12/16/2022

This will be the last freestanding weekly message until the new year, and we would like to thank you all for a wonderful fall semester.

Our team wishes you happy holidays and a joyful and healthy new year! Please have a wonderful winter break!

Education Abroad is Hiring! (NEW)

The customized programs team is looking for a Customized Program Coordinator to support faculty-led programs. This position, last held by Ashley Wang, will assist in coordinating customized programs budget preparation and initiating payments within a portfolio of freestanding customized programs.

• Internal PSU Candidate Link

• External PSU Candidate Link

Interested candidates can review the job description and apply in WorkDay by submitting their resume and a cover letter.

Wilderness First Aid Training Grants (NEW)

The Global Safety Office (GSO) provides a grant for up to four undergraduate or graduate students to participate in wilderness first aid training. To qualify, a student’s international travel must support Penn State academic goals that require remote or rural international travel. If you have students interested, please share this information and the attached document with them!

Recipients of this grant may attend a training in any location, but reimbursement is capped at $300, which should cover the cost of enrollment in the wilderness first aid training along and a small portion of the cost of fuel/transportation. Most wilderness first aid training courses cost between $230 to $275. Numerous training options exist including: National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), REI, and Wilderness Medical Associates. Upon completion of the wilderness first aid training course, awardees will have four weeks to submit proof of participation in the training to the Global Safety Office. Please see the attached document for more information. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis by written submission to emergencyprep@psu.edu.

Deadline for Student Summer 2023 Applications - February 1st (Reminder)

The deadline for student summer 2023 applications is February 1, 2023. We hope that your recruitment efforts are going well and please continue to recruit students for your programs and encourage them to apply online on our website very soon. Should you have any questions or concerns, please email EAcustomized@psu.edu.

Terra Dotta/Student Application System (Reminder)

The application system in which students apply for programs is known as Terra Dotta. All program leaders will have a role in reviewing applications (after the program deadline) to determine who should be approved or rejected/redirected. Until then, you can utilize the system to see who has applied and the progress students are making within their applications. Please use the attached admin guide for additional information.

1. Login to https://ea.psu.edu

2. In the black toolbar, select Applicants (not Applicant - that is YOUR application home) and search (page 7 of the attached guide)

3. This simple search wizard will allow you to type a student’s name, program name, select a term or search by PSU ID number or User ID. You can complete any combination of the search values to query your students/program or desired information. Complete the query by selecting Search.

a. This query will show you ALL students that are related to your search terms

4. To see the ‘completeness’ of student applications, from this search, select the second tab ‘Progress Audit’ (above the purple/blue header bar) > Pre-Decision. This screen will allow you to see all of the items related to the application process (page 9 of the attached guide). Check all the factors you would like to verify. For reference, the Education Abroad office requires the following:

a. Materials:

i. Academic Release

ii. Communications Agreement

iii. Program Cost Understanding

5. Questionnaires:

a. Education Abroad Questionnaire

6. Other:

a. Recommendations

A student's application is not considered complete until ALL of these listed requirements are submitted (including their academic recommendation). Each submitted item will have a ‘check’ to indicate that it has been submitted and 1/1 for recommendations. The attached guide includes screenshots to help you find students and application status.

Global Learning Newsletter (Reminder)

Education Abroad is proud to be part of the larger Global Learning team, together Education Abroad and Global Engagement provider international and intercultural learning domestically and abroad. We will be sending out a monthly newsletter that contains information on resources for faculty and staff interested in study abroad, EDGE courses, an internationalization of curricula taught on our campuses. Since you already receive a detailed weekly update specific to your program, we would like to give all our program leaders an opportunity to ‘opt in’ to receiving this Global Learning newsletter. If you would like to be added, please email Rose Sharp at rls5932@psu.edu with the subject line - GL Newsletter - Sign Me Up!

Education Abroad Engagement Week (Reminder)

Please save the date! Education Abroad Engagement Week, formerly known as Study Abroad Week and Global Learning and Engagement Week, is a week hosted by Penn State Global Education Abroad and colleagues designed to inform students of the education abroad opportunities available to them at Penn State. EA Engagement Week will take place from January 17-20. These dates will grant students just enough time to gather information before many of our summer and fall 2023 term application deadlines. For more information, please visit last year’s Global Learning and Engagement Week webpage on our website. EA Engagement Week will function very similarly.

If you’re interested in hosting an event, please complete the 2023 Education Abroad Engagement Week Microsoft Form. We’ll do our best to accommodate as many events as we can in our promotions! We’ll let you know if your event overlaps with one already scheduled to be hosted with us.

The Education Abroad team is creating a marketing/branding toolkit that we’ll use to promote all events across our social media, as well as other platforms. You’re welcome to use this content in your own promotions of your event! Simply indicate on the Microsoft Form that you’d like us to create it. Once we’ve created promotional material for your event, we’ll forward it to you. This way, you can distribute in whatever way you see fit! Monday, January 16, 2023, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day so please plan accordingly. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to EAOutreach@psu.edu.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Reminder)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions are now available!

Student Summer 2023 Applications Open (Reminder)

Student applications for summer 2023 are now open! Please note, if any aspects of your programs are missing or listed incorrectly on our website, please let us know at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

*Program leaders and Education Abroad will review each student application for student eligibility for their respective programs. We will send out additional information regarding the review timelines and process as we near the application deadlines. If you are interviewing students as part of the review process, you must have them all finalized and decisions reported in Terra Dotta by the deadlines listed.

The only priority program deadlines for summer 2023 are:

• Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)

• Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Current International Traveler Vaccination Policy (Reminder)

All international travelers, conducting University-affiliated international travel, must be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by the date of departure. Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. As such, Penn State will require that all students who are eligible to be boosted receive a COVID-19 booster at least two weeks before the start of their University-affiliated international travel. Note the following descriptions of the terms “fully vaccinated” and “up to date” on vaccinations.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults ages 18 years and older are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19:

• After completing the 2-dose primary series of Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax

• After completing 1 dose of the primary series of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. Most adults aged 18 and older are currently recommended to receive at least one booster shot (excluding the Novavax vaccine). As a result, eligible Penn State students are required to have received at least one booster shot in advance of international travel. Students who are not eligible for the COVID-19 booster are not required to be boosted prior to travel so long as they are otherwise compliant with this requirement (i.e., fully vaccinated).” Students should confirm they meet the definition of up to date based on the vaccine type they received by reviewing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) page on vaccinations and booster shots.

Some students may not be vaccinated or boosted due to accommodations for medical, disability or religious reasons. In these cases, the student should contact the following offices to submit a request for a documented affirmation of their accommodation:

• Medical condition or documented disability: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/covid-19-support/compact-conduct-and-compliance/covid-19-vaccine-accommodation-requests

• Religious belief: https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/covid-19-information/

• Students who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and do not have a documented medical, religious, or disability-related accommodation must submit unit executive approval that travel is essential.

Vaccination accommodations approved by Penn State offices hold no influence with foreign governments or international educational institutions, many of which have enacted strict vaccination and booster protocols. Therefore, students who are not vaccinated, even those who have been approved for an accommodation by Penn State, may face limitations or restrictions in their participation in education abroad programs, including cancellation of their admission, due to regulations by foreign governments or international educational institutions. The Penn State Education Abroad Office will work to determine whether reasonable accommodations can be identified for students who have been approved for a medical/disability- or religious-related accommodation from the University’s vaccination requirement. If reasonable accommodations cannot be identified without fundamentally altering the nature of the educational program or activity, including if significant health and/or safety concerns remain, Penn State reserves the right to rescind the offer of admission to study abroad, regardless of any unit’s approval.

For more information please visit: https://virusinfo.psu.edu

What is Next?

• February 1: Deadline for SU23 student program applications

We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

12/09/2022

Emergency Contingency Plans-Due December 15 (Reminder)

Customized Programs in Education Abroad are required to submit detailed contingency plans that provide emergency planning and academic continuity, if one, any, or all members of the student and faculty group are subject to quarantine, isolation, or are otherwise unable to fully participate in the program in person, while abroad. Program leaders should submit one form on behalf of each program, by December 15, 2022.

Contingency Planning Questionnaire for Customized Programs (form opens in a new window)

Please note that submissions of this form may be reviewed by the Education Abroad staff and leadership, and that the Global Safety Office may be consulted on specific details. If your program location is considered restricted travel, a summary of information will be sent to the International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC), the Vice Provost for Penn State Global and the Provost. Program viability decisions may be determined based on your contingency plans.

Please do not submit the form until you have collected all the necessary information to fully answer all the questions below. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to EAcustomized@psu.edu. Thank you!

Education Abroad is Hiring! (New)

The customized programs team is looking for a Customized Program Coordinator to support faculty-led programs. This position, last held by Ashley Wang, will assist in coordinating customized programs budget preparation and initiating payments within a portfolio of freestanding customized programs.

• Internal PSU Candidate Link

• External PSU Candidate Link

Interested candidates can review the job description and apply in WorkDay by submitting their resume and a cover letter.

Deadline for Student Summer 2023 Applications - February 1st (Reminder)

The deadline for student summer 2023 applications is February 1, 2023. We hope that your recruitment efforts are going well and please continue to recruit students for your programs and encourage them to apply online on our website very soon. Should you have any questions or concerns, please email EAcustomized@psu.edu.

Terra Dotta/Student Application System (Reminder)

The application system in which students apply for programs is known as Terra Dotta. All program leaders will have a role in reviewing applications (after the program deadline) to determine who should be approved or rejected/redirected. Until then, you can utilize the system to see who has applied and the progress students are making within their applications. Please use the attached admin guide for additional information.

1. Login to https://ea.psu.edu

2. In the black toolbar, select Applicants (not Applicant - that is YOUR application home) and search (page 7 of the attached guide)

3. This simple search wizard will allow you to type a student’s name, program name, select a term or search by PSU ID number or User ID. You can complete any combination of the search values to query your students/program or desired information. Complete the query by selecting Search.

a. This query will show you ALL students that are related to your search terms

4. To see the ‘completeness’ of student applications, from this search, select the second tab ‘Progress Audit’ (above the purple/blue header bar) > Pre-Decision. This screen will allow you to see all of the items related to the application process (page 9 of the attached guide). Check all the factors you would like to verify. For reference, the Education Abroad office requires the following:

a. Materials:

i. Academic Release

ii. Communications Agreement

iii. Program Cost Understanding

5. Questionnaires:

a. Education Abroad Questionnaire

6. Other:

a. Recommendations

A student's application is not considered complete until ALL of these listed requirements are submitted (including their academic recommendation). Each submitted item will have a ‘check’ to indicate that it has been submitted and 1/1 for recommendations. The attached guide includes screenshots to help you find students and application status.

Global Learning Newsletter (Reminder)

Education Abroad is proud to be part of the larger Global Learning team, together Education Abroad and Global Engagement provider international and intercultural learning domestically and abroad. We will be sending out a monthly newsletter that contains information on resources for faculty and staff interested in study abroad, EDGE courses, an internationalization of curricula taught on our campuses. Since you already receive a detailed weekly update specific to your program, we would like to give all our program leaders an opportunity to ‘opt in’ to receiving this Global Learning newsletter. If you would like to be added, please email Rose Sharp at rls5932@psu.edu with the subject line - GL Newsletter - Sign Me Up!

Education Abroad Engagement Week (Reminder)

Please save the date! Education Abroad Engagement Week, formerly known as Study Abroad Week and Global Learning and Engagement Week, is a week hosted by Penn State Global Education Abroad and colleagues designed to inform students of the education abroad opportunities available to them at Penn State. EA Engagement Week will take place from January 17-20. These dates will grant students just enough time to gather information before many of our summer and fall 2023 term application deadlines. For more information, please visit last year’s Global Learning and Engagement Week webpage on our website. EA Engagement Week will function very similarly.

If you’re interested in hosting an event, please complete the 2023 Education Abroad Engagement Week Microsoft Form. We’ll do our best to accommodate as many events as we can in our promotions! We’ll let you know if your event overlaps with one already scheduled to be hosted with us.

The Education Abroad team is creating a marketing/branding toolkit that we’ll use to promote all events across our social media, as well as other platforms. You’re welcome to use this content in your own promotions of your event! Simply indicate on the Microsoft Form that you’d like us to create it. Once we’ve created promotional material for your event, we’ll forward it to you. This way, you can distribute in whatever way you see fit! Monday, January 16, 2023, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day so please plan accordingly. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to EAOutreach@psu.edu.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Reminder)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions are now available!

Student Summer 2023 Applications Open (Reminder)

Student applications for summer 2023 are now open! Please note, if any aspects of your programs are missing or listed incorrectly on our website, please let us know at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

*Program leaders and Education Abroad will review each student application for student eligibility for their respective programs. We will send out additional information regarding the review timelines and process as we near the application deadlines. If you are interviewing students as part of the review process, you must have them all finalized and decisions reported in Terra Dotta by the deadlines listed.

The only priority program deadlines for summer 2023 are:

• Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)

• Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Current International Traveler Vaccination Policy (Reminder)

All international travelers, conducting University-affiliated international travel, must be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by the date of departure. Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. As such, Penn State will require that all students who are eligible to be boosted receive a COVID-19 booster at least two weeks before the start of their University-affiliated international travel. Note the following descriptions of the terms “fully vaccinated” and “up to date” on vaccinations.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults ages 18 years and older are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19:

• After completing the 2-dose primary series of Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax

• After completing 1 dose of the primary series of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. Most adults aged 18 and older are currently recommended to receive at least one booster shot (excluding the Novavax vaccine). As a result, eligible Penn State students are required to have received at least one booster shot in advance of international travel. Students who are not eligible for the COVID-19 booster are not required to be boosted prior to travel so long as they are otherwise compliant with this requirement (i.e., fully vaccinated).” Students should confirm they meet the definition of up to date based on the vaccine type they received by reviewing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) page on vaccinations and booster shots.

Some students may not be vaccinated or boosted due to accommodations for medical, disability or religious reasons. In these cases, the student should contact the following offices to submit a request for a documented affirmation of their accommodation:

• Medical condition or documented disability: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/covid-19-support/compact-conduct-and-compliance/covid-19-vaccine-accommodation-requests

• Religious belief: https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/covid-19-information/

• Students who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and do not have a documented medical, religious, or disability-related accommodation must submit unit executive approval that travel is essential.

Vaccination accommodations approved by Penn State offices hold no influence with foreign governments or international educational institutions, many of which have enacted strict vaccination and booster protocols. Therefore, students who are not vaccinated, even those who have been approved for an accommodation by Penn State, may face limitations or restrictions in their participation in education abroad programs, including cancellation of their admission, due to regulations by foreign governments or international educational institutions. The Penn State Education Abroad Office will work to determine whether reasonable accommodations can be identified for students who have been approved for a medical/disability- or religious-related accommodation from the University’s vaccination requirement. If reasonable accommodations cannot be identified without fundamentally altering the nature of the educational program or activity, including if significant health and/or safety concerns remain, Penn State reserves the right to rescind the offer of admission to study abroad, regardless of any unit’s approval.

For more information please visit: https://virusinfo.psu.edu

What is Next?

• December 15: Emergency Contingency Plans due!

• February 1: Deadline for SU23 student program applications

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

12/02/2022

We hope you had a wonderful fall break! We have only 4 weeks of students in classes (end of fall and beginning of spring term) before the February 1st deadline! Please continue to recruit students and be mindful of all upcoming deadlines. Should you have any questions or concerns, please email EAcustomized@psu.edu.

Emergency Contingency Plans-Due December 15 (New)

Customized Programs in Education Abroad are required to submit detailed contingency plans that provide emergency planning and academic continuity, if one, any, or all members of the student and faculty group are subject to quarantine, isolation, or are otherwise unable to fully participate in the program in person, while abroad. Program leaders should submit one form on behalf of each program, by December 15, 2022.

Contingency Planning Questionnaire for Customized Programs (form opens in a new window)

Please note that submissions of this form may be reviewed by the Education Abroad staff and leadership, and that the Global Safety Office may be consulted on specific details. If your program location is considered restricted travel, a summary of information will be sent to the International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC), the Vice Provost for Penn State Global and the Provost. Program viability decisions may be determined based on your contingency plans.

Please do not submit the form until you have collected all the necessary information to fully answer all the questions below. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to EAcustomized@psu.edu. Thank you!

Terra Dotta/Student Application System (New)

The application system in which students apply for programs is known as Terra Dotta. All program leaders will have a role in reviewing applications (after the program deadline) to determine who should be approved or rejected/redirected. Until then, you can utilize the system to see who has applied and the progress students are making within their applications. Please use the attached admin guide for additional information.

1. Login to https://ea.psu.edu

2. In the black toolbar, select Applicants (not Applicant - that is YOUR application home) and search (page 7 of the attached guide)

3. This simple search wizard will allow you to type a student’s name, program name, select a term or search by PSU ID number or User ID. You can complete any combination of the search values to query your students/program or desired information. Complete the query by selecting Search.

a. This query will show you ALL students that are related to your search terms

4. To see the ‘completeness’ of student applications, from this search, select the second tab ‘Progress Audit’ (above the purple/blue header bar) > Pre-Decision. This screen will allow you to see all of the items related to the application process (page 9 of the attached guide). Check all the factors you would like to verify. For reference, the Education Abroad office requires the following:

a. Materials

i. Academic Release

ii. Communications Agreement

iii. Program Cost Understanding

5. Questionnaires:

a. Education Abroad Questionnaire

6. Other:

a. Recommendations

A student's application is not considered complete until ALL of these listed requirements are submitted (including their academic recommendation). Each submitted item will have a ‘check’ to indicate that it has been submitted and 1/1 for recommendations. The attached guide includes screenshots to help you find students and application status.

Global Learning Newsletter (New)

Education Abroad is proud to be part of the larger Global Learning team, together Education Abroad and Global Engagement provider international and intercultural learning domestically and abroad. We will be sending out a monthly newsletter that contains information on resources for faculty and staff interested in study abroad, EDGE courses, an internationalization of curricula taught on our campuses. Since you already receive a detailed weekly update specific to your program, we would like to give all our program leaders an opportunity to ‘opt in’ to receiving this Global Learning newsletter. If you would like to be added, please email Rose Sharp at rls5932@psu.edu with the subject line - GL Newsletter - Sign Me Up!

Education Abroad Engagement Week (New)

Please save the date! Education Abroad Engagement Week, formerly known as Study Abroad Week and Global Learning and Engagement Week, is a week hosted by Penn State Global Education Abroad and colleagues designed to inform students of the education abroad opportunities available to them at Penn State. EA Engagement Week will take place from January 17-20. These dates will grant students just enough time to gather information before many of our summer and fall 2023 term application deadlines. For more information, please visit last year’s Global Learning and Engagement Week webpage on our website. EA Engagement Week will function very similarly.

If you’re interested in hosting an event, please complete the 2023 Education Abroad Engagement Week Microsoft Form. We’ll do our best to accommodate as many events as we can in our promotions! We’ll let you know if your event overlaps with one already scheduled to be hosted with us.

The Education Abroad team is creating a marketing/branding toolkit that we’ll use to promote all events across our social media, as well as other platforms. You’re welcome to use this content in your own promotions of your event! Simply indicate on the Microsoft Form that you’d like us to create it. Once we’ve created promotional material for your event, we’ll forward it to you. This way, you can distribute in whatever way you see fit! Monday, January 16, 2023, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day so please plan accordingly. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to EAOutreach@psu.edu.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Reminder)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions are now available!

Student Summer 2023 Applications Open (Reminder)

Student applications for summer 2023 are now open! Please note, if any aspects of your programs are missing or listed incorrectly on our website, please let us know at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

*Program leaders and Education Abroad will review each student application for student eligibility for their respective programs. We will send out additional information regarding the review timelines and process as we near the application deadlines. If you are interviewing students as part of the review process, you must have them all finalized and decisions reported in Terra Dotta by the deadlines listed.

The only priority program deadlines for summer 2023 are:

• Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)

• Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Current International Traveler Vaccination Policy (Reminder)

All international travelers, conducting University-affiliated international travel, must be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by the date of departure. Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. As such, Penn State will require that all students who are eligible to be boosted receive a COVID-19 booster at least two weeks before the start of their University-affiliated international travel. Note the following descriptions of the terms “fully vaccinated” and “up to date” on vaccinations.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults ages 18 years and older are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19:

• After completing the 2-dose primary series of Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax

• After completing 1 dose of the primary series of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. Most adults aged 18 and older are currently recommended to receive at least one booster shot (excluding the Novavax vaccine). As a result, eligible Penn State students are required to have received at least one booster shot in advance of international travel. Students who are not eligible for the COVID-19 booster are not required to be boosted prior to travel so long as they are otherwise compliant with this requirement (i.e., fully vaccinated).” Students should confirm they meet the definition of up to date based on the vaccine type they received by reviewing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) page on vaccinations and booster shots.

Some students may not be vaccinated or boosted due to accommodations for medical, disability or religious reasons. In these cases, the student should contact the following offices to submit a request for a documented affirmation of their accommodation:

• Medical condition or documented disability: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/covid-19-support/compact-conduct-and-compliance/covid-19-vaccine-accommodation-requests

• Religious belief: https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/covid-19-information/

• Students who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and do not have a documented medical, religious, or disability-related accommodation must submit unit executive approval that travel is essential.

Vaccination accommodations approved by Penn State offices hold no influence with foreign governments or international educational institutions, many of which have enacted strict vaccination and booster protocols. Therefore, students who are not vaccinated, even those who have been approved for an accommodation by Penn State, may face limitations or restrictions in their participation in education abroad programs, including cancellation of their admission, due to regulations by foreign governments or international educational institutions. The Penn State Education Abroad Office will work to determine whether reasonable accommodations can be identified for students who have been approved for a medical/disability- or religious-related accommodation from the University’s vaccination requirement. If reasonable accommodations cannot be identified without fundamentally altering the nature of the educational program or activity, including if significant health and/or safety concerns remain, Penn State reserves the right to rescind the offer of admission to study abroad, regardless of any unit’s approval.

For more information please visit: https://virusinfo.psu.edu

What is Next?

• December 15: Emergency Contingency Plans due!

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

11/18/2022

This will be the last weekly message until December 2, 2022. Please have a wonderful fall break!

Emergency Contingency Plans-Due December 15 (NEW)

Customized Programs in Education Abroad are required to submit detailed contingency plans that provide emergency planning and academic continuity, if one, any, or all members of the student and faculty group are subject to quarantine, isolation, or are otherwise unable to fully participate in the program in person, while abroad. Program leaders should submit one form on behalf of each program, by December 15, 2022.

Contingency Planning Questionnaire for Customized Programs (form opens in a new window)

Please note that submissions of this form may be reviewed by the Education Abroad staff and leadership, and that the Global Safety Office may be consulted on specific details. If your program location is considered restricted travel, a summary of information will be sent to the International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC), the Vice Provost for Penn State Global and the Provost. Program viability decisions may be determined based on your contingency plans.

Please do not submit the form until you have collected all the necessary information to fully answer all the questions below. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to EAcustomized@psu.edu. Thank you!

Customized Programs Team Update (New)

Senior Customized Programs Coordinator, Ashley Wang will be departing from Penn State on December 1, 2022. Ashley started in Education Abroad in 2016 and has been an absolute warrior for our freestanding faculty and programs. Her departure is going to leave a major gap in our team and while we wish her well in her new endeavors, this is bittersweet for our team. She has accepted a new position at Emory University in Atlanta and will be off to warmer pastures. We wish her well and encourage anyone to offer ‘thank yous’ and ‘goodbyes’ to ahw125@psu.edu before December 1. Please continue to connect with our team at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

Program Budgeting Support from our Team (Updated)

Our team will continue to work with each individual program to set realistic budget expectations for summer 2023. Ultimately, we would like to mitigate the impact of increased costs on students, which will be different for every program, but may include limiting overnight travel, fewer day trips, utilizing public transportation (if typically using coach or private charter), voluntary program leader pay cuts, etc. If you have not met with a Customized Program Manager regarding your budget for summer 2023, please reach out to EAcustomized@psu.edu as soon as possible! Penn State Global is committed to supporting the students financially and continues to offer more scholarships than ever before (Back to the Word). The sooner we can confirm pricing with partners abroad the better! Additionally, utilizing partners that will lock-in contracted rates early will help to ease any uncertainty.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Reminder)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions are now available!

Student Summer 2023 Applications Open (Reminder)

Student applications for summer 2023 are now open! Please note, if any aspects of your programs are missing or listed incorrectly on our website, please let us know at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

*Program leaders and Education Abroad will review each student application for student eligibility for their respective programs. We will send out additional information regarding the review timelines and process as we near the application deadlines. If you are interviewing students as part of the review process, you must have them all finalized and decisions reported in Terra Dotta by the deadlines listed.

The only priority program deadlines for summer 2023 are:

• Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)

• Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Current International Traveler Vaccination Policy (Reminder)

All international travelers, conducting University-affiliated international travel, must be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by the date of departure. Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. As such, Penn State will require that all students who are eligible to be boosted receive a COVID-19 booster at least two weeks before the start of their University-affiliated international travel. Note the following descriptions of the terms “fully vaccinated” and “up to date” on vaccinations.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults ages 18 years and older are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19:

• After completing the 2-dose primary series of Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax

• After completing 1 dose of the primary series of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. Most adults aged 18 and older are currently recommended to receive at least one booster shot (excluding the Novavax vaccine). As a result, eligible Penn State students are required to have received at least one booster shot in advance of international travel. Students who are not eligible for the COVID-19 booster are not required to be boosted prior to travel so long as they are otherwise compliant with this requirement (i.e., fully vaccinated).” Students should confirm they meet the definition of up to date based on the vaccine type they received by reviewing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) page on vaccinations and booster shots.

Some students may not be vaccinated or boosted due to accommodations for medical, disability or religious reasons. In these cases, the student should contact the following offices to submit a request for a documented affirmation of their accommodation:

• Medical condition or documented disability: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/covid-19-support/compact-conduct-and-compliance/covid-19-vaccine-accommodation-requests

• Religious belief: https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/covid-19-information/

• Students who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and do not have a documented medical, religious, or disability-related accommodation must submit unit executive approval that travel is essential.

Vaccination accommodations approved by Penn State offices hold no influence with foreign governments or international educational institutions, many of which have enacted strict vaccination and booster protocols. Therefore, students who are not vaccinated, even those who have been approved for an accommodation by Penn State, may face limitations or restrictions in their participation in education abroad programs, including cancellation of their admission, due to regulations by foreign governments or international educational institutions. The Penn State Education Abroad Office will work to determine whether reasonable accommodations can be identified for students who have been approved for a medical/disability- or religious-related accommodation from the University’s vaccination requirement. If reasonable accommodations cannot be identified without fundamentally altering the nature of the educational program or activity, including if significant health and/or safety concerns remain, Penn State reserves the right to rescind the offer of admission to study abroad, regardless of any unit’s approval.

For more information please visit: https://virusinfo.psu.edu

Recruitment for Summer 2023 (Reminder)

As outlined in the program leader responsibilities, recruitment techniques and enthusiasm are the obligation of all the program leaders. You must be willing to spend time speaking with students and attending events (in person or virtually!) to promote the program. We realize that marketing your program will be difficult in this environment. We are listing here some of the anticipated challenges and opportunities for marketing and recruitment.

Challenges

• Some students (or their families) will be very reluctant to resume travel with so many uncertainties on the horizon

• In-person recruitment events may be limited (fairs, information sessions, etc.)

• Student interest or commitment to attending virtual recruitment events is somewhat untested

• Student retention through the application and commitment process will be challenging and concerns will continued to be addressed by Education Abroad advisers; we are noticing a high attrition rate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Opportunities

• Some students will be very eager to participate in any face-to-face learning opportunity - especially something as exciting as study abroad!

• Ask your colleagues in your department if they will include a slide or short video about your program into their class lecture or Canvas materials at some point in the semester

• Virtual education abroad fairs and other events can reach students at all Penn State campuses, greatly expanding your recruitment pool

What is Next?

• December 15: Emergency Contingency Plans due!

We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

11/11/2022

Communicating with Students Best Practices Presentation (NEW)

You are invited to this Zoom session on student-centered communication! We have all talked about how difficult it is to communicate with students. How do we get them open and read an email? What is the best way to communicate the different types of information we want to share? EA Graduate Assistant Marynes Castillo Espinoza has been helping us revamp our communications strategy to be more effective, and she has agreed to share her expertise! She will share some tips on how to make better emails, more effective marketing materials and more. Feel free to join this remote session!

Communicating with Students - Best Practices

• Wednesday, November 16

• 11:30 AM-12:15 PM

• Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://psu.zoom.us/j/91678842354?pwd=MWo2bzZhbyt1VU11M2NGTDl3QjJ0QT09

  • Password: 370211

• Please join using your Penn State credentials

• Speaker: Marynes Castillo Espinoza

Communication and Education specialist, Marynes Castillo Espinoza has 10 years of experience leading cross-cultural communication strategies and managing engagement events. She strives to help organizations overcome challenges, find clarity and seize opportunities by combining strategic communications theory and research with practice. Previous experience working in the International Higher Education field and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategies, fostering student commitment and creating a sense of community. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s in law (LLM) at Penn State Law with a focus on Race, Equity and Law, and International Law. Her credentials also include a Master’s in Higher Education Administration and B.A. in Communications.

Global Learning Launchpad (Final Reminder)

The Forum on Education Abroad has announced a Global Learning Launchpad program for education abroad program leaders and faculty members who are interested in advancing global learning at their institution. Penn State is a proud member of The Forum on Education Abroad and encourages faculty to consider whether their professional development interests and time allow for participation in this program (5 meetings during the spring 2023 semester).

Please visit The Forum on Education Abroad Global Learning Launchpad site for details on eligibility, time commitment, cohort style, learning objectives, and more.

Penn State Global (Education Abroad) is willing to fund participation for 2-3 faculty members to participate so please reply to this email if you are interested in applying. The application deadline is November 14, and our office would want to know of your interest by November 11 so we could advise if our unit could cover the cost of your participation (if you are selected).

Note that Penn State Global may not be able to cover the travel cost to The Forum on Education Abroad conference (in-person conference attendance required for the HYBRID cohort; conference registration would be covered in the cost paid by Penn State Global). There is no travel component for the virtual cohort. Questions about cost coverage can be sent to EAcustomized@psu.edu.

Penn State is neither the coordinator nor a sponsor of this opportunity, so questions about the program should be directed to Mary F. Price, Director of Teaching and Learning at The Forum on Education Abroad, pricemar@forumea.org.

Next Virtual Roundtable - Emergency Planning & IRTC Reviews (Reminder)

If you have been following our weekly newsletters, you are aware that we plan to host one virtual roundtable each month for program leaders, co-leaders and coordinators to prepare for Summer 2023. Our next virtual roundtable will be held Wednesday November 16, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. EST. At this roundtable we plan to discuss academic continuity planning, emergency action planning, and International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC) reviews and timelines.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Reminder)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions are now available!

Program Budgeting Support from our Team (Reminder)

Our Team will continue to work with each individual program to set realistic budget expectations for summer 2023. Ultimately, we would like to mitigate the impact of increased costs on students, which will be different for every program, but may include limiting overnight travel, fewer day trips, utilizing public transportation (if typically using coach or private charter), voluntary program leader pay cuts, etc. Penn State Global is committed to supporting the students financially and continues to offer more scholarships than ever before (Back to the Word). The sooner we can confirm pricing with partners abroad the better! Additionally, utilizing partners that will lock-in contracted rates early will help to ease any uncertainty.

Student Summer 2023 Applications Open (Reminder)

Student applications for summer 2023 are now open! Please note, if any aspects of your programs are missing or listed incorrectly on our website, please let us know at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

*Program leaders and Education Abroad will review each student application for student eligibility for their respective programs. We will send out additional information regarding the review timelines and process as we near the application deadlines. If you are interviewing students as part of the review process, you must have them all finalized and decisions reported in Terra Dotta by the deadlines listed.

The only priority program deadlines for summer 2023 are:

• Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)

• Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Current International Traveler Vaccination Policy (Reminder)

All international travelers, conducting University-affiliated international travel, must be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by the date of departure. Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. As such, Penn State will require that all students who are eligible to be boosted receive a COVID-19 booster at least two weeks before the start of their University-affiliated international travel. Note the following descriptions of the terms “fully vaccinated” and “up to date” on vaccinations.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults ages 18 years and older are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19:

• After completing the 2-dose primary series of Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax

• After completing 1 dose of the primary series of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. Most adults aged 18 and older are currently recommended to receive at least one booster shot (excluding the Novavax vaccine). As a result, eligible Penn State students are required to have received at least one booster shot in advance of international travel. Students who are not eligible for the COVID-19 booster are not required to be boosted prior to travel so long as they are otherwise compliant with this requirement (i.e., fully vaccinated).” Students should confirm they meet the definition of up to date based on the vaccine type they received by reviewing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) page on vaccinations and booster shots.

Some students may not be vaccinated or boosted due to accommodations for medical, disability or religious reasons. In these cases, the student should contact the following offices to submit a request for a documented affirmation of their accommodation:

• Medical condition or documented disability: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/covid-19-support/compact-conduct-and-compliance/covid-19-vaccine-accommodation-requests

• Religious belief: https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/covid-19-information/

• Students who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and do not have a documented medical, religious, or disability-related accommodation must submit unit executive approval that travel is essential.

Vaccination accommodations approved by Penn State offices hold no influence with foreign governments or international educational institutions, many of which have enacted strict vaccination and booster protocols. Therefore, students who are not vaccinated, even those who have been approved for an accommodation by Penn State, may face limitations or restrictions in their participation in education abroad programs, including cancellation of their admission, due to regulations by foreign governments or international educational institutions. The Penn State Education Abroad Office will work to determine whether reasonable accommodations can be identified for students who have been approved for a medical/disability- or religious-related accommodation from the University’s vaccination requirement. If reasonable accommodations cannot be identified without fundamentally altering the nature of the educational program or activity, including if significant health and/or safety concerns remain, Penn State reserves the right to rescind the offer of admission to study abroad, regardless of any unit’s approval.

For more information please visit: https://virusinfo.psu.edu

Recruitment for Summer 2023 (Reminder)

As outlined in the program leader responsibilities, recruitment techniques and enthusiasm are the obligation of all the program leaders. You must be willing to spend time speaking with students and attending events (in person or virtually!) to promote the program. We realize that marketing your program will be difficult in this environment. We are listing here some of the anticipated challenges and opportunities for marketing and recruitment.

Challenges

• Some students (or their families) will be very reluctant to resume travel with so many uncertainties on the horizon

• In-person recruitment events may be limited (fairs, information sessions, etc.)

• Student interest or commitment to attending virtual recruitment events is somewhat untested

• Student retention through the application and commitment process will be challenging and concerns will continued to be addressed by Education Abroad advisers; we are noticing a high attrition rate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Opportunities

• Some students will be very eager to participate in any face-to-face learning opportunity - especially something as exciting as study abroad!

• Ask your colleagues in your department if they will include a slide or short video about your program into their class lecture or Canvas materials at some point in the semester

• Virtual education abroad fairs and other events can reach students at all Penn State campuses, greatly expanding your recruitment pool

What is Next?

• Wednesday November 16, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. EST - roundtable for emergency planning for customized programs

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

If you believe you are receiving this email in error or are no longer working with freestanding programs, please let us know and we will remove you from our mailing list (EAcustomized@psu.edu).

11/4/2022

A Big Thank You!!

Thank you to all of our program leaders, liaisons and coordinators that represented their customized programs yesterday, as well as those of you that stopped by to say hello and see what the excitement was all about at our Education Abroad fair! We had a very successful fair this year with close to 900 students participating either in person or at the mini virtual information session. The students had a ton of interest and great questions as they were passing through. We appreciate your time and dedication to help us promote these programs and send students abroad. We look forward to working with you in the coming months!

Global Learning Launchpad (NEW)

The Forum on Education Abroad has announced a Global Learning Launchpad program for education abroad program leaders and faculty members who are interested in advancing global learning at their institution. Penn State is a proud member of The Forum on Education Abroad and encourages faculty to consider whether their professional development interests and time allow for participation in this program (5 meetings during the spring 2023 semester).

Please visit The Forum on Education Abroad Global Learning Launchpad site for details on eligibility, time commitment, cohort style, learning objectives, and more.

Penn State Global (Education Abroad) is willing to fund participation for 2-3 faculty members to participate so please reply to this email if you are interested in applying. The application deadline is November 14, and our office would want to know of your interest by November 11 so we could advise if our unit could cover the cost of your participation (if you are selected).

Note that Penn State Global may not be able to cover the travel cost to The Forum on Education Abroad conference (in-person conference attendance required for the HYBRID cohort; conference registration would be covered in the cost paid by Penn State Global). There is no travel component for the virtual cohort. Questions about cost coverage can be sent to embeddedprograms@psu.edu or EAcustomized@psu.edu.

Penn State is neither the coordinator nor a sponsor of this opportunity, so questions about the program should be directed to Mary F. Price, Director of Teaching and Learning at The Forum on Education Abroad, pricemar@forumea.org.

It Starts with Us - November 5^th (Reminder)

Please help us in promoting the inaugural Global Sustainable Action: It Starts with Us conference to students, faculty, staff, and community members! The conference will take place on Saturday, November 5th in the Chambers Building on the University Park campus. Please check out the full schedule and presenter sessions on the website. If you would like to attend the conference yourself, please RSVP using the conference registration link. Or if you, or your students, would like to volunteer, please complete the volunteer survey. We hope to see you there!

Next Virtual Roundtable - Emergency Planning & IRTC Reviews (Reminder)

If you have been following our weekly newsletters, you are aware that we plan to host one virtual roundtable each month for program leaders, co-leaders and coordinators to prepare for Summer 2023. Our next virtual roundtable will be held Wednesday November 16, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. EST. At this roundtable we plan to discuss academic continuity planning, emergency action planning, and International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC) reviews and timelines.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Reminder)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions are now available!

Program Budgeting Support from our Team (Reminder)

Our Team will continue to work with each individual program to set realistic budget expectations for summer 2023. Ultimately, we would like to mitigate the impact of increased costs on students, which will be different for every program, but may include limiting overnight travel, fewer day trips, utilizing public transportation (if typically using coach or private charter), voluntary program leader pay cuts, etc. Penn State Global is committed to supporting the students financially and continues to offer more scholarships than ever before (Back to the Word). The sooner we can confirm pricing with partners abroad the better! Additionally, utilizing partners that will lock-in contracted rates early will help to ease any uncertainty.

Student Summer 2023 Applications Open (Reminder)

Student applications for summer 2023 are now open! Please note, if any aspects of your programs are missing or listed incorrectly on our website, please let us know at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

*Program leaders and Education Abroad will review each student application for student eligibility for their respective programs. We will send out additional information regarding the review timelines and process as we near the application deadlines. If you are interviewing students as part of the review process, you must have them all finalized and decisions reported in Terra Dotta by the deadlines listed.

The only priority program deadlines for summer 2023 are:

• Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)

• Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Current International Traveler Vaccination Policy (Reminder)

All international travelers, conducting University-affiliated international travel, must be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by the date of departure. Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. As such, Penn State will require that all students who are eligible to be boosted receive a COVID-19 booster at least two weeks before the start of their University-affiliated international travel. Note the following descriptions of the terms “fully vaccinated” and “up to date” on vaccinations.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults ages 18 years and older are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19:

• After completing the 2-dose primary series of Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax

• After completing 1 dose of the primary series of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. Most adults aged 18 and older are currently recommended to receive at least one booster shot (excluding the Novavax vaccine). As a result, eligible Penn State students are required to have received at least one booster shot in advance of international travel. Students who are not eligible for the COVID-19 booster are not required to be boosted prior to travel so long as they are otherwise compliant with this requirement (i.e., fully vaccinated).” Students should confirm they meet the definition of up to date based on the vaccine type they received by reviewing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) page on vaccinations and booster shots.

Some students may not be vaccinated or boosted due to accommodations for medical, disability or religious reasons. In these cases, the student should contact the following offices to submit a request for a documented affirmation of their accommodation:

• Medical condition or documented disability: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/covid-19-support/compact-conduct-and-compliance/covid-19-vaccine-accommodation-requests

• Religious belief: https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/covid-19-information/

• Students who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and do not have a documented medical, religious, or disability-related accommodation must submit unit executive approval that travel is essential.

Vaccination accommodations approved by Penn State offices hold no influence with foreign governments or international educational institutions, many of which have enacted strict vaccination and booster protocols. Therefore, students who are not vaccinated, even those who have been approved for an accommodation by Penn State, may face limitations or restrictions in their participation in education abroad programs, including cancellation of their admission, due to regulations by foreign governments or international educational institutions. The Penn State Education Abroad Office will work to determine whether reasonable accommodations can be identified for students who have been approved for a medical/disability- or religious-related accommodation from the University’s vaccination requirement. If reasonable accommodations cannot be identified without fundamentally altering the nature of the educational program or activity, including if significant health and/or safety concerns remain, Penn State reserves the right to rescind the offer of admission to study abroad, regardless of any unit’s approval.

For more information please visit: https://virusinfo.psu.edu

Recruitment for Summer 2023 (Reminder)

As outlined in the program leader responsibilities, recruitment techniques and enthusiasm are the obligation of all the program leaders. You must be willing to spend time speaking with students and attending events (in person or virtually!) to promote the program. We realize that marketing your program will be difficult in this environment. We are listing here some of the anticipated challenges and opportunities for marketing and recruitment.

Challenges

• Some students (or their families) will be very reluctant to resume travel with so many uncertainties on the horizon

• In-person recruitment events may be limited (fairs, information sessions, etc.)

• Student interest or commitment to attending virtual recruitment events is somewhat untested

• Student retention through the application and commitment process will be challenging and concerns will continued to be addressed by Education Abroad advisers; we are noticing a high attrition rate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Opportunities

• Some students will be very eager to participate in any face-to-face learning opportunity - especially something as exciting as study abroad!

• Ask your colleagues in your department if they will include a slide or short video about your program into their class lecture or Canvas materials at some point in the semester

• Virtual education abroad fairs and other events can reach students at all Penn State campuses, greatly expanding your recruitment pool

What is Next?

• Wednesday November 16, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. EST - roundtable for emergency planning for customized programs

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

10/28/2022

Education Abroad Fair - November 3^rd (NEW)

The Education Abroad Fair is upon us! We are excited to welcome back interested students, external partners, and all our registered program leaders. Thanks to all your support, we anticipate a great turnout! The University Park fair will take place in-person in Alumni Hall at the HUB. Doors will be open for students from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (and we will be serving ice cream)!

Virtual Fair Information

For those that cannot attend in-person, there will be some virtual program offerings via Zoom! The Zoom option will consist of pre-recorded general information sessions about Education Abroad at Penn State, followed by live Q&A and debrief sessions facilitated by Education Abroad staff. Be sure to come with your questions and excitement to discover how you can participate in an education abroad program!

Pre-registration is required for this event. Please visit the 2022 Virtual Education Abroad Fair Registration Form to register. Note: You must be signed in to your Penn State Zoom account to sign up for the Zoom component of the Fair.Schedule for Virtual Programming (all times listed are in EDT):

• 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. Education Abroad 101 (Pre-recorded)

• 12:30 - 1:00 p.m. Education Abroad 101 Debrief & LIVE Q&A!

• 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. YouTube Video Playback & Informational Slideshow

• 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. Paying the Way Session (Pre-recorded)

• 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. Closing Q&A LIVE!

• 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Offline hours with Informational Slideshow

Digital Assets

Please help us in promoting the Education Abroad Fair! We have attached digital content you can use as an email signature line, as a virtual background, flyers that can be included in your academic unit’s online content, social media, or digital banners.

Education Abroad Fair

The Education Abroad Fair will take place on Thursday, November 3, 2022! The in-person Fair will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in Alumni Hall of the HUB-Robeson Center on Penn State’s University Park campus. There will be a virtual option via Zoom from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, please visit the Education Abroad Fair website.

It Starts with Us - November 5^th (NEW)

Please help us in promoting the inaugural Global Sustainable Action: It Starts with Us conference to students, faculty, staff, and community members! The conference will take place on Saturday, November 5th in the Chambers Building on the University Park campus. Please check out the full schedule and presenter sessions on the website.

We have attached digital flyers that can be included in your academic unit’s online content, social media, or digital banners. If you would like to attend the conference yourself, please RSVP using the conference registration link. Or if you, or your students, would like to volunteer, please complete the volunteer survey. We hope to see you there!

Next Virtual Roundtable - Emergency Planning & IRTC Reviews (NEW)

If you have been following our weekly newsletters, you are aware that we plan to host one virtual roundtable each month for program leaders, co-leaders and coordinators to prepare for Summer 2023. Our next virtual roundtable will be held Wednesday November 16, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. EST. At this roundtable we plan to discuss academic continuity planning, emergency action planning, and International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC) reviews and timelines.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Updated)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions are now available!

Program Budgeting Support from our Team (Reminder)

Our Team will continue to work with each individual program to set realistic budget expectations for summer 2023. Ultimately, we would like to mitigate the impact of increased costs on students, which will be different for every program, but may include limiting overnight travel, fewer day trips, utilizing public transportation (if typically using coach or private charter), voluntary program leader pay cuts, etc. Penn State Global is committed to supporting the students financially and continues to offer more scholarships than ever before (Back to the Word). The sooner we can confirm pricing with partners abroad the better! Additionally, utilizing partners that will lock-in contracted rates early will help to ease any uncertainty.

Student Summer 2023 Applications Open (Reminder)

Student applications for summer 2023 are now open! Please note, if any aspects of your programs are missing or listed incorrectly on our website, please let us know at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

*Program leaders and Education Abroad will review each student application for student eligibility for their respective programs. We will send out additional information regarding the review timelines and process as we near the application deadlines. If you are interviewing students as part of the review process, you must have them all finalized and decisions reported in Terra Dotta by the deadlines listed.

The only priority program deadlines for summer 2023 are:

• Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)

• Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Current International Traveler Vaccination Policy (Reminder)

All international travelers, conducting University-affiliated international travel, must be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by the date of departure. Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. As such, Penn State will require that all students who are eligible to be boosted receive a COVID-19 booster at least two weeks before the start of their University-affiliated international travel. Note the following descriptions of the terms “fully vaccinated” and “up to date” on vaccinations.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults ages 18 years and older are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19:

• After completing the 2-dose primary series of Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax

• After completing 1 dose of the primary series of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. Most adults aged 18 and older are currently recommended to receive at least one booster shot (excluding the Novavax vaccine). As a result, eligible Penn State students are required to have received at least one booster shot in advance of international travel. Students who are not eligible for the COVID-19 booster are not required to be boosted prior to travel so long as they are otherwise compliant with this requirement (i.e., fully vaccinated).” Students should confirm they meet the definition of up to date based on the vaccine type they received by reviewing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) page on vaccinations and booster shots.

Some students may not be vaccinated or boosted due to accommodations for medical, disability or religious reasons. In these cases, the student should contact the following offices to submit a request for a documented affirmation of their accommodation:

• Medical condition or documented disability: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/covid-19-support/compact-conduct-and-compliance/covid-19-vaccine-accommodation-requests

• Religious belief: https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/covid-19-information/

• Students who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and do not have a documented medical, religious, or disability-related accommodation must submit unit executive approval that travel is essential.

Vaccination accommodations approved by Penn State offices hold no influence with foreign governments or international educational institutions, many of which have enacted strict vaccination and booster protocols. Therefore, students who are not vaccinated, even those who have been approved for an accommodation by Penn State, may face limitations or restrictions in their participation in education abroad programs, including cancellation of their admission, due to regulations by foreign governments or international educational institutions. The Penn State Education Abroad Office will work to determine whether reasonable accommodations can be identified for students who have been approved for a medical/disability- or religious-related accommodation from the University’s vaccination requirement. If reasonable accommodations cannot be identified without fundamentally altering the nature of the educational program or activity, including if significant health and/or safety concerns remain, Penn State reserves the right to rescind the offer of admission to study abroad, regardless of any unit’s approval.

For more information please visit: https://virusinfo.psu.edu

Recruitment for Summer 2023 (Reminder)

As outlined in the program leader responsibilities, recruitment techniques and enthusiasm are the obligation of all the program leaders. You must be willing to spend time speaking with students and attending events (in person or virtually!) to promote the program. We realize that marketing your program will be difficult in this environment. We are listing here some of the anticipated challenges and opportunities for marketing and recruitment.

Challenges

• Some students (or their families) will be very reluctant to resume travel with so many uncertainties on the horizon

• In-person recruitment events may be limited (fairs, information sessions, etc.)

• Student interest or commitment to attending virtual recruitment events is somewhat untested

• Student retention through the application and commitment process will be challenging and concerns will continued to be addressed by Education Abroad advisers; we are noticing a high attrition rate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Opportunities

• Some students will be very eager to participate in any face-to-face learning opportunity - especially something as exciting as study abroad!

• Ask your colleagues in your department if they will include a slide or short video about your program into their class lecture or Canvas materials at some point in the semester

• Virtual education abroad fairs and other events can reach students at all Penn State campuses, greatly expanding your recruitment pool

What is Next?

• November 3, 2022: Education Abroad Fair at University Park

• Wednesday November 16, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. EST - roundtable for emergency planning for customized programs

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

10/21/2022

Customized Program Team Updates (New)

We are excited to announce Sarah Spiegel has joined the Customized Programs Team! Sarah will be our Customized Programs Manager primarily focused on faculty-led programs from our commonwealth campuses. This position, revamped a bit since it was last held by Matt Lockaby, will include oversight of the Commonwealth Campus EA customized programs portfolio (freestanding and embedded programs), travel to our campuses for some meetings and events, and serving as the Commonwealth Campus main point of contact for all EA issues.

Sarah has spent the last four years at the University of Delaware (UD) supporting a portfolio of EA customized programs and faculty support, advising students, and managing a full TerraDotta migration. If Sarah’s name sounds familiar…..prior to her time at UD, Sarah was one of our own Penn State Education Abroad Advisers for several years and was active on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as well as working with TerraDotta and Global website management. We are so excited to have her join our team in a new capacity! You can reach her through our shared email accounts; EmbeddedPrograms@psu.edu for all things embedded or EAcustomized@psu.edu for freestanding program related items (and if you are not sure - please use either and we will work it out)!

Student Summer 2023 Applications Open (Reminder)

Student applications for summer 2023 are now open! Please note, if any aspects of your programs are missing or listed incorrectly on our website, please let us know at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

*Program leaders and Education Abroad will review each student application for student eligibility for their respective programs. We will send out additional information regarding the review timelines and process as we near the application deadlines. If you are interviewing students as part of the review process, you must have them all finalized and decisions reported in Terra Dotta by the deadlines listed.

The only priority program deadlines for summer 2023 are:

• Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)

• Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Increased Program Costs (Updated)

As we prepare for summer 2023, we are seeing a significant increase in costs for customized programs. Regardless of if you are using a third-party program provider or simply booking accommodations and activities directly, prices have seriously increased. At this time, we are seeing nearly a 10-20% increase of all program expenses across all program locations. If you have not led a program abroad in the last few years, we can imagine you will experience some ‘sticker shock’!

While we understand the concerns, experts say the increases in costs due to global inflation include Russia’s invasion of Ukraine driving up energy and food prices¹, as well as resumption of international travel². Our typical program expenses are costing more with less availability of goods and services. The increased costs of energy and gas have skyrocketed the prices of transportation (private and public), so programs with high mobility will see an increase in estimates for this year. Hotels, mainly in Europe, have less availability due to displaced refugees³ and the resumption of global tourism. Flight costs and unreliable schedules have increased the number of disruptions and related expenses. Lastly, COVID-19 is still creating challenges for travelers across the globe.

We will continue to work with each individual program to set realistic budget expectations for summer 2023. Ultimately, we would like to mitigate the impact on students, which will be different for every program, but may include limiting overnight travel, fewer day trips, utilizing public transportation (if typically using coach or private charter), voluntary program leader pay cuts, etc. Penn State Global is committed to supporting the students financially and continues to offer more scholarships than ever before (Back to the Word). The sooner we can confirm pricing with partners abroad the better! Additionally, utilizing partners that will lock-in contracted rates early will help to ease any uncertainty.

We will host a virtual round table session on Tuesday October 25, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. EST to discuss budgets, increased costs, and contingency planning and answer any questions or concerns for all customized programs.

Current International Traveler Vaccination Policy (NEW)

All international travelers, conducting University-affiliated international travel, must be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by the date of departure. Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. As such, Penn State will require that all students who are eligible to be boosted receive a COVID-19 booster at least two weeks before the start of their University-affiliated international travel. Note the following descriptions of the terms “fully vaccinated” and “up to date” on vaccinations.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults ages 18 years and older are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19:

• After completing the 2-dose primary series of Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax

• After completing 1 dose of the primary series of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are specific requirements to be considered up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations. Most adults aged 18 and older are currently recommended to receive at least one booster shot (excluding the Novavax vaccine). As a result, eligible Penn State students are required to have received at least one booster shot in advance of international travel. Students who are not eligible for the COVID-19 booster are not required to be boosted prior to travel so long as they are otherwise compliant with this requirement (i.e., fully vaccinated).” Students should confirm they meet the definition of up to date based on the vaccine type they received by reviewing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) page on vaccinations and booster shots.

Some students may not be vaccinated or boosted due to accommodations for medical, disability or religious reasons. In these cases, the student should contact the following offices to submit a request for a documented affirmation of their accommodation:

• Medical condition or documented disability: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/covid-19-support/compact-conduct-and-compliance/covid-19-vaccine-accommodation-requests

• Religious belief: https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/covid-19-information/

• Students who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and do not have a documented medical, religious, or disability-related accommodation must submit unit executive approval that travel is essential.

Vaccination accommodations approved by Penn State offices hold no influence with foreign governments or international educational institutions, many of which have enacted strict vaccination and booster protocols. Therefore, students who are not vaccinated, even those who have been approved for an accommodation by Penn State, may face limitations or restrictions in their participation in education abroad programs, including cancellation of their admission, due to regulations by foreign governments or international educational institutions. The Penn State Education Abroad Office will work to determine whether reasonable accommodations can be identified for students who have been approved for a medical/disability- or religious-related accommodation from the University’s vaccination requirement. If reasonable accommodations cannot be identified without fundamentally altering the nature of the educational program or activity, including if significant health and/or safety concerns remain, Penn State reserves the right to rescind the offer of admission to study abroad, regardless of any unit’s approval.

For more information please visit: https://virusinfo.psu.edu

Recruitment for Summer 2023 (Reminder)

As outlined in the program leader responsibilities, recruitment techniques and enthusiasm are the obligation of all the program leaders. You must be willing to spend time speaking with students and attending events (in person or virtually!) to promote the program. We realize that marketing your program will be difficult in this environment. We are listing here some of the anticipated challenges and opportunities for marketing and recruitment.

Challenges

• Some students (or their families) will be very reluctant to resume travel with so many uncertainties on the horizon

• In-person recruitment events may be limited (fairs, information sessions, etc.)

• Student interest or commitment to attending virtual recruitment events is somewhat untested

• Student retention through the application and commitment process will be challenging and concerns will continued to be addressed by Education Abroad advisers; we are noticing a high attrition rate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Opportunities

• Some students will be very eager to participate in any face-to-face learning opportunity - especially something as exciting as study abroad!

• Ask your colleagues in your department if they will include a slide or short video about your program into their class lecture or Canvas materials at some point in the semester

• Virtual education abroad fairs and other events can reach students at all Penn State campuses, greatly expanding your recruitment pool

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Reminder)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions will be added throughout the semester!

COVID-19 Statistics from Academic Year 2021-2022 (Reminder)

While the Coronavirus is still very much present worldwide, we are shifting into an endemic phase and working to determine long-term practices for our faculty-led programs. In the academic year 2021-2022 Penn State Global had 69 customized programs travel abroad. Of those programs about 40% had at least 1 student or program leader test positive while on the program. For freestanding programs, Penn State Global will continue to support the logistical management of COVID-19 disruptions and build in the financial contingency planning for COVID-19 related disruptions, we want to share the following information while you consider itinerary changes, determining program leaders, and considerations for disruptions.

Program Information

These statistics were disclosed by the program leaders to Education Abroad, if there were additional cases or students impacted, but were not reported they are not included in this data.

Note that Spring and Spring Break programs were running during the peak of the Omicron variant worldwide. Additionally, most of our summer programs run in May and June; U.S. requirement for a negative COVID-19 test for entry was in place until June 12, 2022, so all travelers returning to the U.S. on or before June 12, 2022, were required to test prior to the flight. This testing requirement is no longer in place, but all participants are still expected to test for COVID-19 if they experience any symptoms during the program.

Traveler Information

*31 program leaders either tested positive OR had to remain in country to support a student(s) with COVID-19 isolation requirements. As a reminder, if a student tests positive for COVID-19 during the program, even if an isolation period extends past the program end date, a program leader MUST remain in that destination with that student until they are permitted to depart.

References

¹ Romei, V., & Smith, A. (2022, January 28). Inflation tracker: latest figures as countries grapple with rising prices. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/088d3368-bb8b-4ff3-9df7-a7680d4d81b2

² the new york times. (2022, February 15). Travel’s Theme for 2022? “Go Big.” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/travel/trends-spring-2022.html

³ Housing support for Ukrainian refugees in receiving countries. (n.d.). OECD. https://www.oecd.org/ukraine-hub/policy-responses/housing-support-for-ukrainian-refugees-in-receiving-countries-9c2b4404/

Covid-19 Vaccination requirements for international travelers: https://virusinfo.psu.edu/travel-guidelines/#internationaltravel

What is Next?

• Tuesday October 25, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. EST - financial planning customized program roundtable

• November 3, 2022: Education Abroad Fair at University Park

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

10/14/2022

Student Summer 2023 Applications Open Today (New)

Student applications for summer 2023 are open, TODAY!

If any of the required program renewal items are missing or incomplete, we will need to delay the opening of your program (the ‘Apply Now’ button will not be available). Should you have any questions, concerns, or program updates, please email us at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

*Program leaders and Education Abroad will review each student application for student eligibility for their respective programs. We will send out additional information regarding the review timelines and process as we near the application deadlines. If you are interviewing students as part of the review process, you must have them all finalized and decisions reported in Terra Dotta by the deadlines listed.

The only priority program deadlines for summer 2023 are:

• Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)

• Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Increased Program Costs (Reminder)

As we prepare for summer 2023, we are seeing a significant increase in costs for customized programs. Regardless of if you are using a third-party program provider or simply booking accommodations and activities directly, prices have seriously increased. At this time, we are seeing nearly a 10-20% increase of all program expenses across all program locations. If you have not led a program abroad in the last few years, we can imagine you will experience some ‘sticker shock’!

While we understand the concerns, experts say the increases in costs due to global inflation include Russia’s invasion of Ukraine driving up energy and food prices¹, as well as resumption of international travel². Our typical program expenses are costing more with less availability of goods and services. The increased costs of energy and gas have skyrocketed the prices of transportation (private and public), so programs with high mobility will see an increase in estimates for this year. Hotels, mainly in Europe, have less availability due to displaced refugees³ and the resumption of global tourism. Flight costs and unreliable schedules have increased the number of disruptions and related expenses. Lastly, COVID-19 is still creating challenges for travelers across the globe.

We will continue to work with each individual program to set realistic budget expectations for summer 2023. Ultimately, we would like to mitigate the impact on students, which will be different for every program, but may include limiting overnight travel, fewer day trips, utilizing public transportation (if typically using coach or private charter), voluntary program leader pay cuts, etc. Penn State Global is committed to supporting the students financially and continues to offer more scholarships than ever before (Back to the Word). The sooner we can confirm pricing with partners abroad the better! Additionally, utilizing partners that will lock-in contracted rates early will help to ease any uncertainty.

Recruitment for Summer 2023 (Reminder)

As outlined in the program leader responsibilities, recruitment techniques and enthusiasm are the obligation of all the program leaders. You must be willing to spend time speaking with students and attending events (in person or virtually!) to promote the program. We realize that marketing your program will be difficult in this environment. We are listing here some of the anticipated challenges and opportunities for marketing and recruitment.

Challenges

• Some students (or their families) will be very reluctant to resume travel with so many uncertainties on the horizon

• In-person recruitment events may be limited (fairs, information sessions, etc.)

• Student interest or commitment to attending virtual recruitment events is somewhat untested

• Student retention through the application and commitment process will be challenging and concerns will continued to be addressed by Education Abroad advisers; we are noticing a high attrition rate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Opportunities

• Some students will be very eager to participate in any face-to-face learning opportunity - especially something as exciting as study abroad!

• Ask your colleagues in your department if they will include a slide or short video about your program into their class lecture or Canvas materials at some point in the semester

• Virtual education abroad fairs and other events can reach students at all Penn State campuses, greatly expanding your recruitment pool

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (Reminder)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions will be added throughout the semester!

COVID-19 Statistics from Academic Year 2021-2022 (Reminder)

While the Coronavirus is still very much present worldwide, we are shifting into an endemic phase and working to determine long-term practices for our faculty-led programs. In the academic year 2021-2022 Penn State Global had 69 customized programs travel abroad. Of those programs about 40% had at least 1 student or program leader test positive while on the program. For freestanding programs, Penn State Global will continue to support the logistical management of COVID-19 disruptions and build in the financial contingency planning for COVID-19 related disruptions, we want to share the following information while you consider itinerary changes, determining program leaders, and considerations for disruptions.

Program Information

These statistics were disclosed by the program leaders to Education Abroad, if there were additional cases or students impacted, but were not reported they are not included in this data.

Note that Spring and Spring Break programs were running during the peak of the Omicron variant worldwide. Additionally, most of our summer programs run in May and June; U.S. requirement for a negative COVID-19 test for entry was in place until June 12, 2022, so all travelers returning to the U.S. on or before June 12, 2022, were required to test prior to the flight. This testing requirement is no longer in place, but all participants are still expected to test for COVID-19 if they experience any symptoms during the program.

Traveler Information

*31 program leaders either tested positive OR had to remain in country to support a student(s) with COVID-19 isolation requirements. As a reminder, if a student tests positive for COVID-19 during the program, even if an isolation period extends past the program end date, a program leader MUST remain in that destination with that student until they are permitted to depart.

Programming Related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

This fall, Penn State instructors who wish to make their classrooms and teaching practices more equitable and inclusive for students can choose from a range of services and programming related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). We would encourage all of our program leaders to explore the many offerings of workshops, events, and resources provided by the Schreyer Institute at Penn State. Many of the trainings have unique parallels to education abroad programming; here are some of the sessions we think could be most valuable to you:

• October 28: A Path to Decolonizing the Syllabus (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• November 9: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences Using the “Who’s in Class?” Survey (12:00 - 1:00 p.m.)

References

¹ Romei, V., & Smith, A. (2022, January 28). Inflation tracker: latest figures as countries grapple with rising prices. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/088d3368-bb8b-4ff3-9df7-a7680d4d81b2

² the new york times. (2022, February 15). Travel’s Theme for 2022? “Go Big.” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/travel/trends-spring-2022.html

³ Housing support for Ukrainian refugees in receiving countries. (n.d.). OECD. https://www.oecd.org/ukraine-hub/policy-responses/housing-support-for-ukrainian-refugees-in-receiving-countries-9c2b4404/

What is Next?

• October 14, 2022: Summer applications ‘open’ for students

• November 3, 2022: Education Abroad Fair at University Park

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

10/06/2022

Increased Program Costs (New)

As we prepare for summer 2023, we are seeing a significant increase in costs for customized programs. Regardless of if you are using a third-party program provider or simply booking accommodations and activities directly, prices have seriously increased. At this time, we are seeing nearly a 10-20% increase of all program expenses across all program locations. If you have not led a program abroad in the last few years, we can imagine you will experience some ‘sticker shock’!

While we understand the concerns, experts say the increases in costs due to global inflation include Russia’s invasion of Ukraine driving up energy and food prices¹, as well as resumption of international travel². Our typical program expenses are costing more with less availability of goods and services. The increased costs of energy and gas have skyrocketed the prices of transportation (private and public), so programs with high mobility will see an increase in estimates for this year. Hotels, mainly in Europe, have less availability due to displaced refugees³ and the resumption of global tourism. Flight costs and unreliable schedules have increased the number of disruptions and related expenses. Lastly, COVID-19 is still creating challenges for travelers across the globe.

We will continue to work with each individual program to set realistic budget expectations for summer 2023. Ultimately, we would like to mitigate the impact on students, which will be different for every program, but may include limiting overnight travel, fewer day trips, utilizing public transportation (if typically using coach or private charter), voluntary program leader pay cuts, etc. Penn State Global is committed to supporting the students financially and continues to offer more scholarships than ever before (Back to the Word). The sooner we can confirm pricing with partners abroad the better! Additionally, utilizing partners that will lock-in contracted rates early will help to ease any uncertainty.

What is Next?! (Reminder)

A huge thank you to all our summer freestanding program leaders and coordinators! At this time, we are anticipating 47 faculty-led freestanding programs for summer 2023! This is a higher number of program offerings than our pre-COVID program numbers and we are excited to see mobility resume in a larger capacity.

At this time, the Customized Programs team will be working through each renewal proposal, making updates to the public brochure pages, and drafting budgets. Please be patient with us as we work through these processes. Student applications will open on October 14th and we would like to have all of these items completed for that date. If any of the required items are missing or incomplete, we will need to delay the opening of your program (the ‘Apply Now’ button will not be available). Should you have any questions, concerns, or program updates, please email us at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

Recruitment for Summer 2023 (Reminder)

As outlined in the program leader responsibilities, recruitment techniques and enthusiasm are the obligation of all the program leaders. You must be willing to spend time speaking with students and attending events (in person or virtually!) to promote the program. We realize that marketing your program will be difficult in this environment. We are listing here some of the anticipated challenges and opportunities for marketing and recruitment.

Challenges

• Some students (or their families) will be very reluctant to resume travel with so many uncertainties on the horizon

• In-person recruitment events may be limited (fairs, information sessions, etc.)

• Student interest or commitment to attending virtual recruitment events is somewhat untested

• Student retention through the application and commitment process will be challenging and concerns will continued to be addressed by Education Abroad advisers; we are noticing a high attrition rate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Opportunities

• Some students will be very eager to participate in any face-to-face learning opportunity - especially something as exciting as study abroad!

• Ask your colleagues in your department if they will include a slide or short video about your program into their class lecture or Canvas materials at some point in the semester

• Virtual education abroad fairs and other events can reach students at all Penn State campuses, greatly expanding your recruitment pool

Emergency Preparedness Workshop (New)

All Individuals who are leading/co-leading programs abroad, must participate in an Emergency Preparedness Workshop (EPW) prior to traveling. While the travel policy states that attendance is required every two years, we would recommend all leaders schedule a session prior to their travel this academic year, even if they attend an EPW last year. The Global Safety Office will remain available to answer any questions or concerns. More information and registration is available at: https://global.psu.edu/node/101. New sessions will be added throughout the semester!

COVID-19 Statistics from Academic Year 2021-2022 (Reminder)

While the Coronavirus is still very much present worldwide, we are shifting into an endemic phase and working to determine long-term practices for our faculty-led programs. In the academic year 2021-2022 Penn State Global had 69 customized programs travel abroad. Of those programs about 40% had at least 1 student or program leader test positive while on the program. For freestanding programs, Penn State Global will continue to support the logistical management of COVID-19 disruptions and build in the financial contingency planning for COVID-19 related disruptions, we want to share the following information while you consider itinerary changes, determining program leaders, and considerations for disruptions.

Program Information

These statistics were disclosed by the program leaders to Education Abroad, if there were additional cases or students impacted, but were not reported they are not included in this data.

Note that Spring and Spring Break programs were running during the peak of the Omicron variant worldwide. Additionally, most of our summer programs run in May and June; U.S. requirement for a negative COVID-19 test for entry was in place until June 12, 2022, so all travelers returning to the U.S. on or before June 12, 2022, were required to test prior to the flight. This testing requirement is no longer in place, but all participants are still expected to test for COVID-19 if they experience any symptoms during the program.

Traveler Information

*31 program leaders either tested positive OR had to remain in country to support a student(s) with COVID-19 isolation requirements. As a reminder, if a student tests positive for COVID-19 during the program, even if an isolation period extends past the program end date, a program leader MUST remain in that destination with that student until they are permitted to depart.

Global Sustainable Action: It Starts with Us (Reminder)

Customized Programs Partner Policy (Reminder)

Education Abroad, in guidance from the Education Abroad Advisory Council, will require all newly-proposed customized and faculty-led programs and customized/faculty-led programs running for the first time to work with a third-party partner (i.e., private educational entity, institutional/university partner, non-profit organization, travel logistics company) to arrange for critical program components, beginning in summer 2023.

Existing customized and faculty-led 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, with a phased approach over several years (see attachment for timeline details). 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

Please review the attached document for additional information regarding the proposed timeline and rollout for programs in summer 2023 and beyond. The Customized Programs team will remain available to answer questions and begin discussions of program development and updating.

Programming Related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

This fall, Penn State instructors who wish to make their classrooms and teaching practices more equitable and inclusive for students can choose from a range of services and programming related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). We would encourage all of our program leaders to explore the many offerings of workshops, events, and resources provided by the Schreyer Institute at Penn State. Many of the trainings have unique parallels to education abroad programming; here are some of the sessions we think could be most valuable to you:

• October 6: How to be a Reflective Instructor (10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)

• October 12: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 2 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 28: A Path to Decolonizing the Syllabus (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• November 9: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences Using the “Who’s in Class?” Survey (12:00 - 1:00 p.m.)

References

¹ Romei, V., & Smith, A. (2022, January 28). Inflation tracker: latest figures as countries grapple with rising prices. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/088d3368-bb8b-4ff3-9df7-a7680d4d81b2

² the new york times. (2022, February 15). Travel’s Theme for 2022? “Go Big.” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/travel/trends-spring-2022.html

³ Housing support for Ukrainian refugees in receiving countries. (n.d.). OECD. https://www.oecd.org/ukraine-hub/policy-responses/housing-support-for-ukrainian-refugees-in-receiving-countries-9c2b4404/

What is Next?

• October 14, 2022: Summer applications ‘open’ for students

• November 3, 2022: Education Abroad Fair at University Park

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

9/30/2022

What is Next?! (New)

A huge thank you to all our summer freestanding program leaders and coordinators! At this time, we are anticipating 47 faculty-led freestanding programs for summer 2023! This is a higher number of program offerings than our pre-COVID program numbers and we are excited to see mobility resume in a larger capacity.

At this time, the Customized Programs team will be working through each renewal proposal, making updates to the public brochure pages, and drafting program budgets. Please be patient with us as we work through these processes for all our freestanding programs. Student applications will open on October 14th and we would like to have all of these items completed for that date. If any of the required items are missing or incomplete, we will need to delay the opening of your program (the ‘Apply Now’ button will not be available). Should you have any questions, concerns, or program updates, please email us at EAcustomized@psu.edu.

Recruitment for Summer 2023 (New)

As outlined in the program leader responsibilities, recruitment techniques and enthusiasm are the obligation of all the program leaders. You must be willing to spend time speaking with students and attending events (in person or virtually!) to promote the program. We realize that marketing your program will be difficult in this environment. Ultimately, if we do not meet the required minimum number of students than the program would be canceled for summer 2023. We are listing here some of the anticipated challenges and opportunities for marketing and recruitment:

Challenges

• Some students (or their families) will be very reluctant to resume travel with so many uncertainties on the horizon

• In-person recruitment events may be limited (fairs, information sessions, etc.)

• Student interest or commitment to attending virtual recruitment events is somewhat untested

• Student retention through the application and commitment process will be challenging and concerns will continued to be addressed by Education Abroad advisers; we are noticing a high attrition rate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Opportunities

• Some students will be very eager to participate in any face-to-face learning opportunity - especially something as exciting as study abroad!

• Ask your colleagues in your department if they will include a slide or short video about your program into their class lecture or Canvas materials at some point in the semester

• Virtual education abroad fairs and other events can reach students at all Penn State campuses, greatly expanding your recruitment pool

COVID-19 Statistics from Academic Year 2021-2022 (Reminder)

While the Coronavirus is still very much present worldwide, we are shifting into an endemic phase and working to determine long-term practices for our faculty-led programs. In the academic year 2021-2022 Penn State Global had 69 customized programs travel abroad. Of those programs about 40% had at least 1 student or program leader test positive while on the program. For freestanding programs, Penn State Global will continue to support the logistical management of COVID-19 disruptions and build in the financial contingency planning for COVID-19 related disruptions, we want to share the following information while you consider itinerary changes, determining program leaders, and considerations for disruptions.

Program Information

These statistics were disclosed by the program leaders to Education Abroad, if there were additional cases or students impacted, but were not reported they are not included in this data.

Note that Spring and Spring Break programs were running during the peak of the Omicron variant worldwide. Additionally, most of our summer programs run in May and June; U.S. requirement for a negative COVID-19 test for entry was in place until June 12, 2022, so all travelers returning to the U.S. on or before June 12, 2022, were required to test prior to the flight. This testing requirement is no longer in place, but all participants are still expected to test for COVID-19 if they experience any symptoms during the program.

Traveler Information

*31 program leaders either tested positive OR had to remain in country to support a student(s) with COVID-19 isolation requirements. As a reminder, if a student tests positive for COVID-19 during the program, even if an isolation period extends past the program end date, a program leader MUST remain in that destination with that student until they are permitted to depart.

Global Sustainable Action: It Starts with Us (Updated)

Customized Programs Partner Policy (Reminder)

Education Abroad, in guidance from the Education Abroad Advisory Council, will require all newly-proposed customized and faculty-led programs and customized/faculty-led programs running for the first time to work with a third-party partner (i.e., private educational entity, institutional/university partner, non-profit organization, travel logistics company) to arrange for critical program components, beginning in summer 2023.

Existing customized and faculty-led 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, with a phased approach over several years (see attachment for timeline details). 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

Please review the attached document for additional information regarding the proposed timeline and rollout for programs in summer 2023 and beyond. The Customized Programs team will remain available to answer questions and begin discussions of program development and updating.

Programming Related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

This fall, Penn State instructors who wish to make their classrooms and teaching practices more equitable and inclusive for students can choose from a range of services and programming related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). We would encourage all of our program leaders to explore the many offerings of workshops, events, and resources provided by the Schreyer Institute at Penn State. Many of the trainings have unique parallels to education abroad programming; here are some of the sessions we think could be most valuable to you:

• October 6: How to be a Reflective Instructor (10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)

• October 12: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 2 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 28: A Path to Decolonizing the Syllabus (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• November 9: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences Using the “Who’s in Class?” Survey (12:00 - 1:00 p.m.)

What is Next?

• October 14, 2022: Summer applications ‘open’ for students

• November 3, 2022: Education Abroad Fair at University Park

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

9/23/2022

Summer 2023 Program Renewals Proposals (FINAL REMINDER)!

The annual program renewal process for summer faculty-led freestanding programs is now open! This online form is how we will gather information about whether or not you plan to run your program in summer 2023, who your program leaders will be, your program dates and dates of travel, and any notable changes to the program activities or budgets for next year. The proposal deadline has been extended to September 25, 2022.

Program Registration: Program Renewal (summer faculty-led freestanding)

Given the ever-present considerations as we continue to navigate in this world, these updates are critical to our planning process and continued collaboration. Depending on your program location(s), your program details, renewal information, itineraries, and other program details will be shared with Education Abroad leadership, the Global Safety Office, the International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC), the Vice Provost for Global Programs and the Provost. Program viability decisions may be determined based on your detailed submissions.

If you do not submit your registration by the deadline of September 25, 2022, we will consider your program canceled for 2023. Please note that only one registration needs to be submitted per program, so if you have multiple faculty leaders, please decide amongst yourselves who will be the one to submit.

The online program renewal process will take about 30 or so minutes to complete once you have gathered the required information for next year. If you went through the renewal process last year, you may remember some changes that were made to the needed forms. Please review the updated Program Leader Requirements prior to submitting your program renewal. Essential details to have ready are listed here for your reference:

• Program leaders for 2023 (if taking a TA, you don’t need to know their names yet; please do be sure of the faculty leaders)

• Dates and locations (i.e., 5/10-5/20/2023 in Florence and 5/20-5/30/2023 in Rome)

• Anticipated changes to academics, ground travel, group meals, and housing that will need to be made to conduct the program safely (please review the program leader guidelines as several housing and accommodation recommendations have been updated)

• Program partners/host institutions/third-party providers or other vendors

• Which program leader will be the one to log in and review student applications

• Updates to courses to be offered (i.e., course numbers/titles)

• Housing locations (can be tentative)

• Estimated costs for in-country activities (i.e., museum visits, safari)

• Any changes you’d like us to make on the program brochure page.

Please see the attached step-by-step instructions (Program Renewal Instructions Summer 2023.pdf’) that show you how to access the online forms and submit them. As part of the program renewal process, Penn State Global requires proof of support for your program from your academic leadership. We recommend sending this electronic request to your department head and, if necessary, meet with them to discuss the program and/or inform them of the program renewal recommendation. The form will provide you a directory search option to find the name and email of this contact and send an approval request to them.

COVID-19 Statistics from Academic Year 2021-2022 (Reminder)

While the Coronavirus is still very much present worldwide, we are shifting into an endemic phase and working to determine long-term practices for our faculty-led programs. In the academic year 2021-2022 Penn State Global had 69 customized programs travel abroad. Of those programs about 40% had at least 1 student or program leader test positive while on the program. For freestanding programs, Penn State Global will continue to support the logistical management of COVID-19 disruptions and build in the financial contingency planning for COVID-19 related disruptions, we want to share the following information while you consider itinerary changes, determining program leaders, and considerations for disruptions.

Program Information

These statistics were disclosed by the program leaders to Education Abroad, if there were additional cases or students impacted, but were not reported they are not included in this data.

Note that Spring and Spring Break programs were running during the peak of the Omicron variant worldwide. Additionally, most of our summer programs run in May and June; U.S. requirement for a negative COVID-19 test for entry was in place until June 12, 2022, so all travelers returning to the U.S. on or before June 12, 2022, were required to test prior to the flight. This testing requirement is no longer in place, but all participants are still expected to test for COVID-19 if they experience any symptoms during the program.

Traveler Information

*31 program leaders either tested positive OR had to remain in country to support a student(s) with COVID-19 isolation requirements. As a reminder, if a student tests positive for COVID-19 during the program, even if an isolation period extends past the program end date, a program leader MUST remain in that destination with that student until they are permitted to depart.

Global Sustainable Action: It Starts with Us (New)

To mark Penn State’s International Education Month in November, Penn State Global and the Sustainability Institute have partnered to host our first global sustainability mini conference titled, Global Sustainable Action: It Starts with Us, on November 5, 2022.

The event provides a platform to raise global awareness, expand commitment to sustainable actions, deepen intercultural understanding, and foster respect for diversity and difference. This will be the first in an annual conference series, each thematically tied to a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. This first conference will focus on Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

We invite faculty, staff, and students to consider presenting at the Global Sustainable Action: It Starts with Us conference. To submit a proposal, fill out this form or scan the QR code. If you have questions, please email the Global Engagement team at globalengagement@psu.edu.

Customized Programs Partner Policy (Reminder)

Education Abroad, in guidance from the Education Abroad Advisory Council, will require all newly-proposed customized and faculty-led programs and customized/faculty-led programs running for the first time to work with a third-party partner (i.e., private educational entity, institutional/university partner, non-profit organization, travel logistics company) to arrange for critical program components, beginning in summer 2023.

Existing customized and faculty-led 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, with a phased approach over several years (see attachment for timeline details). 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

Please review the attached document for additional information regarding the proposed timeline and rollout for programs in summer 2023 and beyond. The Customized Programs team will remain available to answer questions and begin discussions of program development and updating.

Programming Related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

This fall, Penn State instructors who wish to make their classrooms and teaching practices more equitable and inclusive for students can choose from a range of services and programming related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). We would encourage all of our program leaders to explore the many offerings of workshops, events, and resources provided by the Schreyer Institute at Penn State. Many of the trainings have unique parallels to education abroad programming; here are some of the sessions we think could be most valuable to you:

• October 6: How to be a Reflective Instructor (10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)

• October 12: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 2 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 28: A Path to Decolonizing the Syllabus (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• November 9: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences Using the “Who’s in Class?” Survey (12:00 - 1:00 p.m.)

What is Next?

• September 25, 2022: Program renewals due for summer 2023 programs

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

9/16/2022

COVID-19 Statistics from Academic Year 2021-2022 (New)

While the Coronavirus is still very much present worldwide, we are shifting into an endemic phase and working to determine long-term practices for our faculty-led programs. In the academic year 2021-2022 Penn State Global had 69 customized programs travel abroad. Of those programs about 40% had at least 1 student or program leader test positive while on the program. For freestanding programs, Penn State Global will continue to support the logistical management of COVID-19 disruptions and build in the financial contingency planning for COVID-19 related disruptions, we want to share the following information while you consider itinerary changes, determining program leaders, and considerations for disruptions.

Program Information

These statistics were disclosed by the program leaders to Education Abroad, if there were additional cases or students impacted, but were not reported they are not included in this data.

Note that Spring and Spring Break programs were running during the peak of the Omicron variant worldwide. Additionally, most of our summer programs run in May and June; U.S. requirement for a negative COVID-19 test for entry was in place until June 12, 2022, so all travelers returning to the U.S. on or before June 12, 2022, were required to test prior to the flight. This testing requirement is no longer in place, but all participants are still expected to test for COVID-19 if they experience any symptoms during the program.

Traveler Information

*31 program leaders either tested positive OR had to remain in country to support a student(s) with COVID-19 isolation requirements. As a reminder, if a student tests positive for COVID-19 during the program, even if an isolation period extends past the program end date, a program leader MUST remain in that destination with that student until they are permitted to depart.

Summer 2023 Program Renewals Proposals (9 DAYS REMAINING)!

The annual program renewal process for summer faculty-led freestanding programs is now open! This online form is how we will gather information about whether or not you plan to run your program in summer 2023, who your program leaders will be, your program dates and dates of travel, and any notable changes to the program activities or budgets for next year. The proposal deadline has been extended to September 25, 2022.

Program Registration: Program Renewal (summer faculty-led freestanding)

Given the ever-present considerations as we continue to navigate in this world, these updates are critical to our planning process and continued collaboration. Depending on your program location(s), your program details, renewal information, itineraries, and other program details will be shared with Education Abroad leadership, the Global Safety Office, the International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC), the Vice Provost for Global Programs and the Provost. Program viability decisions may be determined based on your detailed submissions.

If you do not submit your registration by the deadline of September 25, 2022, we will consider your program canceled for 2022. Please note that only one registration needs to be submitted per program, so if you have multiple faculty leaders, please decide amongst yourselves who will be the one to submit.

The online program renewal process will take about 30 or so minutes to complete once you have gathered the required information for next year. If you went through the renewal process last year, you may remember some changes that were made to the needed forms. Please review the updated Program Leader Requirements prior to submitting your program renewal. Essential details to have ready are listed here for your reference:

• Program leaders for 2023 (if taking a TA, you don’t need to know their names yet; please do be sure of the faculty leaders)

• Dates and locations (i.e., 5/10-5/20/2023 in Florence and 5/20-5/30/2023 in Rome)

• Anticipated changes to academics, ground travel, group meals, and housing that will need to be made to conduct the program safely (please review the program leader guidelines as several housing and accommodation recommendations have been updated)

• Program partners/host institutions/third-party providers or other vendors

• Which program leader will be the one to log in and review student applications

• Updates to courses to be offered (i.e., course numbers/titles)

• Housing locations (can be tentative)

• Estimated costs for in-country activities (i.e., museum visits, safari)

• Any changes you’d like us to make on the program brochure page.

Please see the attached step-by-step instructions (Program Renewal Instructions Summer 2023.pdf’) that show you how to access the online forms and submit them. As part of the program renewal process, Penn State Global requires proof of support for your program from your academic leadership. We recommend sending this electronic request to your department head and, if necessary, meet with them to discuss the program and/or inform them of the program renewal recommendation. The form will provide you a directory search option to find the name and email of this contact and send an approval request to them. We will host one final program leader roundtable to discuss updates, process, and answer any questions you may have, so please save the date:

• September 13th at 3PM: Roundtable meeting for faculty | Proposal Process and Leader Guidelines and new third party provider/partner policy and protocol discussions

Thank you all so much! As always, we appreciate your flexibility and willingness to forge ahead in these ever-changing times! Don’t forget: we are here to support you, so please don’t hesitate to contact us any time should you have questions or concerns.

Customized Programs Partner Policy (Reminder)

Education Abroad, in guidance from the Education Abroad Advisory Council, will require all newly-proposed customized and faculty-led programs and customized/faculty-led programs running for the first time to work with a third-party partner (i.e., private educational entity, institutional/university partner, non-profit organization, travel logistics company) to arrange for critical program components, beginning in summer 2023.

Existing customized and faculty-led 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, with a phased approach over several years (see attachment for timeline details). 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

Please review the attached document for additional information regarding the proposed timeline and rollout for programs in summer 2023 and beyond. The Customized Programs team will remain available to answer questions and begin discussions of program development and updating.

Programming Related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

This fall, Penn State instructors who wish to make their classrooms and teaching practices more equitable and inclusive for students can choose from a range of services and programming related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). We would encourage all of our program leaders to explore the many offerings of workshops, events, and resources provided by the Schreyer Institute at Penn State. Many of the trainings have unique parallels to education abroad programming; here are some of the sessions we think could be most valuable to you:

• September 7th: Inclusive Teaching: Why it Matters (10:10 - 11:10 a.m.)

• September 14th: Well-Being in Learning Environments (10:10 - 11:10 a.m.)

• September 21: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 1 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 6: How to be a Reflective Instructor (10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)

• October 12: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 2 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 28: A Path to Decolonizing the Syllabus (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• November 9: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences Using the “Who’s in Class?” Survey (12:00 - 1:00 p.m.)

What is Next?

• September 25, 2022: Program renewals due for summer 2023 programs

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

If you believe you are receiving this email in error or are no longer working with freestanding programs, please let us know and we will remove you from our mailing list (EAcustomized@psu.edu).

Contact Information

Thank you!

The Customized Programs Team | Education Abroad

Penn State Global | Email: EACustomized@psu.edu

Faculty-Led Freestanding Programs Support Center

9/9/2022

No updates this week! We hope you open your program renewal proposals soon and please reach out to EAcustomized@psu.edu with any questions or concerns! We will notify you upon your program renewal submission if your destination will be considered restricted travel for summer 2023.

Summer 2023 Program Renewals Proposals (Reminder)

The annual program renewal process for summer faculty-led freestanding programs is now open! This online form is how we will gather information about whether or not you plan to run your program in summer 2023, who your program leaders will be, your program dates and dates of travel, and any notable changes to the program activities or budgets for next year. The proposal deadline has been extended to September 25, 2022.

Program Registration: Program Renewal (summer faculty-led freestanding)

Given the ever-present considerations as we continue to navigate in this world, these updates are critical to our planning process and continued collaboration. Depending on your program location(s), your program details, renewal information, itineraries, and other program details will be shared with Education Abroad leadership, the Global Safety Office, the International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC), the Vice Provost for Global Programs and the Provost. Program viability decisions may be determined based on your detailed submissions.

If you do not submit your registration by the deadline of September 25, 2022, we will consider your program canceled for 2022. Please note that only one registration needs to be submitted per program, so if you have multiple faculty leaders, please decide amongst yourselves who will be the one to submit.

The online program renewal process will take about 30 or so minutes to complete once you have gathered the required information for next year. If you went through the renewal process last year, you may remember some changes that were made to the needed forms. Please review the updated Program Leader Requirements prior to submitting your program renewal. Essential details to have ready are listed here for your reference:

• Program leaders for 2023 (if taking a TA, you don’t need to know their names yet; please do be sure of the faculty leaders)

• Dates and locations (i.e., 5/10-5/20/2023 in Florence and 5/20-5/30/2023 in Rome)

• Anticipated changes to academics, ground travel, group meals, and housing that will need to be made to conduct the program safely (please review the program leader guidelines as several housing and accommodation recommendations have been updated)

• Program partners/host institutions/third-party providers or other vendors

• Which program leader will be the one to log in and review student applications

• Updates to courses to be offered (i.e., course numbers/titles)

• Housing locations (can be tentative)

• Estimated costs for in-country activities (i.e., museum visits, safari)

• Any changes you’d like us to make on the program brochure page.

Please see the attached step-by-step instructions (Program Renewal Instructions Summer 2023.pdf’) that show you how to access the online forms and submit them. As part of the program renewal process, Penn State Global requires proof of support for your program from your academic leadership. We recommend sending this electronic request to your department head and, if necessary, meet with them to discuss the program and/or inform them of the program renewal recommendation. The form will provide you a directory search option to find the name and email of this contact and send an approval request to them. We will host one final program leader roundtable to discuss updates, process, and answer any questions you may have, so please save the date:

• September 13th at 3PM: Roundtable meeting for faculty | Proposal Process and Leader Guidelines and new third party provider/partner policy and protocol discussions

Thank you all so much! As always, we appreciate your flexibility and willingness to forge ahead in these ever-changing times! Don’t forget: we are here to support you, so please don’t hesitate to contact us any time should you have questions or concerns.

Customized Programs Partner Policy (Reminder)

Education Abroad, in guidance from the Education Abroad Advisory Council, will require all newly-proposed customized and faculty-led programs and customized/faculty-led programs running for the first time to work with a third-party partner (i.e., private educational entity, institutional/university partner, non-profit organization, travel logistics company) to arrange for critical program components, beginning in summer 2023.

Existing customized and faculty-led 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, with a phased approach over several years (see attachment for timeline details). 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

Please review the attached document for additional information regarding the proposed timeline and rollout for programs in summer 2023 and beyond. The Customized Programs team will remain available to answer questions and begin discussions of program development and updating.

COVID-19 Updated Protocol (Reminder)

While the Coronavirus is still very much present worldwide, we are shifting into an endemic phase and working to determine long-term practices. At this time (August 2022), Penn State suggests the following isolation details for individuals testing positive for COVID-19:

• Anyone experiencing symptoms should be quarantined and tested for COVID-19 immediately

  • If that individual tests positive, close contacts should also test for COVID-19

• Positive COVID-19 individuals should be isolated (in a private space) for a minimum of 5 days

• After 5 days of isolation (or day 6 from the positive test day), the individual can take another COVID-19 test

  • If the test remains positive, the individual should isolate for an additional 5 days for a total isolation of 10 days

  • If the individual tests negative, they can be released from isolation, but should mask in all group settings for 5 additional days

• If your international country or destination requires longer isolations or specific locations, you MUST follow those protocol

• If a COVID-19 disruption or isolation extends beyond the defined program dates, we strongly recommend the program leader that is faculty or staff remain in-country and for that person to have a Penn State purchasing card issued in their name (rather than a graduate student or external program leader)

• UnitedHealthcare Global does offer trip delay as part of our international health insurance (up to $150 per day for isolated travelers)

• ALL COVID-19 cases and/or disruptions will require consultation with Penn State Global and we will help guide your responsibilities onsite

Financial Considerations for Freestanding Programs

Education Abroad will support the facilitation and financial management of required isolation/quarantine for students on freestanding programs including:

• Securing lodging/housing for the students, if necessary

  • Or working with existing networks of vendors to determine availability accommodations

• Related program leader housing costs

• Program leader travel (in collaboration with Anthony Travel and existing travel policies/expectation)

• Any necessary coordination with United Healthcare Global for trip delay coverage, if applicable

Education Abroad will not cover the following aspects of required isolation/quarantine for students on freestanding programs:

• Student travel arrangements/flights, if delayed or missing other activities, including costs

• Student meal arrangements and costs, if not already provided by the program/included in program cost

• Goods and services (laundry, activities, etc.)

• COVID-19 testing arrangements and cost

• Medical expenses (to be handled by the student and UnitedHealthcare Global)

• PPE necessary to be compliant of travel expectations/requirements of destinations (masks, face shields, etc.)

• ‘Actual’ program leader expenses for meals and incidentals (program leaders will receive a per diem rate that is appropriate for the circumstances and agreed upon in writing with Education Abroad; the amount cannot exceed the daily per diem rate established by the US federal government)

Programming Related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

This fall, Penn State instructors who wish to make their classrooms and teaching practices more equitable and inclusive for students can choose from a range of services and programming related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). We would encourage all of our program leaders to explore the many offerings of workshops, events, and resources provided by the Schreyer Institute at Penn State. Many of the trainings have unique parallels to education abroad programming; here are some of the sessions we think could be most valuable to you:

• September 7th: Inclusive Teaching: Why it Matters (10:10 - 11:10 a.m.)

• September 14th: Well-Being in Learning Environments (10:10 - 11:10 a.m.)

• September 21: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 1 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 6: How to be a Reflective Instructor (10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)

• October 12: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 2 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 28: A Path to Decolonizing the Syllabus (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• November 9: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences Using the “Who’s in Class?” Survey (12:00 - 1:00 p.m.)

What is Next?

• September 13th at 3PM: Roundtable meeting for faculty | Proposal Process and Leader Guidelines and new third party provider/partner policy and protocol discussions

• September 25, 2022: Program renewals due for summer 2023 programs

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

If you believe you are receiving this email in error or are no longer working with freestanding programs, please let us know and we will remove you from our mailing list (EAcustomized@psu.edu).

Contact Information

Thank you!

The Customized Programs Team | Education Abroad

Penn State Global | Email: EACustomized@psu.edu

Faculty-Led Freestanding Programs Support Center

09/02/2022

Summer 2023 Program Renewals Proposals (Reminder)

The annual program renewal process for summer faculty-led freestanding programs is now open! This online form is how we will gather information about whether or not you plan to run your program in summer 2023, who your program leaders will be, your program dates and dates of travel, and any notable changes to the program activities or budgets for next year. The proposal deadline has been extended to September 25, 2022.

Program Registration: Program Renewal (summer faculty-led freestanding)

Given the ever-present considerations as we continue to navigate in this world, these updates are critical to our planning process and continued collaboration. Depending on your program location(s), your program details, renewal information, itineraries, and other program details will be shared with Education Abroad leadership, the Global Safety Office, the International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC), the Vice Provost for Global Programs and the Provost. Program viability decisions may be determined based on your detailed submissions.

If you do not submit your registration by the deadline of September 25, 2022, we will consider your program canceled for 2022. Please note that only one registration needs to be submitted per program, so if you have multiple faculty leaders, please decide amongst yourselves who will be the one to submit.

The online program renewal process will take about 30 or so minutes to complete once you have gathered the required information for next year. If you went through the renewal process last year, you may remember some changes that were made to the needed forms. Please review the updated Program Leader Requirements prior to submitting your program renewal. Essential details to have ready are listed here for your reference:

• Program leaders for 2023 (if taking a TA, you don’t need to know their names yet; please do be sure of the faculty leaders)

• Dates and locations (i.e., 5/10-5/20/2023 in Florence and 5/20-5/30/2023 in Rome)

• Anticipated changes to academics, ground travel, group meals, and housing that will need to be made to conduct the program safely (please review the program leader guidelines as several housing and accommodation recommendations have been updated)

• Which program leader will be the one to log in and review student applications

• Updates to courses to be offered (i.e., course numbers/titles)

• Housing locations (can be tentative)

• Estimated costs for in-country activities (i.e., museum visits, safari)

• Any changes you’d like us to make on the program brochure page.

Please see the attached step-by-step instructions (Program Renewal Instructions Summer 2023.pdf’) that show you how to access the online forms and submit them. As part of the program renewal process, Penn State Global requires proof of support for your program from your academic leadership. We recommend sending this electronic request to your department head and, if necessary, meet with them to discuss the program and/or inform them of the program renewal recommendation. The form will provide you a directory search option to find the name and email of this contact and send an approval request to them. We will host two program leader roundtables to discuss updates, process, and answer any questions you may have, so please save the date:

• September 7th at 3PM: Roundtable meeting for faculty | Proposal process and Leader Guidelines and new third party provider/partner policy and protocol discussions

• September 13th at 3PM: Roundtable meeting for faculty | Proposal Process and Leader Guidelines and new third party provider/partner policy and protocol discussions

Thank you all so much! As always, we appreciate your flexibility and willingness to forge ahead in these ever-changing times! Don’t forget: we are here to support you, so please don’t hesitate to contact us any time should you have questions or concerns.

Customized Programs Partner Policy (Reminder)

Education Abroad, in guidance from the Education Abroad Advisory Council, will require all newly-proposed customized and faculty-led programs and customized/faculty-led programs running for the first time to work with a third-party partner (i.e., private educational entity, institutional/university partner, non-profit organization, travel logistics company) to arrange for critical program components, beginning in summer 2023.

Existing customized and faculty-led 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, with a phased approach over several years (see attachment for timeline details). 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

Please review the attached document for additional information regarding the proposed timeline and rollout for programs in summer 2023 and beyond. The Customized Programs team will remain available to answer questions and begin discussions of program development and updating.

COVID-19 Updated Protocol (Reminder)

While the Coronavirus is still very much present worldwide, we are shifting into an endemic phase and working to determine long-term practices. At this time (August 2022), Penn State suggests the following isolation details for individuals testing positive for COVID-19:

• Anyone experiencing symptoms should be quarantined and tested for COVID-19 immediately

  • If that individual tests positive, close contacts should also test for COVID-19

• Positive COVID-19 individuals should be isolated (in a private space) for a minimum of 5 days

• After 5 days of isolation (or day 6 from the positive test day), the individual can take another COVID-19 test

  • If the test remains positive, the individual should isolate for an additional 5 days for a total isolation of 10 days

  • If the individual tests negative, they can be released from isolation, but should mask in all group settings for 5 additional days

• If your international country or destination requires longer isolations or specific locations, you MUST follow those protocol

• If a COVID-19 disruption or isolation extends beyond the defined program dates, we strongly recommend the program leader that is faculty or staff remain in-country and for that person to have a Penn State purchasing card issued in their name (rather than a graduate student or external program leader)

• UnitedHealthcare Global does offer trip delay as part of our international health insurance (up to $150 per day for isolated travelers)

• ALL COVID-19 cases and/or disruptions will require consultation with Penn State Global and we will help guide your responsibilities onsite

Financial Considerations for Freestanding Programs

Education Abroad will support the facilitation and financial management of required isolation/quarantine for students on freestanding programs including:

• Securing lodging/housing for the students, if necessary

  • Or working with existing networks of vendors to determine availability accommodations

• Related program leader housing costs

• Program leader travel (in collaboration with Anthony Travel and existing travel policies/expectation)

• Any necessary coordination with United Healthcare Global for trip delay coverage, if applicable

Education Abroad will not cover the following aspects of required isolation/quarantine for students on freestanding programs:

• Student travel arrangements/flights, if delayed or missing other activities, including costs

• Student meal arrangements and costs, if not already provided by the program/included in program cost

• Goods and services (laundry, activities, etc.)

• COVID-19 testing arrangements and cost

• Medical expenses (to be handled by the student and UnitedHealthcare Global)

• PPE necessary to be compliant of travel expectations/requirements of destinations (masks, face shields, etc.)

• ‘Actual’ program leader expenses for meals and incidentals (program leaders will receive a per diem rate that is appropriate for the circumstances and agreed upon in writing with Education Abroad; the amount cannot exceed the daily per diem rate established by the US federal government)

Programming Related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

This fall, Penn State instructors who wish to make their classrooms and teaching practices more equitable and inclusive for students can choose from a range of services and programming related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). We would encourage all of our program leaders to explore the many offerings of workshops, events, and resources provided by the Schreyer Institute at Penn State. Many of the trainings have unique parallels to education abroad programming; here are some of the sessions we think could be most valuable to you:

• September 7th: Inclusive Teaching: Why it Matters (10:10 - 11:10 a.m.)

• September 14th: Well-Being in Learning Environments (10:10 - 11:10 a.m.)

• September 21: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 1 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 6: How to be a Reflective Instructor (10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)

• October 12: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 2 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 28: A Path to Decolonizing the Syllabus (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• November 9: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences Using the “Who’s in Class?” Survey (12:00 - 1:00 p.m.)

What is Next?

• September 7th at 3PM: Roundtable meeting for faculty | Proposal process and Leader Guidelines and new third party provider/partner policy and protocol discussions

• September 13th at 3PM: Roundtable meeting for faculty | Proposal Process and Leader Guidelines and new third party provider/partner policy and protocol discussions

• September 25, 2022: Program renewals due for summer 2023 programs

• We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EACustomized@psu.edu

If you believe you are receiving this email in error or are no longer working with freestanding programs, please let us know and we will remove you from our mailing list (EAcustomized@psu.edu).

Contact Information

Thank you!

The Customized Programs Team | Education Abroad

Penn State Global | Email: EACustomized@psu.edu

Faculty-Led Freestanding Programs Support Center

08/26/2022

Congratulations!

You have officially made it through the first week of the Fall 2022 semester, congrats! We hope your classes are going well and that your semester is off to a great start. This weekly update contains new training and professional development opportunities, reminders about the freestanding program renewal proposal and process, the Customized Programs Partner Policy, COVID-19 Protocol for faculty-led programs, and a snapshot of ‘What is Next’. We remain committed to supporting you and your program to the best of our abilities. If you wish to schedule a time to discuss your program, please contact EAcustomized@psu.edu.

Programming Related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

This fall, Penn State instructors who wish to make their classrooms and teaching practices more equitable and inclusive for students can choose from a range of services and programming related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). We would encourage all of our program leaders to explore the many offerings of workshops, events, and resources provided by the Schreyer Institute at Penn State. Many of the trainings have unique parallels to education abroad programming; here are some of the sessions we think could be most valuable to you:

• September 7th: Inclusive Teaching: Why it Matters (10:10 - 11:10 a.m.)

• September 14th: Well-Being in Learning Environments (10:10 - 11:10 a.m.)

• September 21: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 1 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 6: How to be a Reflective Instructor (10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)

• October 12: Teaching So All Your Students Are Included, Part 2 (10:10 - 11:25 a.m.)

• October 28: A Path to Decolonizing the Syllabus (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• November 9: Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences Using the “Who’s in Class?” Survey (12:00 - 1:00 p.m.)

Summer 2023 Program Renewals Proposals

The annual program renewal process for summer faculty-led freestanding programs is now open! This online form is how we will gather information about whether or not you plan to run your program in summer 2023, who your program leaders will be, your program dates and dates of travel, and any notable changes to the program activities or budgets for next year. The proposal deadline has been extended to September 25, 2022. We will hold two program leader roundtables to discuss updates, process, and answer any questions you may have, so please save the date (September 7th or 13th)!

Program Registration: Program Renewal (summer faculty-led freestanding)

Given the ever-present considerations as we continue to navigate in this world, these updates are critical to our planning process and continued collaboration. Depending on your program location(s), your program details, renewal information, itineraries, and other program details will be shared with Education Abroad leadership, the Global Safety Office, the International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC), the Vice Provost for Global Programs and the Provost. Program viability decisions may be determined based on your detailed submissions.

If you do not submit your registration by the deadline of September 25, 2022, we will consider your program canceled for 2022. Please note that only one registration needs to be submitted per program, so if you have multiple faculty leaders, please decide amongst yourselves who will be the one to submit.

The online program renewal process will take about 30 or so minutes to complete once you have gathered the required information for next year. If you went through the renewal process last year, you may remember some changes that were made to the needed forms. Please review the updated Program Leader Requirements prior to submitting your program renewal. Essential details to have ready are listed here for your reference:

• Program leaders for 2023 (if taking a TA, you don’t need to know their names yet; please do be sure of the faculty leaders)

• Dates and locations (i.e., 5/10-5/20/2023 in Florence and 5/20-5/30/2023 in Rome)

• Anticipated changes to academics, ground travel, group meals, and housing that will need to be made to conduct the program safely (please review the program leader guidelines as several housing and accommodation recommendations have been updated)

• Which program leader will be the one to log in and review student applications

• Updates to courses to be offered (i.e., course numbers/titles)

• Housing locations (can be tentative)

• Estimated costs for in-country activities (i.e., museum visits, safari)

• Any changes you’d like us to make on the program brochure page.

Please see the attached step-by-step instructions (Program Renewal Instructions Summer 2023.pdf’) that show you how to access the online forms and submit them. As part of the program renewal process, Penn State Global requires proof of support for your program from your academic leadership. We recommend sending this electronic request to your department head and, if necessary, meet with them to discuss the program and/or inform them of the program renewal recommendation. The form will provide you a directory search option to find the name and email of this contact and send an approval request to them.

Thank you all so much! As always, we appreciate your flexibility and willingness to forge ahead in these ever-changing times! Don’t forget: we are here to support you, so please don’t hesitate to contact us any time should you have questions or concerns.

Customized Programs Partner Policy

Education Abroad, in guidance from the Education Abroad Advisory Council, will require all newly-proposed customized and faculty-led programs and customized/faculty-led programs running for the first time to work with a third-party partner (i.e., private educational entity, institutional/university partner, non-profit organization, travel logistics company) to arrange for critical program components, beginning in summer 2023.

Existing customized and faculty-led 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, with a phased approach over several years (see attachment for timeline details). 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