Student International Travel for Study from an Australian Campus Procedures

Parent Policy

Student International Travel for Study Policy

These procedures outline the responsibilities of Monash Abroad, Faculties/ Schools/ Departments/ Centres (hereafter ‘Faculties’), and students (undergraduate coursework and research and postgraduate coursework) in relation to planning and facilitating international travel for study.  Students undertaking higher degrees by research are covered by the Staff International Travel Policy.

Examples of overseas study for which the Student International Travel for Study Policy applies include, but are not limited to:

• exchanges
• intercampus exchanges
• study abroad (fee paying)
• international study tours (eg in-country language programs, Prato programs)
• practical experience (eg internships, clinical placements)
• research projects

Overview
General Division of Responsibilities (Before Travel Commences)
Responsibilities While Travelling
Special instructions for Staff Accompanying Students on International Travel for Study

General Division of Responsibilities (Before Travel Commences)

1. Monash Abroad is responsible for:

• ensuring that the University as a whole fulfils its duty of care to students who undertake international travel which falls within the scope of this policy; 
• welfare and security matters for all students participating in the international programs managed by Monash Abroad (exchange, intercampus exchange and study abroad).

These responsibilities are shared with other areas of the University, primarily faculties. 

Responsibility

Monash Abroad
Faculties

2. Monash Abroad will provide comprehensive advice on travel to students participating in the international programs managed by Monash Abroad (exchange, intercampus exchange and study abroad). 

For all other students, Monash Abroad will provide written pre-departure advice, generally through the program coordinators in each faculty. 

Monash Abroad will provide general advice to students on request.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

3. Where applicable, Monash Abroad will inform students of the academic requirements to gain all available credit towards their degree while participating in their approved program.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

4. Monash Abroad will inform students of and enable students to fulfil their enrolment and payment obligations while they are participating in Monash University-approved exchange and other applicable faculty-organised programs.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

5. The Coursework Scholarships Unit (CSU) will administer all financial assistance for international travel provided from the University’s central scholarships budget. 

Monash Abroad will:

• administer other financial assistance through programs such as Monash Abroad travel grants or similar initiatives from the University’s central budget, OS-HELP loans and Endeavour Scholarships.
• refer students who may be eligible to other areas of the University which provide financial assistance for overseas travel.
• assist faculties to provide financial assistance to students for overseas travel.
• collate information about all other internal and external forms of financial assistance available to students and help them apply.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad
Coursework Scholarships Unit

6. Monash Abroad will authorise all international travel which is within the scope of this policy to ensure that all travel:

• has been approved by relevant faculties.
• meets the requirements of this policy.
• where appropriate, meets the requirements of the international programs directly managed by Monash Abroad.

The Monash Abroad office will only authorise international travel after faculty approval has been obtained.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

7. Monash Abroad will alert students undertaking approved international travel programs to the security status of particular countries and the procedures necessary for their safety in emergency situations.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

8. Monash Abroad will monitor travel advice provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and other foreign governments and will provide advice to faculties and the University as to whether students should be allowed to travel to countries which are the subject of travel advice.

There are currently five levels of DFAT travel advice:

1. Be alert to your own security.
2. Exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect you safety.
3. Exercise a high degree of caution.
4. Reconsider your need to travel.
5. Advised not to travel.

No action will normally be required for DFAT level 1, 2 or 3 warnings other than to draw the attention of all students to the warnings which exist.

Students will only be allowed to travel to a country or region to which a DFAT level 4 warning applies if this is approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International), who may also require that students already in the country return to the home campus.

Students will not be allowed travel to a country or region to which a DFAT level 5 warning applies.  Students already in the country or region to which a DFAT level 5 warning is operative will be required to return to the home campus immediately unless the Deputy Vice Chancellor (International) approves the student to remain there.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

9. Monash Abroad will distribute the “Guidance for International Study Program Coordinators” document to course advisers in faculties.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

11. Monash Abroad will alert students to the services and facilities which they may require in particular international locations.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

13. Faculty Organised Programs

Faculties are responsible for;

• all aspects of faculty organised international travel programs undertaken by their students, including both group and individual travel.
• all enrolled Monash students participating in a faculty organised program, even if they are not receiving credit for their participation in the program. 

The Monash Abroad Office will provide substantial advice to faculties to ensure they are able to carry out their responsibilities in the faculty organised program. 

Responsibility

Faculties
Monash Abroad

14. Faculty Program Coordinators are responsible for students participating in international study programs organised directly by their faculty.  When a staff member accompanies student/s, that person takes on the immediate responsibility of duty of care on behalf of the University.  Otherwise the faculty program coordinator remains responsible throughout the student/s’ period of international travel. This responsibility extends to the teaching period of the program and any associated travel but not to any period of private travel undertaken by students. 

Responsibility

Faculties

Responsibility

Faculties

16. Faculties must ensure that all students undertaking international travel receive written advice about the precautions they should take to ensure their welfare and security.

This information will be provided to the faculties by Monash Abroad.    

Responsibility

Faculties

17. Faculties will decide the most appropriate person within the faculty to approve the international travel and will advise students and the Monash Abroad office in writing (by letter or email).

• for exchanges, intercampus exchanges and study abroad, approvals will usually be provided by the faculty exchange adviser or program co-ordinator.
• for international study programs, this will normally be the Program Coordinator.
• for all other international travel this will normally be the coordinator of the course or unit  for which the international travel is being undertaken.

Responsibility

Faculties

18. Faculty staff proposing to organise or approve international travel by students, either individually or on a group basis, must ensure that:

• the academic content of the program is approved by the appropriate Head of School/Department (if relevant);
• the administrative arrangements of the program are approved by the Faculty Academic Manager or equivalent;
• international professional indemnity insurance is arranged if students will be undertaking practical experience such as clinical placements;
• the program is approved by the Monash Abroad office, who will advise on travel insurance, security issues, administrative arrangements and financial assistance available to students;
• a Program Coordinator(s) is appointed who will be the central point of contact for students, faculty staff and Monash Abroad.

Responsibility

Faculties

19. Once an international study program has been approved the Program Coordinator(s) must:

• provide students with web and other material which provides written advice, by letter or email, on all relevant details of the program including academic requirements, eligibility, costs, visa requirements, travel arrangements, financial assistance available etc.
• provide students with the application form, pre-departure advice and other documentation provided by Monash Abroad as well as any other application forms required by the faculty. The application forms must list the names of the persons the student wishes to be contacted in case of emergencies.
• approve applications on behalf of the faculty and forward applications to Monash Abroad at least six weeks before the program commences.

Monash Abroad can provide assistance where necessary.

Responsibility

Faculties
Monash Abroad

20. Where a Program Coordinator is organising group travel the following responsibilities also apply:

• the Program Coordinator and Monash Abroad must jointly conduct an information session for all students accepted onto the program.
• the Program Coordinator must maintain a complete list of all students participating in each program, separately from the Monash Abroad database.
• the Program Coordinator must provide his or her 24 hour contact details to Monash Abroad for the whole period the students will be overseas undertaking studies.

Responsibility

Faculties
Monash Abroad

21. Faculties must ensure that any faculty-specific academic requirements of students for their approved travel program comply with the Student International Travel for Study Policy and these procedures. 

Responsibility

Faculties

22. Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for:

• ensuring that they are enrolled in a course or unit at Monash University while undertaking international study travel.
• obtaining academic transcripts or other adequate documentation of course or unit studied overseas
• receiving the appropriate credit or other form of academic recognition for the study or experience undertaken overseas from the relevant Monash faculty.
• gaining a full understanding of the conditions of travel in relation to their course or unit and the relevant responsibilities.

Responsibility

Students

23. All international travel by students must be approved in writing and in advance by:

• the faculty responsible for the course or unit of study of which the international travel forms part;
• any other faculty which shares responsibility for the student’s course of study; and
• the Monash Abroad office.

Responsibility

Students

24. Students must abide by any academic requirements for their approved travel program, as directed by the relevant Monash faculty.

Responsibility

Students

25. Students are responsible for ensuring that they have a passport that is valid for at least six months after the last day of the travel period, for making their own travel bookings, and for arranging visas, but must do so in accordance with:

• the requirements of the international program in which they are participating, which will be advised to them in writing by the section of Monash organising the travel (eg. Monash Abroad office or the Faculty Program Coordinator); and
• the visa requirements of the country they are visiting; and
• the requirements of the Student International Travel for Study Policy and these procedures, particularly (but not exclusively) as they relate to insurance and security.

Students must provide the Monash Abroad office, before their departure from Australia, their dates of departure from and return to Australia, and update these details if they change.

Responsibility

Students

Responsibility

Students

Responsibility

Students

Responsibility

Students

Responsibility

Students

Responsibility

Students

Responsibility

Students

Responsibilities While Travelling

Responsibility

Students

33. Students must advise any staff travelling with them immediately if an emergency arises.  If there is no staff member with them, students must advise Monash Abroad immediately.

Responsibility

Students
Monash Abroad

34. The normal standards of behaviour expected of Monash Students, and the related disciplinary provisions, apply to students who are overseas.  However there are additional requirements arising from the higher risks which students face while travelling overseas and from the need to respect local customs and laws.  These will be spelled out in the written pre-departure advice which Monash Abroad will provide to all students (through the student’s faculty if required). 

Responsibility

Monash Abroad
Students
Faculties

Responsibility

Monash Abroad
Students

Responsibility

Monash Abroad
Faculties

37. Monash Abroad will provide a 24 hour emergency telephone service which is available to all students travelling overseas.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

Responsibility

Faculties, Monash Abroad

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

40. The University may withdraw its approval for international travel at any time, in which case the student must return to the home campus immediately if instructed to do so.

Responsibility

Monash Abroad
Faculties Students

Responsibility

Monash Abroad
Crisis Management Team

42. The Monash Abroad office will maintain records of all international student travel, which are necessary to:

• allow Monash Abroad to maintain contact with all students travelling overseas to ensure that the University fulfils its duty of care to these students
• provide the University Crisis Management Team with timely and accurate information about students travelling overseas during emergencies
• provide the University with comprehensive statistics
• provide Faculties with statistics

Responsibility

Monash Abroad

Special instructions for Staff Accompanying Students on International Travel

A staff member who accompanies students travelling overseas is responsible for the conduct of the program and for the welfare and security of the students participating.  This responsibility is essentially the same as for students in Australia but a higher degree of care is required because the risks during international travel are higher than at the home campus, and students may not have direct access to the University’s welfare and support services while overseas.  For this reason staff members accompanying students have the following additional responsibilities:

43. The staff member must remain with the student group throughout the study program, including any group travel but not including travel that is not related to the program.

Responsibility

Faculties,
Monash Abroad

44. The staff member must be contactable by the students 24 hours per day.

24 hour contact details for the staff member must be provided to Monash Abroad and to the Faculty Program Coordinator for the whole period the students will be overseas.

Responsibility

Faculties,
Monash Abroad

45. If any issue affecting the welfare or security of a student arises the staff member must advise Monash Abroad and the Program Coordinator immediately.

Responsibility

Faculties,
Monash Abroad

46. Any changes to the travel arrangements of the group must be advised immediately to Monash Abroad and the Program Coordinator.

Responsibility

Faculties,
Monash Abroad

47. The staff member may recommend that a student return to the home campus if that student’s welfare or behaviour warrants this.  The Monash Abroad office will decide whether a student should return to the home campus, in consultation with the student’s faculty and other relevant areas of the University.

Responsibility

Faculties,
Monash Abroad

Contact Person: Education Policy