RISK AND RESPONSIBILITYfor

EDUCATION ABROAD PROGRAMMES

INSTITUTIONAL POLICIESLilieth H. Nelson, The UWI

INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES

• Institutions - Commonwealth Countries

- Non-Commonwealth Countries

• Policies- Inward Model

- Outward Model

Categories of Education Abroad Programmes

• Tailor-made collaborative programmes for groups

• Individualized Guided Study Programmes• Intersession Programmes, Intensive• Facilitated Programmes• Student Exchanges• Staff Exchanges

Some Non-Commonwealth Countries

• United States of America

• Europe

• Japan

The United States of America

The United States of America

• USA – Over 3600 universities and colleges offer education abroad programmes. If divided into 6 geographical regions:

• 12 States in the West, including Hawaii (652)• 13 States in the Mid-West (971)• 4 States in the South-West (302)• 10 States in the South (782)• 6 States in the Mid-Atlantic (622)• 6 New England States (229)• Puerto Rico (46)

SELECTED UNIVERSITIES

• Those with longest history of study (education) abroad are in the West and New England States

• Policies are predominantly within the Outward Model framework

• Programmes have a long history of being Euro-Centric (across the Atlantic Ocean)

• Trend among those institutions in the west to send students across the Pacific Ocean

POLICIES OF SELECTED USA UNIVERSITIES

• UNC Chapel Hill

• University of California

• Some of the 40 institutions with which the UWI has been involved wrt education abroad programmes – Groups– Exchanges– “Specially admitted”

Europe

• University of Norway

Japan

• Example of institutions which adopt a mix of inward and outward models

• For example:– USA to Japan –– Japan to USA -

Some Commonwealth Countries

• The United Kingdom

• Canada

• Australia

• Anglophone Caribbean

THE UNITED KINGDOM

• Policies are predominantly within the Inward Policy framework

• ‘Sending’ institutions from Europe, The Americas, Asia, Australia, Africa

Selected Universities in UK

• Cambridge University

• University of London

• Edinburgh University

• Warwick University

• University of Bath

• University of Wales

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITYA Case Study

• Policies articulated in printed documents:– Faculty Guide– Student Guide– Security

AUSTRALIA

• Strong emphasis on inward policies• Heavy investment in marketing

and recruitment• Visible participation in Study (Education)

Abroad Fairs• University of New South Wales• University of Wollongong

CANADA

• Policies typical of institutions in Commonwealth countries

• Inward model rather than outward

• Changing trend among CUSAC member institutions

• University of Toronto

• York University

• Queen’s

ANGLOPHONE CARIBBEAN

• University of Technology

• The University of the West Indies

Policies of the UWI

• Predominantly Inward Model (typical of Commonwealth)

• Policies related to Outward model– Traditionally students went for language immersion,

electives in medical sciences– Within last 15 years trend towards exchanges (limited

numbers)• Policies related to Inward model

– Trend towards exchanges, collaborative programmes for groups and practicums

• Risk-reducing policies• Responsibility-accepting policies

Policies of the UWI continued

• Centralization vs Decentralizstion

• Academic Offerings/Non-academic – For credit/Not for credit– Policies related to Credit Transfer

• Pre-requisites

• Numbers

• Duration

• Registration

UWI Policies Contd.

• Fees

• Distribution of Income

• Accommodation

• Security/Safety

• Students with Physical Challenges

• Country Requirement

Conclusions & Recommendations

• The Policy Statement in ‘black and white’ Education Abroad Programmes: A Policy Statement, with guidelines for establishing:– Memorandum of Understanding– Cooperative Agreements governing the range

of categories of education abroad agreements

• Includes defining areas of responsibility

• The ‘grey’ areas