DATE:
June 10, 2012
TO:
Provost Jack Maynard
Brad Balch, Dean Bayh College of Education
Alberta Comer, Dean Cunningham Memorial Library
Jay Gatrell, Dean College of Graduate and Professional Studies
Nancy Merritt, Dean Scott College of Business
John Murray, Dean College of Arts and Sciences
Brad Sims, Dean College of Technology
Biff Williams, Dean College of Nursing, Health and Human Services
FROM:
Chris McGrew, Director IPS
RE:
Proposed Guidelines for visiting and traveling international delegations
The purpose of this memorandum is to establish guidelines for visiting international delegations.
Additionally, the guidelines will provide a definition of an official ISU delegation visiting an ISU partner
and the associated responsibilities of the Office of International Programs and Services. These guidelines
have been developed in an effort to control costs, to avoid confusion, and to ensure the viability of
existing strategic international partnerships. The guidelines would take effect July 1, 2012.
Invitations to Visit ISU
1. Formal University Delegations. Invitations for formal delegations are extended only by the
Office of the President and Provost. Formal delegations will include a dinner sponsored by the
Office of the President and Provost and all other expenses will be covered by the Office of
International Programs and Services (IPS) pursuant to existing, or proposed, MOUs. Additionally,
IPS will have primary responsibility for all local arrangements and ensuring appropriate deans
and other relevant senior leaders participate. Finally, formal delegations are expected to visit
campus for no less than two full days; ordinarily no more than (4) delegations will visit annually;
and delegations will involve international representatives at the level of Vice-President or
higher.
2. Formal College-level Delegations. Invitations for college level delegations may be issued by IPS
at the request of the dean(s) or Provost. College-level delegations will involve multiple academic
programs within a single college or across multiple colleges. Except in unusual circumstances,
the sponsoring colleges are expected to cover no less than 50% of related campus expenses as
outlined in existing or proposed MOUs. Resources may or may not be available from IPS and/or
the Office of the President and Provost depending on the specific articulated outcome of the
visit. IPS will assist in coordinating logistics and the campus agenda will be developed by the
hosting college(s). Ordinarily, only the Provost, or his/her representative, as well as the host
dean(s), will participate.
3. Faculty Invitations. Faculty members are encouraged to develop and expand international
partnerships; but resources to support these efforts are limited. IPS will issue a letter of
invitation at the request of a faculty member with the support of his or her dean, department or
program. Prior to issuing a letter of invitation, IPS requires a proposed agenda and budget
detailing all expenses and appropriate resources. As such, all financial and logistical issues are
the primary responsibility of the sponsoring unit, not IPS. IPS may, depending on available
financial resources, host a luncheon with a limited number of participants (<10). Visiting
delegations that are derived from faculty invitations will not ordinarily include the development
of any institutional MOUs.
4. Recruitment Activities. From time to time, IPS may host representatives from recruiting firms;
embassies; or other organizations (sometimes at the request of individual programs). Ordinarily,
these activities will be limited to interactions with IPS and one or two administrators responsible
for associated recruitment activities or individual programs. IPS may provide a light lunch in
these cases for a limited number of guests (<7), depending on available resources and timing.
5. Other. Occasionally, IPS encounters unexpected partner delegations that are brief in nature (<1
day). In these cases, IPS will respond accordingly and develop an abbreviated agenda that may
or may not include a visit with senior university leadership (depending on availability and
timing). In most cases, a light lunch may be provided by IPS for a limited number of guests.
ISU Delegations to International Partner Institutions
1. Formal University Delegations. Formal ISU delegations will be defined as any travel at the
Dean’s level or higher that has been directed at the request of the President or Provost. These
activities are explicitly related to existing or proposed MOUs. In extraordinary cases, IPS may
initiate a formal delegation visit to a strategic partner, if institutional contact of any kind (i.e.,
College or Faculty) has not occurred in more than one calendar year with the approval of the
Office of the President and Provost. Expenses for formal delegations will ordinarily be paid for
using resources from the Office of the President and Provost, IPS, the ISU Foundation, and/or
the colleges, as appropriate. All travel logistics will be coordinated through IPS with our
partners. It is expected that formal university delegations will participate in campus-based
activities at partner locations for no less than two business days per site.
2. Formal College Delegations. College delegations may visit current (or proposed) international
partners. All travel arrangements are the responsibility of the sponsoring college. College
delegations will be financed primarily at the unit level and additional support may or may not be
available from the Office of the President and Provost, IPS, or the ISU Foundation. IPS will
coordinate with our partners to assist with the development of an “in-country” itinerary. It is
expected that all delegations participate in no less than two days of campus based business
activities at each partner or proposed partner institution site.
3. Informal Faculty Delegation. Faculty or other program representatives traveling abroad as part
of an independent international travel grant, or using other resources, are solely responsible for
travel arrangements. At the request of a faculty member, IPS will assist with obtaining a letter of
invitation from a partner institution, if necessary.
4. Responses to Invitations. IPS will review all unsolicited invitations to visit partner and nonpartner institutions and determine the appropriate level of support, if any, to provide.
Invitations will be accepted only in those cases where travel is consistent with the strategic
objectives of the university. All formal responses will be issued by the Director of IPS.