Student Exchange

PURPOSE

The listing of the four student elements and the 17 inter-institutional elements, as well as the original documents from Christchurch Polytechnic and Otago Polytechnic, are intended to provide PIN member institutions considering student exchanges with some elements of “good practice” protocol.

SAMPLE DOCUMENTS – ELEMENTS IN STUDENTS’ FORMS (Ara Institute of Canterbury)

The documents forwarded to PIN members from Christchurch Polytechnic included the following four categories/elements of information involving students considering an exchange program:

  1. Expression of Interest for an Exchange Programme;
  2. Exchange Applicant Interview – General Criteria, Questions;
  3. Student Application for Study Abroad; and
  4. Exchange Programme Information (Receiving Institution).

SAMPLE DOCUMENTS – ELEMENTS IN INSTITUTIONAL FORMS (Otago Polytechnic)

The accompanying document forwarded to PIN members from Otago Polytechnic focus on the inter-institutional relationship between institutions involved in student exchange. The parties are often identified as the “home”/sending institution and the “host”/receiving institution. This is a more complex set of elements which would go into a protocol between institutions. Below are 17 elements identified as part of an inter-institutional agreement. They are as follows:

  1. Dimensions, numbers from  each institution annually;
  2. Delineation of which institution receives tuition and fees;
  3. Clarification that students are responsible to pay all travel, ancillary and other material costs associated with study at host institution and living costs of residing in another country;
  4. Statement of internal Study Abroad Programme capacity to serve numbers of students;
  5. If unequal numbers of students exchange between institutions, clarity about economic arrangements of reimbursement from institution sending more students by receiving institution (e.g. waiver of student study fee);
  6. Statement of no obligation on either institution nominate students, or accept student nominees, for the Student Exchange Programme;
  7. Clarification that exchange students will continue as candidates for degrees at their home institution and will not be candidates at the host institution;
  8. Statement that exchange students will be subject to the academic rules and disciplines of the host institution;
  9. Clarification that screening and selecting students will be done by the home institution;
  10. Statement that students must be proficient in the language of instruction at the host institution to qualify for nomination;
  11. Statement that the host institution will assist in finding housing but will not include financial assistance;
  12. Exchange students are responsible for obtaining their own visas, completing required immigration formalities and obtaining other travel-related documents needed to pursue studies at the host institution;
  13. Clarification that, if an exchange student withdraws voluntarily before the end of the course, this is a completed exchange from the sending/home institution and no replacement student is required;
  14. Statement that exchange students are responsible for all ancillary fees at the host institution;
  15. Clarification that both institutions shall determine the number of students participating;
  16. Statement that the host institution will determine eligibility for admission and length of stay while the home institution determines the recognition of academic credits, and
  17. Exchange students obtain credits for the courses in accordance with the regulations of the home institution.