Institutional Audit: Study Abroad Policies, Procedures

and Services
(C) 2007, Dr. San di M. Smi t h, Di rect or of I nst i t ut i onal Rel ati ons, G l obal Learni ng
Sem est er s

I n t hi s decad e, i nt ernat i onal i zat i on i s t he hyp e and do gm a of m any U. S. coll eges and
univ ersi t i es. T hi s generat i on of "mil l enni al " st ud ent s ha s ch al l enged U. S. hi gher
educat i on t o m ake gl obal i zat i on m ore rel ev ant and m eani ngf ul i n t he curri cul um and
l earni ng ex peri ence s. Ho wev er, so m any i nst i t uti ons do not real l y kno w wher e t o st art
and wh at di rect i on t o t ake.

Bef ore any col l ege or univ ersi t y can proceed wi t h an i n st i t ut i onal st rat egy t o dev el op
st udy a bro ad op port uni t i es, i t i s essent i al t hat t he i nst i t ut i on conduct an i nt ernal audi t
t o bet t er under st and t he i n st i t ut i onal st rengt h s an d ob st acl e s rel ev ant t o st udy
abroa d. Si nce t he adm i ni st rat i on of st udy ab road pro gram s i s act u al l y a m i crocosm of
an ent i re univ ersi t y, i t i s v ery rel ev ant t o underst a nd t he p aral l el pol i ci es, proce dure s
and serv i ces t hat wi l l serv e as t he f oundat i on of t he i nst i t ut i onal f ram ework f or
adm i ni st eri ng st udy ab roa d progr am s and ser v ices.

T he f oll owi ng i nst i t ut i onal audi t proce ss wa s de si gned by Dr. Sandi M. Sm it h f or t he

adm i ni st rat iv e prof essi onal dev el opm ent wor ksh op f or t he Hi spani c A ssoci at i on of
Col l eges and U niv ersi t i es (HACU) ent i t l ed "Dev el opi ng an I nst i t ut i onal F ram ework f or
Max imi zi ng St udy Abroad".

Use t he que st i on s b el o w a s a checkl i st t o ke ep t rack of t he audi t it em s you hav e

com pl et ed. Coll ect as m uch i nf orm at i on rel ated t o t he part i cul ar que st i on s a s
po ssi bl e. T ake not es i n t he col um n as ne ede d, and kee p a f il e of all t he m at eri al ,
docum ent s, ex am pl es, and cont act i nf orm ati on you col l ect duri ng t hi s proce ss.

1) Doe s your sch ool hav e a Dean or VP respon si bl e f or i nt ernat i onal i zati on
and/ or i nt ernat i on al educat i on?
2) Doe s your sch ool hav e a f acul t y commi tt ee charge d wi t h i nt ernat i onal i zat i on
and/ or i nt ernat i on al i ssu e s?
3) Doe s your sch ool hav e at l east one p er so n who i s de si gn at ed di rect or,
coordi nat or or a dv i sor f or st udy abro ad i n hi s/ her j ob de scri pt i on?
4) Doe s your sch ool al ready hav e an est a bl i she d st udy abro ad of f i ce?
5) Doe s your sch ool hav e wri t t en pol i ci es and p rocedur e s f or st udy abr oad ?
6) Doe s any one at yo ur i nst i t ut i on col l ect dat a on your st ude nt s who st udy
abroa d each y ear?
7) Doe s any one at yo ur i nst i t ut i on su bm i t t he I IE O pen Door s Dat a C ol l ect i on
Surv ey?
8) Doe s your i n st i t ut i onal m i ssi on st at em ent m ent i on st udy a broa d,
i nt ernat i onal i zat i on, prepari ng ci t i zens f or a gl obal soci et y, et c. ?
9) W hat commi t t ee i s re spo n si bl e f or rev i ewi ng and ap prov i ng academ i c
pol i ci es and proc edu re s?
10) W ho does t hi s com mi t t ee report t o?
11) W ho i s current l y chai r of t hi s commi t t ee?
12) Doe s any one at yo ur i nst i t ut i on hav e m em bershi p i n NAF SA, AI EA, T he
F orum on Educat i on Abroad, I I E, or ot her i nt ernat i onal -rel at ed
prof essi onal orga ni zat i ons?
13) Are t here any f acul t y at your i nst i t ut i on who t ake st u dent s o ut si de t h e
U. S. f or academ i c t ri ps (st udy a broa d, f i el d research, i nt ern shi p s, et c. )?
14) W ho/ what of f i ce i s resp on si bl e f or si gni ng i nt ernat i onal agre em ent s,
ex change agr eem ent s?
15) Doe s your sch ool current l y hav e any ex change agreem ent s and/ or
i nt ernat i onal agreem ent s?
© 2 00 7, Dr . S an di M. S mi th
 16) Doe s your sch ool hav e any af f ili at i ons or part ner shi p s wi t h st udy abro ad
con sort i a or progr am prov i ders?
17) Are t here any f acul t y i nv olv ed i n i nt ernat i onal researc h proj ect s and/ or
cooper at i on agre em ent s wi t h any f orei gn i nst i t ut i ons?
18) W ho/ what of f i ce has aut hori t y t o approv e t ransf er of credi t ?
19) W hat are t he crit eri a and st an dar d s f or approv i ng t ransf er credi t ?
20) W ho/ what of f i ce processe s t ran sf er of credi t ?
21) W ho/ what of f i ce handl es adm i ssi on s of i nt ernat i onal st ude nt s?
22) I s t here a nyon e i n your f i nanci al ai d of f i ce who i s f amil i ar wi t h /
ex peri enced proc e ssi ng f i nanci al ai d f or st ud y abroad ?
23) W ho/ what of f i ce i s resp on si bl e f or m ai nt ai ni ng record s of st ude nt
academ i c st at u s?
24) W ho/ what of f i ce i s resp on si bl e f or m ai nt ai ni ng record s of st ude nt
di sci pl i nary st at u s?
25) W ho/ what of f i ce i s resp on si bl e f or det ermi ni ng and enf orci ng st ude nt
conduct pol i ce s?
26) W hat i s t he cont act i nf orm ati on f or t he Regi st rar’ s O f f i ce?
27) W ho/ what of f i ce i s resp on si bl e f or ri sk m anagem ent and/ or l egal deci si on s
f or your i nst i t uti on?
28) Doe s your sch ool hav e a st udent cou n sel i ng cent er an d acce ss t o
per son al coun sel i ng serv i ces (not aca dem i c adv i si ng)?
29) Do you hav e any coun sel or s ex peri ence d wi t h cross-c ul t ural coun sel i ng?
30) W hat t ype of m aj or m edi cal and/ or heal t h i nsurance d o st ude nt s at yo ur
i nst i t ut i on carry?
31) Doe s your sch ool hav e 24/ 7 cam pus pol i ce/ securi t y?
32) Doe s your sch ool hav e resi dent i al f acil i ti es and serv i ces?
33) W ho/ what of f i ce i s resp on si bl e f or addi ng t o and m ai nt ai ni ng web si t e s on
your i nst i t ut i onal hom epage?
34) W ho/ what of f i ce i s resp on si bl e f or dev el opi ng and m ai nt ai ni ng i nst i t uti onal
budg et s?
35) Doe s your sch ool hav e a f orei gn l anguage re qui rem ent ?
36) W hat f orei gn l anguag e s are t au ght at your sc hool ?
37) Are your f orei gn l anguag e cl asse s u nde r-enr ol l ed or wai t -l i st ed?
38) Are t here any d epart m ent s t h at current l y req ui re st udy a broa d or
i nt ernshi p as a grad uat i on req ui rem ent ?
39) Li st any com pl ai nt s, concern s, qu e st i on s you hav e heard f rom st udent s,
adm i ni st rat ors, and/ or f acul t y about prom oti ng st udy abro ad t o your
st ud ent s.

Each of t hese qu e st i ons ex pl ores cruci al i nf orm ati on rel at ed t o adm i ni st eri ng st udy
abroa d. Af t er col l ecti ng t hi s dat a, a SW O T anal ysi s i s recom m ended t o det erm i ne
ho w t he i n st i t ut i on wi l l st art , change di rect i on, or enha nce st udy ab roa d.

© 2 00 7, Dr . S an di M. S mi th