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The Animal Sciences/Extension/Rural Community Information
To return to the main page click here. AGREEMENT |
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On September 1, 2002. an international student exchange program entitled "Academic Enrichment and Experiential Learning Through Trilateral Curriculum Modification and Rural Community Information Delivery as established pursuant to the North American Mobility in Higher Education Program. jointly funded by the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) of the U. S. Department of Education, the Seceretaria de Education Publica of Mexico and Human Resources Development Canada. The participants are two Canadian institutions: Universite Laval (lead) and University of Manitoba; three Mexican institutions: Universidad Autonima de Chihuahua (lead), Universidad Aut6nma de Chapingo and Asociaci6n Mexicana de Educacion Agricola Superior and three U.S. institutions: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (lead), Oklahoma State University and the MidAmerica International Agricultural Consortium. This is a four-year grant to promote mobility between the three North American Free 'Trade Association (NAFTA) countries. The program focuses on the livestock industry, NAFTA-related trade issues, leadership development and agricultural extension. In the first year faculty evaluate the academic programs of their foreign partner universities and develop strategies for articulation with the curriculum of the home university. Future student participants will engage in language training so as to enable them to be proficient in the medium of instruction at the institution of their sojourn. In the second. third and fourth years students spend a full semester at a university in one of the other countries. Distance learning modules provide trilateral lecture portability for mobile and non-mobile students. Rural community outreach is integrated into the academic program and will support extension education on site. There also will be a short-term group study program to one of the foreign venues, led by the faculty coordinator at each partner university. The partner universities also may engage in collaborative activities such as the exchange of teachers, research, cooperation and participation in international projects, which, if implemented, would be the subjects of separate multilateral or bilateral agreements. SECTION II: PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION The lead Canadian, Mexican and United States institutions each shall appoint a National Coordinator. The National Coordinators shall maintain ongoing communication with the participating institutions in their own countries as well as with each other and keep the institutions in their own countries informed of the status of the exchange program. A signature page is provided for each institution. Copies of all signature pages will be distributed to the partner institutions in their respective countries by the National Coordinators. The exchange program will be effective upon the signing of this agreement. with student mobility beginning fall semester 2003. The number of students to be exchanged each year is determined by the participating institutions, in negotiation with the National Coordinators. Annually each participating university shall endeavor to send to and to receive from each of its foreign partner universities equal numbers of students, cffectively establishing several bilateral exchange relationships. The withdrawal or termination of a student after acceptance by the host university may result in forfeit of the program costs and in the student being counted in the exchange balance. If the numbers of students exchanged with a foreign partner university are not equal in any one year, the imbalance must be rectified by the fourth and final year of the program, that is, the third year of the student exchange. A participating university may waive this requirement with regard to anyone or more of the foreign partner universities, thereby receiving more students from a partner university than sending students to that university. Such waiver must be in writing, signed by both partner universities. Participating institutions shall designate their own contact person or persons. who will be the administrative liaison with their respective National Coordinators. The local contact person or persons should provide his or her name, title, address, telephone, fax, email and institutional web site to the respective National Coordinator. Each contact person or persons shall provide the National Coordinators with information and material about academic offerings and requirements for exchange students, including an up-to-date university catalog or bulletin, schedule of classes and application forms, if required., which the National Coordinators will share with members in their respectivecountries. Where possible, participating universities will make this information available to all other participating universities by electronic means (e.g., web site). The contact person or persons shall remain in close contact with each other and shall provide timely information on the acceptance of students nominated for the exchange, student progress, extensions and terminations and immediate notification in cases of emergency. Prior to departure the host university shall provide an orientation to its outgoing exchange students and, before the beginning of regular classes, an academic and personal orientation to incoming exchange students. The home university shall make arrangements for the students to automaticallv grant permission to their host universities to send a transcript of subjects, credits and grades or other certified institutional records directly to the home university. Following the completion of studies, the host university shall send an evaluation documentation of performance in courses (transcript) to the designated contact person at the students home university in a prompt and timely manner. Upon request. the host university shall reserve usual, convenient and adequate housing for exchange students. The cost of such accommodations is the responsibility of the students. The home university shall approve the courses to he undertaken at the host university and shall determine the acceptability of course work completed abroad. SECTION III: ADMINISTRATION AND ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS Each participating university may nominate students for the exchange program, but the host universities reserve the right to decide on the admission of am student.. Each participating university may apply its own language proficiency and other academic standards for admission. Those standards should be communicated to the National Coordinators, who will share them with members in their respective countries. Students ordinarily participate in the exchange as unclassified (non-degree seeking) undergraduate students. Students will be permitted to attend both undergraduate and graduate-level courses for which they qualify-. No student may be admitted concurrently as a regular. degree-seeking student at the host university. To participate in the exchange,students must be in good standing at their home university. Applications should be received by the host institution at least 90 days in advance of classes. In the event that students receive stipends, grants, scholarships or other sources of funding from the host university, the contact person or persons at the host university agrees to immediately notify the students' home university in order that the home university may comply with any local, state, provincial or federal guidelines applying to a particular student. The host university further agrees to immediately notify tile home university of any changes in the academic status of an exchange student. The host university shall offer advising to exchange students in the selection of courses and programs and will attempt to place students in the courses requested to the extent they are available. The host university will give exchange students all possible assistance with student services and programs, including help in securing accommodations. The host university will provide the National Coordinators with information about local housing, including estimated costs for both housing and reasonable living expenses. Students will be responsible for the payment of housing, meals, passport and visa costs, books and other personal expenses as well as transportation to and from the host institution. SECTION IV: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS Exchange students shall pay appropriate tuition and fees at their home university. Incoming students will not be charged tuition or the general student fee but may be assessed special fees not charged to all students. including but not limited to particular laboratory fees, as appropriate. Exchange students shall provide evidence of health insurance to cover the cost of all necessary medical care during the period of exchange stud, including, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains. National laws or regulations, where they exist, govern the minimum insurance coverage required for students studying in that country. Exchange students shall provide the host institution with the names, addresses. and telephone number of two persons who can be notified in case of emergency. Exchange students are responsible for travel to the host university, accommodations, meals, leisure transportation, supplies. books, laboratory and special class fees not required of all students, other living expenses. and health insurance (including medical evacuation and repatriation of remains) while resident at the host university. While participating in the exchange, students should maintain full-time enrollment - 12-15 credit hours for undergraduate students and 9-12 credit hours for graduate students. Students participating in the exchange have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as a regular, decree-seeking students at the host university. Exchange students tine subject to the same laws, rules and regulations (including, but not limited to, those of the respective university, their governing boards, states and national governing bodies) as local students. Students who are not in compliance may be terminated by the host university. SECTION V: POST-FUNDING ACTIVITIES After the external funding concludes on August 31, 2006, the partner universities hope and expect to continue the student exchange. The exchange may continue on either a multilateral or bilateral basis, depending upon which will universities agree to such continuation, and would be the subject of a separate agreement or agreements. SECTION VI: LEGAL REQUIREMENTS Each partner institution subscribes to the policy of equal opportunity and will not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation. In the event that any provision, covenant or condition contained in this agreement is held to be invalid or void by any court of competent jurisdiction, the same shall be deemed severable from the remainder of this Agreement and shall in no way affect any other provision, covenant or condition contained herein. If any provision covenant, or condition, shall he deemed invalid or void due to its scope or breadth, such provision, covenant or condition shall be deemed valid to the extent of the scope or breadth permitted by law. |
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