Policies

Policy on Study Abroad in Countries under Travel Warnings

The Office of International Programs at the University of North Dakota regularly monitors information relevant to the safety of all UND students abroad, from official sources as well as from our domestic and international partners and colleagues. The safety and security of UND students abroad is of the utmost importance to us. We work to ensure that students can make informed and wise decisions regarding program selection as well as their behavior abroad.

In addition to other sources of evidence of potential risk to students, we give primary consideration to Travel Warnings issued by the U.S. Department of State. The basic premise from which we operate is that, except in special circumstances, the University of North Dakota will not offer or support study abroad in countries that are under a State Department Travel Warning. This means that UND will not register the students for the time they are abroad nor will they authorize access to financial aid for the program.

Requests for exemptions based on "special circumstances" are evaluated on a program-by-program basis by the Office of International Programs in consultation with the Office of the Provost, Campus Safety & Security, and General Council.

Decisions for exemptions will be based on the nature of the Travel Warning, including the locations most impacted by the Warning, the experience and training of program organizers and local support staff, the importance and academic relevance of student involvement, what the program will do to minimize the risk to students, the extent of the safety and security orientation provided and the program's willingness to get the students' informed consent regarding participation, despite the Travel Warning.

This policy applies to graduate and undergraduate students on programs offered through the University of North Dakota, whether they are administered through the Office of International Programs or Faculty-Directed programs that have been arranged by a campus, a school or a department.

Administered and Faculty-Directed Programs: Unless an exemption is granted by the Office of International Programs, the University of North Dakota will not offer administered programs or send students on Faculty-Directed programs in countries that are under a State Department Travel Warning. Should a Travel Warning be issued while a program is under way, the Office of International Programs will determine, following appropriate consultation with on-site staff, appropriate internal departments (such as University Counsel and/or Campus Safety & Security), peer institutions, other organizations that offer programs abroad and area experts, whether conditions warrant suspension of the program and/or departure of the student from the host country.

Affiliated and Non-Affiliated Programs: The University of North Dakota strongly discourages students from participating in affiliated and non-affiliated programs in countries under a State Department travel warning. UND will not provide support services that UND students going abroad normally receive. That is, UND will not register the students for the time they are abroad nor will they authorize access to financial aid for the program. While we anticipate that students may leave UND to participate in a non-UND program and later seek transfer credit for their work, we reiterate that the University of North Dakota discourages this course of action. A student's decision to do so is wholly voluntary and not the responsibility of the University of North Dakota.

Requests for Exemptions

For Directors of Faculty-Directed Programs

To prepare a request for exemption, please submit the following information to the Director of International Programs:

• Details about the geographic environment of the program and its relationship to security issues.
• Information about the travel advisories or warnings of other countries about the country under the U.S. Department of State's Travel Warning.
• The detailed preparation the students will receive during orientation to prepare them for security-related issues (with detailed examples).
• Describe in detail the local support structure on site.
• The academic relevance of the program to the students' degree programs and/or the importance of the presence of the students to the program itself (e.g. the impact of their contributions locally).
• Confirm that, should the Office of International Programs permit the program to operate, the program organizer is willing to have participants sign a special waiver stating that they have received and read the most recent Travel Warnings and are voluntarily participating nonetheless.

For Individual Students

To prepare a request for exemption, please submit the following information to the Director of International Programs:

• Details about the geographic environment of the program and its relationship to security issues.
• Information about the travel advisories or warnings of other countries about the country under the U.S. Department of State's Travel Warning.
• Describe in detail the local support structure on site and detailed preparation you will receive for security-related issues (with detailed examples).
• The academic relevance of the program to the student’s degree programs and/or the importance of the presence of the students to the program itself (e.g. the impact of their contributions locally).

Confirm that, should the Office of International Programs permit the program to operate, the program organizer is willing to have participants sign a special waiver stating that they have received and read the most recent Travel Warnings and are voluntarily participating nonetheless.

 

UND Study Abroad and Student Conduct

 Policy Statement:

The UND Education Abroad (EA) Office seeks to offer study abroad opportunities to all UND students, and formulates policies relating to student participation in UND study abroad programs.  The EA Office has set forth guidelines for student participation. Current requirements include the following:

1)     Students seeking to apply to the study abroad program must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 at the time of application.

2)     Students seeking to apply to the study abroad program must have 24 credits at the time of application.

3)     Students seeking to participate in the study abroad program may be on warning or conduct probation at the time of application, or may be placed on warning or conduct probation after the time of application. However, students will remain ineligible for study abroad until the probationary period has expired and all terms and requirements of the probation have been met.

4)     Any student who has been suspended from or has withdrawn from the University will not be allowed to participate in or travel with a study abroad program until such student has been reinstated or readmitted to the University.

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The UND Office of International Programs requires an application fee before any application to any Study Abroad Program will be considered. This fee is not refundable.

International Programs also requires a non-refundable confirmation deposit, which will be applied to the cost of the program, at the time the student is accepted to a program. With the acceptance letter, the student will receive a confirmation form to return either with the deposit or indicating the student’s withdrawal from the program. If neither deposit nor notice of withdrawal has been received one moth prior to the program’s scheduled start date, the student will be notified that their participation will be terminated if the deposit is not received.

Cancellation Policy

Participants who wish to cancel after confirmation must do so in writing. Include the reasons for cancellation and sign and date the letter. Written notification should be sent to:

UND Office of International Programs
ATTN: Study Abroad
2908 University Ave Stop 7109
Grand Forks, ND 58202-7109

Cancellation is effective from the date postmarked on the written notice.

Participants are responsible for all program fees until written notification has been received by UND Office of International Programs. Institutions paying on behalf of the participant are responsible for all program fees until official notice of the cancellation by the student has been received by UND International Programs. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the institution paying their program fees of their cancellation from the program.

Refunds are subject to the UND Office of International Programs Refund Policy. Under extenuating circumstances, International Programs may after evaluating the situation override the policy to refund student’s deposit/administrative fees.

Although UND will attempt to maintain the program as described in its publications and brochures, it reserves the right to change the program, including the itinerary, travel arrangements, or accommodations, at any time and for any reason, with or without notice, and that neither the State of North Dakota, nor the University, nor the employees and agents of either, shall be responsible or liable for any expenses or losses that the student may sustain because of those changes.

Refund Policy

The application fee and confirmation deposit for all programs are non-refundable, as are the administrative fees for UND partner programs, affiliated programs, faculty directed programs, and exchanges. Students participating on UND exchanges, UND partner programs, or affiliated programs should also refer to the cancellation/refund policy of the host institution, and /or affiliated program.  The study abroad fee is non-refundable after:

• May 1 for Summer programs
• August 1 for Fall programs
• December 1 for Spring programs.

UND International Programs guarantees space on the program for the participant upon receipt of the confirmation deposit. At that point in time, UND incurs certain non-recoverable costs. Therefore, any participant who cancels at any time, or if the program is cancelled after the confirmation deposit has been received will be assessed a portion of the program fee, based on non-recoverable costs. Participants and/or institutions will be invoiced and a hold placed on all UND records until payment has been made in full. Past due accounts will be subject to handling charges and collection procedures. A minimum of four weeks is required for processing a refund.

Students dismissed from a program are responsible for the full program fee, and no refunds will be available under any circumstances.

A hold will be placed on the participant’s record if a check is returned for insufficient funds or if a stop payment is issued on a check. The hold will remain in effect until all assessed program fees and any handling charges are paid in full.

NOTE: Students intending to finance any portion of the educational costs of this program of study with financial aid awarded or administered by the UND Financial Aid Office must make application for such assistance well in advance. For spring or fall semester, in order to receive federal financial aid the student must be enrolled for at least the equivalent of the 6 US academic credits per semester, 12 credits for state financial aid, and it is the student’s responsibility to determine that their course load abroad fulfills this requirement. Students who drop below 12 credits may forfeit any future financial aid money available to them upon return. For summer semester the minimum credit load financial aid is 6 credits.