Program Partner Requirements

Education Abroad, in guidance from the Education Abroad Advisory Council, will require all customized and faculty-led programs and customized/faculty-led programs to work with a contracted onsite partner (i.e., private educational entity, a full-service program provider, institutional/university partner, non-profit organization, travel logistics company) to arrange for critical program components beginning in summer 2023.  Ideally, at a minimum, contracted services should include the coordination and payment of any overnight accommodations and private transportation to minimize the liability on the program leader/unit. 

For academic year 2024-2025 all programs with any one, or more, of the following considerations will require a partner: 

• All newly developed programs 

• Programs where leaders rotate/are inconsistent 

• Programs with homestay housing options for any portion of the program 

• Programs with more than one overnight excursion

• Programs where significant physical activity or water activity is included in the program (i.e., hiking, high altitude exposure, snorkeling)

• Programs where 4 or more vendors must be paid 

• All programs without approved exceptions from academic leadership

• All summer 2025 programs and beyond 

Existing customized freestanding and embedded programs (i.e., programs that have run at least once prior to summer 2023)  will be required to work with a third-party partner if not already doing so, by summer 2025, without exceptions. Customized programs team staff will work strategically with existing program leaders to vet and acquire these services based on program needs, logistical demands, and/or risk exposure.  

Policy Rationale 

As the number of customized programs delivered by Penn State program leaders has increased, so too has the complexity of delivering these programs. This increase in resources (both human and monetary) has not only been driven by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past decade, the following factors have influenced the scope of responsibility absorbed by program leaders and Education Abroad staff:

• The increased popularity of learning abroad (+18% from 2016-2019, which is the last year of reliable enrollment data pre-COVID).

• Increased share of study abroad student participants who choose customized faculty-led programs (56% of participants in AY 18-19, which is the last year of reliable enrollment data pre-COVID; this percentage was trending upwards pre-COVID and we expect it will continue).

• The increase in the number of faculty-led programs (+40% from 2016-2020) with limited enhancements to administrative support  and staffing levels at the University.

• Enhanced expectations of students and their families (in terms of academic experiences, accommodation, experiential learning, risk mitigation, etc.) have made the organization and delivery of Penn State’s program portfolio increasingly unsustainable without this partnership.

• The risk management and health/safety landscape of the professional field of education abroad has shifted drastically.

  • U.S. sending institutions have much higher levels of responsibility for 24/7 support, detailed vetting of all locations in advance, and vast knowledge of the risks specific to host destinations.

  • At Penn State, the implementation of SIMBA for financial processing has greatly complicated procedures for paying domestic and international vendors, putting the onus for payment registration on the vendors themselves and increasing the amount of time spent processing a single payment by 2-4 times. 

• At Penn State, contractual and insurance review processes have become more detailed and prolonged. By streamlining the number of vendors per program, we increase efficiency by processing only one contract and one insurance review per program.

• Penn State is a member of The Forum on Education Abroad, and as such, affirms it strives to meet or currently does meet the Standards of Good Practice for all its programs. By partnering with other member institutions to execute customized programs, we increase our capacity to meet that commitment.

Provider Considerations for Program Leaders

Each international partner will have different levels of services for customized programs, however, third-party providers (and many international host institutions) can offer a wide range of services expected by Penn State students. The professionals working in Penn State Education Abroad absolutely respect the academic freedom and control requested by education abroad program leaders. That is why we have built a network of vetted and trusted third-party partners whose services can range from logistical planning only all the way up to curricular development and establishing local academic contacts/guest speakers. Here are a few examples of changes and outcomes Education Abroad has recently experienced in working with third-party host organizations:

• Logistical support of program - program leaders can focus on the academic aspects of their customized programs and utilize third-party providers to support the on-site program logistics, including but not limited to

  • Coordinating itineraries and activities 

  • Working with tour companies and tour guides 

  • Negotiating fair and equitable rates of activities (including discounts) 

  • All aspects to help free up program leader time 

• COVID-19 support and logistical oversight - most third-party partners will provide full service quarantine/isolations for students and program leaders by communication expectations, arranging housing, facilitating meal delivery, support testing, etc. 

• 24/7 emergency support - onsite support of students and program leaders in emergency and medical situations including local health/medical resources, translation or language support, and more! 

  • Third-party managing itinerary changes due to severe weather, staffing shortages, COVID protocol, etc.

• Assistance from third-party partner with recruitment (create fliers, host virtual information sessions)

• Working within the budgets and financial implications of the program: international partners can work within our budget expectations to provide the most ‘bang for our buck’ 

• Program cost is locked in 4-12 months in advance, so risk of price changes due to currency fluctuation or inflation is eliminated

• Simplifying the financial aspects between partners and Penn State – by limiting the number of payments needed to one major partner, partners can be better equipped to meet international vendor requirements and payment protocol of Penn State 

Regardless of whether or not you are working with an institutional partner or third-party partner, the arrangements you make for you program will require that a contract or agreement be put into place.  In some cases, an agreement may already exist with the partner, and you may only need to put an addendum in to place in order.

Contracted services may include extended housing or meeting room rental, academic excursion services, extended group transportation, and, of course, all-encompassing services which could include all of the aforementioned services in addition to site entrance fees, guest lectures, tour guides, etc.

Penn State Global, in cooperation with the Office of Procurement Services, maintain certain standards for partners with whom we work abroad.  These standards include a mandate that partners providing services for Penn State programming maintain a minimum of US$10M in general liability insurance.  In addition, transportation providers are expected to be vetted, and carry a minimum of US$1M in liability insurance.  EA recognizes that these standards are high and, to some degree, aspirational.  However, any service provider who does not meet these minimums will be reviewed by the Director of Education Abroad, with the use of an objective exception rubric, and in consultation with others at the university.