Policies

Study Abroad Program Policies

Academic

• Contact Hours Guidelines for Study Abroad Programs
• Enrollment Thresholds Guidelines for Study Abroad Programs
• UGA Credit Hour Policy
• Policy on the Requirement for Faculty and Staff to Submit Education Abroad Activity that is Recommended to Students for Review by the Office of International Education

Templates for documenting study abroad programs meeting the UGA Credit Hour Policy are listed below:

• Short SABD Program Info and Itinerary Template (for study abroad programs less than eight weeks)
• Semester SABD Program Info Template (for study abroad programs eight weeks or longer)
• Internship, Practicum, or Student Teaching Program Information Template (for internship, practicum, or student teaching programs of any length)

Risk Management

The University of Georgia is committed to the safety and well-being of its students, faculty, and staff who travel to support the University's mission, and realizes that some areas and regions of the world present heightened health, safety, and security risks. Specifically, countries and areas that carry U.S. State Department Travel Warnings require special consideration and review to manage and mitigate risk, and in many circumstances, require the avoidance of travel altogether, thus the ability to travel under UGA sponsorship or financing to countries under a State Department Travel Warning is limited.

• Policy on International Travel to Travel Warning Countries

Program Director and Staff Agreements

Anyone traveling in a leadership/authority position on a study abroad program (including graduate assistants) must complete the Program Staff Agreement.

The policies outlined in the Program Staff Agreement are available here:

• Expectations for UGA Program Leaders (for Program Directors/Leaders)
• Expectations for UGA Program Staff (for any UGA employees who are not the Program Director)
• Expectations for Non-UGA Program Staff (for any person in a position of leadership/authority who is not a UGA employee)

UGA Study Abroad Program Director's Manual

For additional information on running a program, please consult the UGA Study Abroad Program Director's Manual (PDF).

Student Participant Policies

Students participating in study abroad programs must agree to abide by certain policies, including:

• Agreement for Participation in a Program Abroad*
  • Agreement for Participation in a Group Program Abroad
  • Agreement for Participation in a Non-UGA Program Abroad
  • Agreement for Participation in Independent Travel Abroad
• Education Abroad Program Fee Withdrawal Policy*
  • Procedure to Request a Refund due to Student Drop or Withdrawal Prior to Study Abroad Departure
  • Study Abroad Student Withdrawal Processing Request Form
  • Deposit Refund Request Form

*Documents marked with an asterisk (*) are signed electronically in the online application.

Institutional Policies

University of Georgia general travel policies provided by UGA Finance and Administration can be found at http://www.policies.uga.edu/FA/nodes/view/988/Travel.

Emergency Response Protocol

UGA Education Abroad has developed an Emergency Response Protocol for International Education Programs, available online in PDF format.

CISI Insurance

• Please review the CISI Insurance Policy.
• To file a claim, use the CISI Insurance Claim Form.
• Enrollment information will be provided by the UGA Office of International Education.
• CISI Mobile Apps: iOS / Android

International Travel for Faculty/Staff

International travel authorities are reviewed by the Office of International Education and, to assess safety and security of the target location, as with any UGA travel request, approval must be obtained prior to finalizing travel reservations.

OIE cross-checks faculty and staff travel requests with numerous security and information sources, including the State Department's list of countries with current travel warnings. The full policy on international travel to travel warning countries is available here: Travel Warning Policy.

As of September 1^st,  2017, the U.S. government prohibits U.S. citizen travel to North Korea. Travel to Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine, which are subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions and embargo, requires, per the UGA Travel Policy, the approval of the Office of Export Control and in many circumstances the U.S. government. For more information review the following Research Announcements and the Office of Export Control website.

For further information please contact Education Abroad (goabroad@uga.edu).