weekly updates

Updates will be posted every Friday.

01/27/2023

Summer Deadline: FEBRUARY 1 (Final Reminder)

Students have 6 more days to complete their applications for summer 2023! If you are reviewing applications, beginning February 2nd, please see the attached instructions to familiarize yourself with our application system.

*Program leaders and the Education Abroad team will review each student application for 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.

Priority deadline programs for summer 2023:

Como, Italy: Cross-cultural Engagement and Technical Presentation for Engineers (Maymester)
Rome, Italy: Architectural Engineering, Dept AE (Summer)

Looking Ahead (Reminder)

In addition to the relevant application deadlines listed in the section above, we will be continuing to communicate about program leader responsibilities leading up to departure:

Emergency Preparedness Workshop - all program leaders (faculty, staff, and teaching assistants) are required to attend a session every two years
Mandatory financial training (March 14 or March 29) - to understand University policies related to budget expenses and p-card use
- This will include flight information, booking timelines, and expectations
Program Leader Requirements - to collect additional information from program leaders (emergency contact information, passports, attestations, etc)
Students will be required to participate in the online pre-departure orientation provided by the Education Abroad team
As an exception to the Penn State International Travel Policy (TR01), any guests or family members traveling alongside your program, must be approved by Penn State Global leadership. In order to request authorization for your family member(s)/guest(s) to accompany you during your program leader duties, please complete the Request for Authorization of Traveling Family Members form. Your request will be reviewed by Penn State Global, with consultation with Risk Management and your academic leadership, if appropriate.

Program Supplier/Vendor Registration in “PaymentWorks” (NEW)

Penn State announced last fall that the University is partnering with PaymentWorks to automate and strengthen onboarding controls for payees conducting business with the University.

In order for entities to receive the invitation from PaymentWorks, they should email our team at EACustomized@psu.edu with the following information:

Company/Individual name
Company/Individual’s email address
Short description of goods or services being provided

We will forward the request to PSU Suppliers on their behalf and an invitation will be sent to the entity. PaymentWorks will then verify the financial information so that the supplier/vendor can be registered for payment through SIMBA.

If you are working with a supplier/vendor abroad and they are currently registered/doing business with the University, you do not need to do anything at this time. However, if the entity has updated information (address, banking information, etc), they will need to update their information in PaymentWorks before we can send payment. Additional information regarding suppliers can be found online.

Updated University Vaccination Policy (Reminder)

Penn State’s expectations for vaccination against COVID-19 for University-affiliated international travel, including education abroad program participation or leadership, will be changing effective February 1, 2023. The changes will be reflected on the University’s COVID-19 information website in the coming days, but we wanted to share this with you as soon as possible to inform your planning.

Penn State will move away from requiring international travelers to be up- to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations to strongly recommending all travelers be up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations. This means that students and employees will no longer be required to complete a vaccination attestation detailing their vaccination status. In the future, travelers will be required to read and sign that they understand the risks associated with infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and other diseases and that they have reviewed the Centers for Disease Control recommendations for traveler health – including a strong recommendation that all travelers be up-to-date with vaccinations against infectious diseases.

There are special notes concerning individual responsibility to understand and comply with any regulations in place by international destinations, host institutions, site visit locations, and also re-entry to U.S. vaccination requirements for non-U.S. citizens. Please review the language that will soon appear on the University’s COVID-19 information website and let us know if you have questions or concerns on how this change may impact your program itinerary or planning.

Updated policy and guidance for students is copied below. Employees will receive similar guidance to be published in the coming days.

Penn State prioritizes the health and safety of its students and employees and for that reason provides recommendations and guidance to help international travelers prepare to mitigate and respond to known health risks. COVID-19 and other infectious diseases can impact travel planning, logistics, finances, and educational considerations. It is critical that any student or employee undertaking University-affiliated international travel complete their own research into the specific vaccination, booster, testing, isolation or quarantine requirements of the host country/location, host institution, or sponsoring organization. It is the responsibility of each traveler to meet the requirements or protocol of their intended international location or program.

Penn State strongly recommends that all University-affiliated travelers be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccinations for other infectious diseases. Being up to date with COVID-19 and other vaccinations and boosters reduces the risk of severe disease while abroad, reduces the risk of substantial disruptions to the academic program and nature of the travel due to isolation or quarantine, and reduces costs associated with isolation, quarantine, and medical care abroad. This recommendation aligns with international health guidance and best practices in public health.

Students traveling internationally on Penn State-approved education abroad programs may have specific health or vaccination requirements set by their host country or host institution. Those students are required to meet the protocol established by the education abroad program or location. Students are strongly advised to research or inquire about the health and safety or vaccination protocol for their specific program during the education abroad application process by visiting global.psu.edu or contacting their education abroad adviser. Students with questions about the requirements of their specific education abroad program can contact the Education Abroad staff.

Note that Penn State Education Abroad issues program admissions decisions regardless of health or vaccination status, but students may later be asked to supply vaccination records directly to their host institution or organization. Students are subject to the admissions, enrollment, and financial policies of their host institution abroad and may be denied enrollment in the education abroad program later if they are not in compliance with their host institution’s policies.

If a student is not up to date on COVID-19 or other vaccinations and is intending to study in a location or participate in an itinerary where vaccination is essential (i.e., hospital rotations, working with vulnerable populations), Penn State Education Abroad will explore whether reasonable accommodations can be identified. 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.

Note that non-U.S. citizens/non-U.S. immigrants are subject to specific COVID-19 vaccination requirements to enter the United States. So, for Penn State students and employees who are not U.S. citizens and are traveling internationally on University-affiliated business, it is critical that they review and meet the U.S. Centers for Disease Control entry requirements for the United States.

Managing Program Expense Training (Reminder)

The Customized Programs team will be hosting a mandatory Managing Program Expense training in March, prior to departing on your program. There will be 2 sessions; you are required to attend one, but not both; if you do not complete the training, you will not be permitted to use your p-card or receive a cash advance.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend one of the following sessions:

Session 1: March 14, 2023 02:00 p.m. EST Zoom link Session 1
Session 2: March 29, 2023 03:00 p.m. EST Zoom link Session 2

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!

What is Next?

February 1: Deadline for SU23 student program applications
March 14 or March 29 - Managing Program Expenses Training
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

01/20/2023

Updated University Vaccination Policy (NEW)

Penn State’s expectations for vaccination against COVID-19 for University-affiliated international travel, including education abroad program participation or leadership, will be changing effective February 1, 2023. The changes will be reflected on the University’s COVID-19 information website in the coming days, but we wanted to share this with you as soon as possible to inform your planning.

Penn State will move away from requiring international travelers to be up- to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations to strongly recommending all travelers be up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations. This means that students and employees will no longer be required to complete a vaccination attestation detailing their vaccination status. In the future, travelers will be required to read and sign that they understand the risks associated with infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and other diseases and that they have reviewed the Centers for Disease Control recommendations for traveler health – including a strong recommendation that all travelers be up-to-date with vaccinations against infectious diseases (document attached).