus (e.g. Registrar, International Center, and Graduate Division).
Welcome students into Department and provide hospitality – Be the primary point of contact for any questions, direct them to resources, be available in times of emergency, etc.
Department Chair and/or Dean, as required by School
Dean of Graduate Division and/or the Dean of Undergraduate Education, as needed depending on level of students included in the exchange.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Partner institution signature
Determine program budgets for incoming and outgoing students. What is the total estimated cost (including tuition, housing, travel, etc) for incoming & outgoing students to participate on the exchange?
Determine an operating budget. How much will it cost your department to operate the exchange and where will any funding come from?
Determine how to promote the exchange to students. Information on-line, hardcopy, info sessions, etc.
Consider pre-departure and re-entry orientations for outgoing students. May collaborate with the Study Abroad Center.
Consider arrival orientation for incoming students. May collaborate with the Study Abroad Center and the International Center (IC).
Create a pre-departure and post-departure withdrawal procedure. May gather example procedures from the Study Abroad Center.
Create an emergency communication plan.
Designate someone in your department for incoming students to contact in case of a personal, environmental, or public emergency.
In the case of an environmental or general emergency you must: locate students, ensure they are safe, advise the students to notify their families at home that they are safe, and notify their home institution's primary contact. If any student is injured, frightened, etc., assist the student as needed. Then notify the home institution's primary contact.
In the case of serious injury or death, contact UCI Dean of Student's Office
You should ensure that the partner institution abroad will provide the same as the above to UCI students attending their institution.
Designate someone in your department for the partner institution to contact in case a UCI student abroad has an emergency. Following privacy policies, that person may or may not convey information to the student's parents/family.
Determine how you will provide information and services to incoming students. You may want to provide the below information via the web site, hardcopy materials, and/or face to face advising. (You should ensure that the partner institution abroad will provide the same to UCI students attending their institution).
Student Visa requirements & application process. Contact Anna Wimberly at the IC.
How to engage with the UCI and Orange County community: join clubs, get a UCI peer mentor, etc
What students need to do at UCI before they return home: paying any zotbill or library fees, etc.
Determine how you will provide information and services to outgoing students. You may want to provide the below information via the web site, hardcopy materials, and/or face to face advising. (You should ensure that the partner institution abroad will provide the same to their students attending UCI).
Exchange program details: duration, purpose, available classes, class equivalencies, type of credit, etc. May gather ideas of what to include from Marcella Khelif at the Study Abroad Center.
Program application process. May gather ideas/samples from the Study Abroad Center.
Financial aid application process. Contact Olivia Garcia at the Financial Aid office.
Behavioral and academic expectations. May gather ideas/samples from the Study Abroad Center.
Pre-departure requirements: mandatory orientations, health clearances, waiver of liability form, visa application, etc. May gather ideas/samples from the Study Abroad Center. Partner should provide information on visa application process.
Host country culture. Get ideas and resources from partner and/or the Study Abroad Center.
The challenges of living abroad and tips for success abroad. Get ideas and resources from the Study Abroad Center.
What type of an exchange doesn't a DISE cover? See DISE homepage.
What is an MOU? A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a general statment in which a UCI Department and a partner abroad express an intention to engage in cooperative academic or research activities. A DISE cannot be intiated/agreed upon with an MOU.
What is an International Agreement? An International Agreement involves a commitment of UCI resources for cooperative international academic and research activities. DISEs always involve a commitment of UCI resources and therefore an international agreement is needed to develop a DISE.
Who is responsible for administering the initiatives outlined in the International Agreement for DISEs? The initiating faculty member and his/her department are responsible for the development, implementation and management of the agreement. The initiating faculty member and his/her Department will be specified in the agreement as responsible for the administration and implementation of the agreement. The initiating faculty member and his/her Department are also responsible for obtaining any and all resources required to support the activities specified in the agreement. Such resources might include, for example, staffing, funding for exchanges of visiting scholars or students, etc.
What role does the Study Abroad Center play in helping me and my Department develop a DISE? The Study Abroad Center can serve in an advisory capacity. The Study Abroad Center has coordinated with offices on campus (e.g. Registrar, International Center, Financial Aid, etc.) to create the means to make these exchanges possible at UCI. The Study Abroad Center has also created this website to give you a path to follow when developing your DISE. In addition, as you will see in the Checklist document, The Study Abroad Center can be an informational resource for many of the elements required for actually implementing your DISE.
