UW-River Falls

Study Abroad Handbook

Section A: Policies, Procedures, and Requirements.

1.0 Financial/Administrative

1.1 Compensation Agreement
1.2 Budget
1.3 Account
1.4 Salary
1.5 Study Tour Coordination Fee
1.6 Revenue
1.7 Tuition
1.8 Additional Fee for Nonresident Students
1.9 Travel Advance
1.10 Planning/Seed Money
1.11 International Fee
1.12 Cancellation/Refund Policy

1.1 Compensation Agreement:
A UW-River Falls Study Tour Leader/Assistant Compensation Agreement form shall be agreed to and signed as agreement to terms and conditions of a study tour.
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1.2 Budget:
A Study Tour budget shall be developed by the Study Tour Coordinator and approved by the Director of International Programs. The Office of International Programs (OIP) has study tour budget templates that may be used as a guide in developing a budget.
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1.3 Account:
The Director of International Programs will set up a Program Revenue (128) account which will be established under the OIP. All study tour funds must flow through the UW-RF accounting system. All checks must be made out to UW-RF. Non-students and students participating in the program for no credit will pay all fees to the program leader.

The study tour account funds are to be used solely for the purpose of supporting study abroad programs. No study tour account funds will cover the reimbursement of any personal lost/stolen items belonging to study tour leaders or study tour participants. It is suggested that study tour participants, including faculty, check into travel insurance for this purpose. Appropriate expenditures from a study tour account may include items such as texts, reference books, guide books, video/film, etc. Inappropriate expenditures would include items such as subscriptions or materials that are intended primarily for a department rather than for a specific tour.
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1.4 Salary:
A teaching salary up to the limit of the currently approved rate for ad hoc faculty may be paid for a study tour course. This salary is contingent on there being sufficient funds in the study tour account. There are no other University funds to supplement study tour expenses. This salary will not be paid until the study tour is complete and all other study tour expenses are paid (this may take for 2 – 3 months after the completion of a study tour/abroad program). Fringe benefits are to be included in the calculation of study tour budgets.

When a study abroad program leader has an annual appointment he/she is not allowed to draw additional compensation unless he/she takes vacation time.

Occasionally, due to insufficient study tour account funds, a study abroad program leader may not receive full allowable compensation in any given year. If this situation occurs the affected faculty/staff member will be allowed to recoup the full missed salary in subsequent year(s) but only after all expenses (excluding salary & benefits) are paid and if sufficient funds remain in the study tour account.
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1.5 Study Tour Coordination Fee:
Faculty/staff will be allowed to draw up to a $1200 study tour coordination fee. This fee shall be negotiated in advance with the International Program Director and noted on the UW-River Falls Outreach Course/Instructor Appointment form and will be based on the degree of additional work involved. If a great deal of the logistical work is done by either an outside travel agency/coordinator and/or the Office of Global Connections, the fee would be less than the full amount to none at all. As with the course fee, payment of the study tour/abroad coordination is contingent on sufficient funds in the study tour account. This fee will not be paid until the study tour is complete and all other study tour expenses are paid.

If there are multiple study tour coordinators/leaders they must mutually agree on who receives what portion of the (up to) $1200 study tour/abroad coordination fee. If there is not written agreement/documentation on file with the OIP or the course study tour/abroad coordination fee will be divided evenly among coordinators/leaders. Please see the Course Fee Division for Multiple Study Tour Leaders form in the Appendix.
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1.6 Revenue:
Per UW System policy F45, special course fees and tuition generated by study tour programs will be retained by that study tour program to offset program expenses (salaries, travel, lodging, board, etc.).

Residual revenue generated by a study tour will remain in that study tour account, regardless of study tour leadership, for up to 3 years. If a study tour becomes dormant and there is no activity related to that study tour for 3 years, the balance of the study tour account will roll into a “general fund” within the Office of Global Connections and be used to help develop other study tours. In any year, if a study tour generates residual revenue, fifteen percent (15%) of this residual revenue will roll into a “general fund” within the Office of Global Connections and be used to help develop other study tours. The 15% fund will also be used as a study tour contingency fund should financial exigencies arise for a study tour while abroad.
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1.7 Tuition:
Tuition must be paid for the term in which a student will register for a study tour, regardless of whether there was/will be orientation, planning, training, and/or preliminary/post course sessions offered/required in a prior or subsequent term. Summer sessions and J-terms are separate terms by themselves. Students are required to register and pay separately.

Tuition for spring semester break study tours will be included as part a student's spring semester tuition. Tuition will be based on the total credits for which the student is registered. Therefore, if a student’s total credits for spring semester (including spring break study tour credits) fall between 12 – 18 credits, they will pay the plateau tuition rate. For any credits over 18 a student will pay a per credit tuition charge. In planning the amount of revenue for study tours remember all tuition for over 12 credits will be pro-rated. The study tour budget will not receive the total amount of tuition per credit to cover the study tour.
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1.8 Additional Fee for Nonresident Students:
UWS F45 states “for credit programs, an institution shall develop the fee in a manner that differentiates between Wisconsin resident and nonresident status, reflecting the level of GPO-supported and in-kind services provided to the program. That differential shall be no greater than the difference between resident and nonresident fees at the institution. The minimum fee charged, exclusive of student personal costs, for any participant in a credit program shall be no less than the resident fee rate at that institution.”

Through June 30, 2006 international study/tour participants of nonresident status (U.S. or International) shall be charged the equivalent of the Minnesota reciprocity differential pro rated according to the number of credits taken. Effective July 1, 2006, international study/tour participants of nonresident status (U.S. or International) shall pay an additional $25 per credit hour up to a maximum of $250.

In the case of students/individuals who choose to participate in the program for no credit, the additional fee will be set separately by the study tour leader and the Director of Global Connections.
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1.9 Travel Advance:
A travel advance may be requested from the University to pay unanticipated in-country costs and/or expenses that cannot otherwise be paid in advance by University check. Request a travel advance form from the Accounts Payable Office.
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1.10 Planning/Seed Money:
In some cases the Office of Global Connections may provide advance/seed money for study tour leaders to plan a study tour. There is no guarantee of the availability of these funds. Whenever funds are granted it is expected that they will be paid back to the Office of Global Connections, out of the study tour funds, so they may be used to help support/develop other study tours.
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1.11 International Fee:
In the spring of 2000 the UW-River Falls Provost’s Office implemented a mandatory fee (UW-River Falls Policy Paper 19.a.1) for all individuals who study/travel abroad through UW-River Falls. The policy states the following as the purpose of the fee: “This fee will be used to directly support the operation of the Office of International Programs and support the development of both study abroad programs and international student recruitment.”

Any student who goes abroad for credit (except internships) is required to pay the full fee, currently $275. The Office of Global Connections will not charge the fee for any student who does an international internship as long as they don't request/receive from the Office of Global Connections substantive assistance (CISI insurance, ISIC card are okay). The Office of Global Connections also will not charge the fee to students who go abroad, on an organized trip (e.g. choir tour to Hawaii/Japan/Korea) if it is a non-credit tour, and they don't use the Office of Global Connections for substantive assistance.

The Office of Global Connections can/will charge for international experiences, even if not for credit, if the Office of Global Connections provides substantive (instrumental in developing, coordinating, promoting, recruiting) support/assistance toward that experience (e.g. U.S.A. Language camps in Japan.)

Note: At present non-credit students and non-students cannot be put on the eSIS system.
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1.12 Cancellation/Refund Policy:
In the case of study tours, once a student signs up for the study tour, he/she is responsible for all costs (even costs that have not been incurred but would cause the other participants’ fees to increase without this individual being a part of the group and help with the “economy of scale.”) Fees are set based on x number of participants; once the decision is made to proceed with the tour with a certain base number of students all those who have committed are obligated for the full fee.
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