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Office of Vice President for International Affairs | | | |
This email was sent to all IU faculty.
IU-Sponsored Student Travel Abroad: Update and Approval Process
Dear Colleagues,
One of the central pillars of our commitment to integrate international and intercultural perspectives into the IU curriculum is by providing a rich array of education abroad opportunities, including study, internship, research, and service learning abroad.
Such high-impact programs advance IU’s academic mission, align with IU 2030 goals, and support the success of our students academically, personally, cross-culturally, and professionally.
We are excited to share that in 2025-26, 5,228 students system-wide went abroad. According to the Open Doors 2025 Report, IU Bloomington ranks fourth in the country overall, second for semester-length study abroad, and 16th for short term programs.
Thank you to all of the faculty members, staff, and administrators who support these activities. If you are interested in getting involved, there may be funding to support your internationalization efforts. | | |
Program Approval Process
Anyone planning to take students abroad on previously approved IU programs needs to have those plans reviewed by IU Education Abroad, in consultation with the Overseas Study Advisory Council, to assess the program’s plans. Please contact IU Education Abroad at least six months prior to departure, and earlier for credit-bearing programs.
For anyone planning to engage IU students in study or travel abroad activities in the future, see the below important information regarding the approval process, which is designed to maintain the integrity of IU’s education abroad programs. Be aware that all activities involving IU students studying or traveling abroad with institutional assistance must be approved by IU Education Abroad.
Additionally, all IU individuals involved with directly arranging activities that take place outside of the United States for IU graduate, undergraduate, or pre-college students must submit a proposal to the university-wide Overseas Study Advisory Council (OSAC). Those arranging programs that were previously approved, but not implemented in the last five years, will need to resubmit their program for review.
Examples of such activities include:
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Exchange programs
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Courses with an overseas component designed by an IU faculty member, school, or campus
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Opportunities abroad for which IU directly facilitates local arrangements, including internships, research, conference attendance, and independent study
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Non-credit-bearing activities abroad arranged by an IU office, department, or organization that involve clubs, choruses, or teams engaging in volunteer work, sports activities, music ensembles, theater outings, etc.
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Please note that there is an abbreviated proposal process for non-credit student activities including conference attendance, field research, sports activities, or music performances organized or designed by IU faculty and staff.
If students are traveling alone, based on a faculty or staff recommendation or encouragement but without their direct involvement, no proposal is needed even if the students have IU funding to support their travel. Consistent with long-standing university policy on student international travel safety, no IU funds may be used to support student travel to countries under U.S. State Department Level 4 “Do Not Travel” Advisories.
The Council’s approval procedure provides consistency in the process of granting credit (where relevant) and ensures that overseas activities adhere to IU’s high academic and programmatic standards. It also helps safeguard the health and safety of all IU participants and minimize risk.
The OSAC, chaired by the associate vice president for Education Abroad, must approve all proposals before any recruiting, advertising, or scheduling for the proposed program begins.
Proposals are reviewed as they are received. Applicants are advised to submit their program proposals at least 12 months in advance of anticipated departure in order to allow sufficient time to complete all necessary arrangements both at IU and abroad.
Many thanks for your attention to these procedures and again for your work in expanding these opportunities for our students.
Sincerely yours, | | |
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Jennifer Engel, Ph.D. |
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Associate President for International Affairs, SIO (interim) |
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