International Inter-institutional Agreements

Richard Downie, Associate Director

Many of the University’s departments are exploring relationships with partner institutions abroad, and the Office of International Studies and Programs is pleased that there is so much activity. We appreciate your continuing compliance with the guidelines for carrying out international inter-institutional agreements. While those guidelines have proven useful since they were implemented in 1992, there has been a growing need to review and revamp some of the procedures and policies as well as to better define and elaborate on some aspects of the agreement formats. A review is currently underway, and it is hoped that updated guidelines will be in place by January 1, 1998. In the mean time, I have set forth below in abbreviated form some of the main points and procedures for your review. Until the new guidelines are completed and published, would you please ask that your faculty follow these current procedures.

1. In order for any agreement to be processed and implemented, a faculty advocate or program sponsor must be identified.
2. There are basic formats available for general agreements, student exchange agreements, and study abroad agreements. These formats are available through OISP by request. Contact us by either fax, phone, or email (the latter is preferred), using the address information listed below.
3. The faculty sponsor should discuss the format with the proposed partner institution abroad so that provisions agreeable to both parties are included or others excluded.
4. Questions about the format and content of the agreement should be discussed with OISP. Keeping OISP advised during the negotiation process will save time in the long run by decreasing the chances that you will have to send the document back to the partner institution after you thought it was complete.
5. If the agreement is to be recorded in English and another language, the faculty sponsor must have the document translated and attested to on a form provided for that purpose. This special form can be obtained from OISP as well. If a translation is required, then there must be two originals in the second language and two originals in English. All must be signed in order to be implemented.
6. A letter of transmittal signed off by the chair of the department in which the sponsoring faculty member is located as well as the dean of the college in which the department is located must accompany the proposed agreement. The letter should state that the proposed relationship with the partner institution is approved at both levels.
7. The proposed agreement must be sent to me at OISP for initial review (if not completed already) before being sent on to the General Counsel.
8. The proposed agreement is sent to the General Counsel’s office for review of format and legality. The proposed agreement is returned to OISP either approved or for additional work.
9. If additional work is needed, the faculty sponsor will be contacted and the changes and/or additions completed.
10. Approved agreements will then be prepared and sent to President Lombardi for signature. All international inter-institutional agreements must be signed by President Lombardi before implementation.
11. Agreements signed by President Lombardi will then be returned to OISP.
    1. If signatures of all parties are affixed with appropriate witnesses, then one copy of the original completed agreement will be sent to the partner institution and one original retained in the OISP master file. Multiple copies of the agreement will be made as needed for distribution.
    2. If the proposed agreement has not been signed by the partner institution, then the original copies will be returned to the faculty sponsor to deliver to the partner institution. Upon receipt of one original completed copy from the partner institution (or two copies if also in a second language), item a) above will be implemented.
    3. The title of the agreement and the faculty sponsor will then be listed on the OISP web site.
12. Many agreement proposals will originate from prospective partner institutions abroad. If one receives such a document, then the process outlined above can be followed. The agreement will still require a UF faculty advocate or sponsor, etc.
13. OISP and the General Counsel are preparing agreement formats which are “pre-approved” by the General Counsel’s office. Use of the pre-approved format will then only be processed through OISP. We hope in this way to reduce the time required to bring an agreement to implementation. Proposed agreement formats originating with partner institutions or for which changes are needed would then follow the procedures noted above. Also in addition to the paper format which is now available, we are planning to have the agreement formats and all accompanying forms for documentation available either on disc and/or on the OISP web site by January, 1998. In this transition period, there may be some delays. In any event, one should plan on the process taking several months to complete.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your cooperation and assistance. Your suggestions are welcome.

Office of International Studies and Programs ( OISP ) contact: Dr. Richard Downie, Associate Director
Phone: 352 – 392 – 5443 or 3247
Fax: 352 – 392 – 5575
E-mail: downie@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu