International Agreements typically develop out of existing relationships between faculty members from a different institution. Initial activity and relationships do not require a formal agreement, but specific projects, particularly those involving student enrollment, will normally require an international agreement to be signed in order to clarify the responsibilities of all parties.
The Program Director, FSU International Initiatives provides assistance and support to FSU colleges, departments, and faculty interested in developing international agreements, which do not fall under the category of contracts or grants, including cooperative agreements (general MOUs), reciprocal exchange agreements, and other international agreements.
Types of International Agreements
Cooperative agreements (MOU)
Cooperative Agreements are a written statement of a mutual interest in academic or research collaboration but which do not do not commit either party to any specific obligations, including use of university resources.
Most collaborative activities between faculty and researchers from diverse international institutions — including research visits, co-publication, etc. — do not require a formal agreement. Because the development of any international agreement involves significant effort, FSU prefers that cooperative agreements are held to a minimum. However, at times, a Cooperative Agreement might be required by the foreign institution as a precursor to other activity or there is another need to formalize existing collaborations between FSU and an international institution of similar academic standing.
Cooperative agreements serve as an official framework for exploring partnership activities and identify future endeavors. If a specific collaborative project is identified between the two institutions, an addendum or additional agreement must be developed to outline the details of the project.
Cooperative agreements do not encumber or expend university E&G funds or commit the faculty member, department or college to budgetary outlays. The department/college may decide to provide some level of support for activities that arise out of a general agreement, such as providing support for an international conference or visiting scholars by providing participants with office space, library access, etc. in keeping FSU policy. However, nothing in the actual agreement commits them to doing so.
Cooperative agreements are only valid for a specific period of time (usually 5 years) after which the agreement will be evaluated and then renewed, revised or terminated. They are signed at the institutional level to cover general collaborative activities of any of the institutions' units but can also be executed between specific colleges, departments or units.
FSU faculty and research students may visit an international institution for research purposes with or without a cooperative agreement, providing they follow FSU policy and procedures to gain approval. In addition, incoming faculty and research students may visit FSU for research purposes with or without a cooperative agreement.
A cooperative agreement is intended for:
- Departments planning to create a durable partnership. For instance, when the intent is to collaborate on a specific project over time or if there are plans for multiple visits by the same person or by different faculty/researchers from the same institution over a period of time. If a faculty member or department only wants to invite a scholar/researcher to visit for a short time, and this is the extent of the proposed partnership then a formal cooperative agreement is not necessary, because a FSU faculty member or department can issue an invitation for an international scholar to visit FSU without having an agreement.
- International visitors whose home institution or funding body requires a formal agreement. However, a cooperative agreement does not take the place of a letter of invitation to the visitor. The hosting faculty/department is required to issue the letter of invitation and to complete all of the required forms and procedures to invite the visitor to FSU.
- Partners which require a signed cooperative agreement before opening discussions for another kind of agreement, contract, or grant. For instance, FSU's international partner may ask for a general agreement before or in conjunction with the development of a student exchange agreement or an external funding agency may require a general agreement between the institutions of researchers who are making a joint application for a grant, to demonstrate institutional support for the proposal. FSU does not require that a cooperative agreement be signed prior or in conjunction with the development of a student exchange agreement.
Cooperative agreements are not appropriate for cooperation involving full-time students enrolling at the partner institutions for credit. They are also not an appropriate vehicle for bringing in visiting scholars and/or international students who wish to take a full class load at FSU. Visiting scholars and research students enrolled at another university may come to FSU and use FSU's research facilities, participate in departmental research activities, and receive advice and mentoring from an FSU faculty member. However, if a visitor coming under a cooperative agreement wants to audit or take classes at FSU for credit, s/he is required to register through admissions and pay the applicable tuition rates. In addition, research students are not allowed to take a full class load while at FSU. The purpose of the J-1 Research Scholar visa category is for research and academic collaboration; US federal regulations state that J-1 Research Scholar visas are intended "for the primary purpose of conducting research, observing or consulting in connection with research projects at research institutions ... A research scholar may also teach or lecture, unless disallowed by the sponsor."
The hosting institution determines whether an FSU research students/scholar may take classes while visiting the institution. However, if the FSU student/scholar plans to transfer any credit to FSU, s/he should speak with his department and the Program Director, Exchanges and Intercultural Programs at the Center for Global Engagement to find out the procedures for transferring credit. FSU has policies and procedures in place for students who want to enroll directly at an international institution and transfer credit to FSU.
Reciprocal Student Exchange Agreements
An Exchange Agreement serves as the formal framework needed to develop a student exchange program at the undergraduate or graduate level. Exchange partnerships are developed with international institutions of similar academic standing. The agreement outlines the responsibilities of the institutions, as well as the responsibilities of the students. Students enroll in, earn credit hours and pay tuition and fees to their home institutions and receive credits from the home institution for the courses they take at the host institution. Since tuition is waived for incoming students and collected from outbound students, it is expected that the total number of incoming students be balanced with the number of outbound students over the duration of the agreement (usually five years).
Exchange programs are beneficial to FSU and to student participants because:
- They enhance FSU’s global footprint;
- FSU students have a chance to study at many fine international institutions and experience another culture through an immersive experience;
- Exchanges are typically more affordable than one-way study abroad programs since tuition and fees are paid to the home university as usual and financial aid is applicable;
- Students receive credits which are equivalent to courses taught at FSU, enabling credits to apply toward degree programs;
- FSU receives inbound students from partner universities helping to diversify classrooms and enrich FSU’s cultural community.
Some of the challenges of exchange programs include the following:
- Reciprocity: Because FSU is essentially exchanging tuition dollars (outbound student tuition pays for inbound students to study at FSU), exchanges need to balance. If an exchange program becomes imbalanced and remains imbalanced in consecutive semesters, the number of exchange placements available for the out-of-balance institution must be adjusted until the balance is restored.
- Accreditation Requirements: The total credits earned on the exchange may not be 25% or more of the credit hours required for the FSU degree.
- Faculty and Staff Commitment: We strive to make the exchange experience a good one for students, and for this to be possible, faculty and staff commitment is essential. The FSU Faculty Advisor for the exchange is responsible for reviewing the curriculum at the partner and determining FSU equivalencies. The student’s Academic Advisor (typically a staff member in the student’s major department) is responsible for reviewing the student’s record to ensure that the exchange will not delay the student's graduation and that the courses registered for at FSU do not exceed the approved number of hours for specific courses, as listed in the General Bulletin. The student’s Academic Advisor also verifies that the total credits that will be earned on the exchange will not constitute 25% or more of the hours required for the student's degree.
Types of Student Exchange Programs
An exchange agreement may be developed for specific Departments or Colleges or for the University as a whole. In both cases the agreement will be signed by the Provost.
Department/College Exchange Agreement
In the case of the former, students studying in the area specified by the Departments and/or Colleges sponsoring the agreement at each institution all eligible to participate. Other students may be considered for the exchange on a space available basis, and with the approval of the exchange program's Faculty Advisor.
Courses available to exchange students are typically limited to the FSU Departments and/or Colleges that initiated the exchange. In some cases, inbound students may also be able to select from lower-level Liberal Studies (1000 or 2000-level) courses on a space available basis. Upper level courses (3000 or 4000-level) outside of the specific Department or College may be considered on a case by case basis if there is availability because priority is given to degree-seeking FSU students enrolled in that major.
The Faculty Advisor initiating the agreement is responsible for reviewing 10-15 (English language) course offerings available at the partner institution and determine equivalent FSU courses and for providing a list of 10-15 FSU courses in the FSU Department/College that are available for inbound exchange students to take. These courses will be included and approved in the intent document.
University-Wide Exchange Agreement
In a university-wide reciprocal exchange agreement, students from all FSU Departments and Colleges may participate, and students from all majors at the partner institution may study at FSU provided the academic prerequisites have been met. The exception to this broad inclusion policy is for professional colleges at FSU, including the College of Law, College of Nursing, and College of Medicine as well as the Colleges of Film and Music and Departments of Dance and Theater in the College of Fine Arts, all of which are limited access by audition only.
The provost authorizes notification of the chairs and deans that FSU Faculty Advisors will work with outbound exchange students and the students' Academic Advisors to review and determine FSU course equivalencies for courses falling under their area of expertise, regardless of the students' declared major. In addition, the provost authorizes notification of chairs and deans that space will be made available for inbound students without having to receive special permission from each faculty member teaching the class. Departments are not permitted to exclude inbound exchange students from classes without good cause, and they are required to provide a reasonable alternative giving priority to the students' list of desired courses.
Designees of the participating colleges are responsible for reviewing the Partner Institution's (English language) course offerings in their field and determining FSU course equivalencies. Each college is also responsible for providing a list of 10-15 FSU courses that will be made available for inbound exchange students to take.
Direct Enroll in an International University
A student wishing to study at an international university which is not an approved exchange partner and transfer foreign credits to FSU should speak with his/her department and the Program Director, Exchanges and Intercultural Programs at the Center for Global Engagement to find out the procedures for transferring credit. FSU has policies and procedures in place for students who want to enroll directly at an international institution and transfer credit to FSU.
For students seeking to enroll directly in an international university with which FSU does not have an existing international program or exchange option, FSU has a process for students to transfer academic credit to their FSU transcript and apply their existing financial aid. The selected university must be an accredited institution and must issue a transcript that is acceptable to FSU. Students complete an application and obtain approval from their college Academic Advisor as well as the Department Chair and Academic Dean. Students must also comply with all FSU international travel policies including submission of travel and waiver documents, enrollment in FSU international insurance coverage, and attendance at pre-departure sessions.
Other International Agreements
There may be times when a plan for a collaborative project does not fit into the pre-approved templates for the above international agreements. If the purpose of the proposed agreement differs from the three outlined above, or if the partner institution has a format for agreements that they want to use, then it is possible to develop an agreement to meet these needs. Agreements that do not follow pre-approved templates will go to legal counsel for review as part of the internal approval process. Please contact the Program Director, FSU International Initiatives to discuss options.
FSU does not currently offer faculty exchange agreements. Please contact your Department Chair and/or College Dean to determine whether any special provisions are available in your Department/College.
FSU does not currently offer dual degree programs. For inquiries into the development of Co-tutelles, Co-supervision of a Thesis with an International Institution, or Dual Degrees please contact the Dean of the Graduate School and SACS Liaison.
Collaborative activities involving contracts or grants are supported by the Office of Research.
Developing International Agreements
Faculty, departments or colleges may develop new International Agreements by completing the forms and steps listed below (forms are available to download from the Resources page). Each international agreement will have an FSU faculty or staff sponsor who is responsible for working with the Program Director, International Initiatives to develop the agreement. Once the agreement has been signed the FSU sponsor is responsible for the activities undertaken under the terms of the agreement.
*University-wide international agreements are signed by the Provost and must go through the University’s official review and approval process. This includes review by the Provost’s designees for International Agreements and FSU’s legal counsel. Acknowledgement type documents, which do not impose any legal obligations on FSU and are not signed by the Provost, do not require review by the Provost’s designees for International Agreements, but must still be approved by FSU’s legal counsel prior to being signed.
Step 1: Identify Program(s) to Be Developed
The FSU faculty sponsor and his/her contact at the international institution need to determine the scope and extent of the proposed relationship, as this will determine what kind of agreement will be developed. Please be as specific and realistic as possible in initial discussions with partners to come to a good understanding of the intent and expectations for the proposed collaboration.
If the proposal is for a student exchange partnership, please consider the level of potential interest among FSU student for exchange at the partner institution. If the partner institution has very courses in English or is in not attractive to students for some other reason, please consider carefully whether an exchange program is the best avenue for collaboration. The Program Director, FSU International Initiatives can provide guidance about the various types of international agreements supported at FSU.
Step 2: Proposal/Intent Process
The FSU sponsor is responsible for completing the internal paperwork for the requested agreement in collaboration with the Program Director, FSU International Initiatives. This Intent form is used to compiles all of the information necessary to initiate and maintain a partnership and to route new partnerships though the internal approval process. Information required on the intent form includes:
For all agreements:
- A justification for such an agreement
- A statement of how the agreement would enhance and comply with the missions of the department and university
- Details about the proposed partner
- Name(s) and contact details of the faculty sponsor at the partner
- Name(s) and contact details of the staff member in the International Office assigned to the agreement (if known)
- Partner’s English Language website
- Summary of the partner’s resources
- Details about the collaborative project(s) to be pursued
- Partner’s accrediting body
- Partner’s signatories for the agreement
Additionally, for exchange agreements:
- Partner’s academic calendar (when terms begin and end). Compatible academic calendars are important to ensure students are able to participate without having to sit out an FSU term.
- List of 10-15 courses available to outgoing and inbound exchange students, including FSU course equivalencies of courses offered at the partner institution
- Partner’s website for exchange students and courses taught in English
- Information on credit conversion and the partner’s grading scale
- Number of exchange places to be developed and the level of the exchange (e.g. undergraduate only, graduate only, or both)
- Which FSU departments/colleges are to be included in the proposed exchange (other departments and colleges should agree to take part in the exchange program and assign a faculty member to assist with inbound and outbound exchange students who want to study in that area.)
- A set of criteria and learning outcomes for the involved students.
- Complete and collect signatures on the Responsibilities of the FSU Academic Advisor form and return signed copy to Program Direct, International Initiatives
- Provide faculty sponsor at the partner with the Responsibilities of the Academic Advisor at Partner Institution form and return signed copy to Program Direct, International Initiatives
Once the paperwork has been completed, the FSU sponsor for the agreement will collect the required approvals from the Department Chair and College Dean.
The signed paperwork should be returned to the Program Director, FSU International Initiatives, who will submit the proposal for administrative review.
Step 3: Draft Agreement
After the proposal has been approved, the Program Director, FSU International Initiatives will draft the agreement. If the agreement deviate from the preapproved template FSU Legal Council and the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs will review the agreement.
Step 4: Partner Review and Signature
Once the agreement has been approved at FSU the Program Director, FSU International Initiatives coordinates the transmittal of the agreement to the partner institution(s) for review and signatures.
The Program Director, International Initiatives maintains a database of global partners Database and keeps the agreements on file at the Center for Global Engagement.
Faculty members interested in initiating an international agreement are invited to reach out to the Program Director, FSU International Initiatives to discuss the procedures for establishing an agreement.
Supporting Existing Agreements
International partnerships do not begin or culminate with signing of an international agreement. Formalizing international partnerships through the development of agreements are intended to enhance, not replace concrete collaborative activities such as including joint research, co-publication, or the development of overseas study opportunities.
It is important to maintain a record of collaborative engagement with international partners. Please update your faculty pages to reflect international engagement you are involved in both informally and under the auspices of formal international agreements, contract, or grants. This page is linked to the FSU's Global Footprint/Faculty Experts page. Please also notify the Program Director, International Initiatives regularly about activities that occur in conjunction with international agreements.
Supporting an Active Exchange Program
The exchange of students can begin as soon as an Exchange Agreement is signed by both universities. Throughout the exchange staff and faculty at each institution commit to promoting the exchange and supporting inbound and outbound students. In addition, the Chair of the participating FSU department(s) and the Dean of the participating FSU College(s) agree to support the exchange and its terms and to ensure that space is made available for inbound exchange students to enroll in courses - providing prerequisites have been met - without the need to gain special permission from each faculty member teaching the class.
Since tuition is waived for incoming students and collected from outbound students, it is expected that the total number of inbound and outbound students balance over a five year period. The Division of Academic Affairs reviews the numbers of inbound and outbound students per exchange annually, and makes recommendations accordingly.
FACULTY AND STAFF ROLES
Program Director, Exchanges: provides liaison and support for outgoing and incoming exchange students and participating departments.
- Assists outbound students with the exchange application process.
- Coordinate course selections with the Academic Advisor for International Exchange and/or Exchange Student's Academic Advisor at Florida State University and the Partner University.
- Assist with pre-departure preparation and out-bound travel procedures.
- Request student evaluations of the exchange program.
- Receives inbound student application materials and coordinates the process of admitting students with appropriate support services at Florida State University.
- Coordinates incoming students' course requests with Academic Advisor for the Exchange and the Registrar's Office.
Faculty Advisor/Faculty Sponsor for the Exchange: represents the participating academic Department or College.
- Promotes the exchange to FSU students.
- Directs outgoing students through the nomination process.
- Reviews applications of inbound and outbound students, and select nominees for the exchange.
- Assists inbound and outbound students with course selection and approvals process.
- Responsible for determining and approving course equivalencies for inbound and outbound students.
- Complete an annual evaluation of each exchange program to review the student learning outcomes explicit to each exchange agreement
Exchange Student's Academic Advisor (typically a staff member in the student's major department):
- Responsible for reviewing transcripts for outgoing FSU students and for reviewing proposed course equivalencies to ensure that the exchange will not delay the student's graduation and that the courses registered for at FSU do not exceed the approved number of hours for specific courses, as listed in the General Bulletin.
- The student's Academic Advisor also verifies that the total credits that will be earned through participation in the exchange is not 25% or more of the hours required for the student's degree.
The Center for Global Engagement J-1 Exchange Visitor Adviser: Supports inbound international exchange students with visa applications and immigration advising.
RENEWING AGREEMENTS
Contact the Program Director, FSU International Initiatives at least 6 weeks prior to the expiration of an agreement should you wish to renew it (8 weeks if revisions are required). Please provide details of the activity that has taken place under the auspices of the agreement as well as the rationale for renewing the agreement for another term.
Once the renewal has been approved by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Department, the Program Director, International Initiatives will draw up the renewal and coordinate the transmittal of the agreement to the partner institution(s) for review and signatures.
TERMINATING AGREEMENTS
In the event an agreement is to be terminated early, please contact the Program Director, FSU International Initiatives who will initiate the process. Exchange students or research scholars already accepted for the exchange/research visit will be allowed to complete the previously agreed visit even if the agreement has been terminated early so if an agreement is to be terminated.
Florida State University reserves the right to terminate or suspend and international agreements with a university or country that appears on the US government's restricted entity list or falls under travel warning from the Department of State. In the latter case, a student, faculty, or staff member who desires to travel will have to gain the appropriate travel permissions. Florida State University may refuse to grant permission for an FSU student to participate by denying the student's "Exemption Request for Travel to Locations on the U.S. Department of State Travel Warning or Alert List".