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Guidelines For Planning Off-Campus Study

Colgate believes that cultural perspective is an important goal of a liberal arts education. To achieve this end, the University offers a wide variety of international and domestic off-campus study groups. However, Colgate University Study Groups cannot meet the academic needs and interests of all students who would like to study off campus. Some students therefore may elect to enroll in an affiliated program, a foreign college or university, or a foreign study program sponsored by another domestic institution. Other students may be served best by experiencing another culture in a non-academic setting for which no academic credit will be granted. In those cases in which students are seeking academic credit for off-campus study, Colgate is concerned that those programs be of the highest quality.

Researching the options for off-campus study, selecting a program, submitting applications and making the necessary arrangements on campus for registration, transfer of credit, housing, etc. takes a considerable amount of time. In the final analysis, however, it is time well spent, though it frequently requires careful planning, usually as much as a year before departure. We in Off-Campus Study/International Programs hope these guidelines prove useful in your planning and selection of an off-campus study opportunity.

Jump to: -Researching the options -Procedures for enrolling in off-campus study programs -Deadlines to remember -Questions?

SELECTING AN OFF-CAMPUS STUDY PROGRAM

Before you select an off-campus program, you need to decide what you are looking for in a program and how that program might fulfill your academic and personal goals. Carefully consider the following before coming to a decision:

1. General Goals: Closely consider what you hope to achieve on an off-campus program. What aspects of off-campus study are important to you? Is your goal to achieve fluency in a foreign language? Do you want to explore your cultural heritage? Have you a long-standing personal or intellectual interest in a particular country or culture? Are you seeking to provide an international dimension to future academic study or career opportunities? Or, are you simply seeking an adventure or a break from Colgate? If the latter happens to be the case, you may want to consider internships or other non-academic, non-credit bearing programs. For an overview of your options, read the brief introduction "Planning for Study Abroad" in Academic Year Abroad (available in Off-Campus Study/International Programs).

2. Educational Plan: Determine how a semester off campus will fit into your course of study. Consider your educational background, academic objectives, and long-range career goals. Ask yourself how studying off-campus can become a key component of your liberal arts education. Also, be sure to consider the remaining courses you need to fulfill your concentration, distribution and graduation requirements. Will any of the courses you plan to take off-campus meet these requirements? If not, will the courses you need be offered in the semesters remaining before you graduate? It is extremely helpful to discuss your course of study with your Faculty Adviser before coming to any decisions.

3. Location: Consider where you would like to study off-campus. Do you prefer to live in a particular country, region or city? Are you willing to consider other places? Would you prefer the excitement of a large international city like London or Paris, or a smaller city or town where the local culture has been less influenced by outside forces? A program in a location that suits you personally coupled with an academic program that allows you to pursue your academic course of study usually provides the ideal off-campus experience.

4. Timing: Most Colgate students choose to study off-campus during their junior year. However, think about your academic requirements that may influence your choice of semester or year and note that many programs are offered only during one semester each year and some are offered biennially.

5. Academic Setting: Think about the academic setting you prefer. Would you rather take courses at a foreign institution with host-country students, or attend classes with Americans only? Would you prefer classes taught in English, or in the language of the host country? How would you assess your current foreign language ability? (In cases where the language of instruction is not English, the minimum requirement is usually two years of college-level language study or its equivalent.) Study abroad provides an excellent opportunity to sharpen foreign language skills. Note, also, that many programs require other prerequisite courses.

6. Housing: Consider your preference in housing. For example, would you prefer to live with a host family, in a dorm with host-country students, or in an apartment with other Americans? Would you like to find a program that provides housing, or would you rather be responsible for finding your own? Some programs give you an option; others do not.

7. Finances: Consider program costs. When you examine an off-campus program, determine exactly what the program fee covers. Are tuition, transportation, room, board, field trips, books, supplies, etc. covered by the fee – in whole or in part? Note: Students who receive Colgate University financial aid will continue to receive aid during participation in a Colgate Study Group. Colgate aid is not available for participation in non-Colgate or affiliated programs, although state and federal aid is typically transferable. Additional information about Colgate financial assistance may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.

8. For more information about these issues or the options listed below, attend one of the twice-weekly general information meetings conducted by Off-Campus Study/International Programs (Tuesdays 11:30-12:30 and Fridays 3:00-4:00).

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RESEARCHING THE OPTIONS

Students who plan to study off-campus for a semester have several options: Colgate University Study Groups, affiliated programs, and foreign study sponsored by another domestic institution or through direct enrollment in a foreign institution.

1. Colgate University Study Groups

Colgate sponsors approximately twenty study groups each year. General information about these groups is available in Off-Campus Study/International Programs and on the OCS/IP website. More specific information about each group can be obtained from the sponsoring department or the study group director. Colgate Study Groups are offered either annually (A) or biennially (B).

All Colgate academic regulations, financial aid, registration changes, and drop/add deadlines for each term are applicable to students enrolled in a Colgate Study Group. Participation in a study group counts as Colgate residency and students receive Colgate credit for all approved study group courses.

Study Group	Semester	Sponsoring Department/Program
Australia	Fall (A)	Environmental Studies/Geography
Australia II	Spring (A)	Natural Sciences
China	Spring (B)	East Asian Languages/Literatures
Dijon	Spring (A)	French
Dominican Republic	Spring (A)	Africana and Latin American Studies
Freiburg	Spring (A)	German
Geneva	Spring (A)	Political Science/International Relations
India	Fall (A)	Asian Studies
Japan	Fall (A)	East Asian Languages/Literatures
London-Art & Art History	Fall or Spring (A)	Art & Art History
London-Economics	Fall or Spring (A)	Economics
London-English	Fall and/or Spring (A)	English
London-History	Spring (A)	History
Madrid	Fall (A)	Spanish
Manchester	Fall (A)	Interdisciplinary
National Institutes of Health (NIH)	Fall (A)	Natural Sciences
Native American	Fall (B)	Native American Studies and SOAN
San Francisco	Fall (A)	Asian Studies/Sociology & Anthropology
Scotland	Spring (A)	Philosophy & Religion
West Indies	Fall (B)	Caribbean Studies
Venice	Fall (A)	Interdisciplinary
Wales	Spring (A)	Natural Sciences
Washington, D.C.	Spring (A)	Political Science

2. Non-Colgate Programs: Affiliated Programs

Affiliated programs have special contractual agreements with Colgate University but are conducted entirely by other institutions. General information about affiliated programs is available in Off-Campus Study/International Programs and on the OCS/IP website. More specific information is available from the Colgate faculty member listed below who acts as the program's on-campus contact.

Courses taken on an affiliated program will not be counted against Colgate's six-course transfer limit. Titles of courses taken and grades earned will be entered on the transcript; however, these grades will not be calculated into the Colgate Grade Point Average (GPA).

Program	Semester	Faculty Contact
Biology Field Study, Montana	Summer	Professor Fuller
Mystic Seaport/Maritime Studies	Fall/Spring	Professor Leventer
Sea Semester	Fall/Spring/Summer	Professor Leventer
Semester in Environmental Science	Fall/Spring	Professor Fuller
Swedish Program	Fall/Spring	Professor Ries

3. Non-Colgate Programs: Study at Foreign Institutions and Foreign Study Programs Sponsored by Other Domestic Colleges, Universities and Organizations

Colgate permits students the opportunity to attend another accredited institution for the purpose of off-campus study. Off-Campus Study/International Programs maintains a library of study abroad programs by other colleges and institutions. Included in this collection are general reference tools, study abroad program catalogs, and evaluations by Colgate students of non-Colgate programs. Because the quality of study-abroad programs varies tremendously, credits from some programs you might find or learn about will not transfer. You should use the following criteria in selecting a non-Colgate program:

a) The academic demands of the program should be comparable to the academic demands of Colgate, and the teaching faculty of the program must be well qualified in the field in which they teach. This means that the majority of the program instructors should have the Ph.D. or the accepted terminal degree for the discipline in that country.

b) The program should offer extensive orientation (either in the U.S. or immediately upon arrival abroad) and readily available advising throughout the semester.

c) The program should provide a variety of opportunities for students to learn about the culture of the host country. Immersion into the culture can be facilitated through living arrangements such as home stays, living in dorms with host-country students, or by enrollment in classes at host institutions.

d) The program should offer some arrangement for student excursions or field trips in the host country. However, Colgate does not award credit for programs that are fundamentally study tours through several countries and cultures during a single semester.

e) The program should provide access to reasonable library and cultural resources.

f) The program must be accredited by a recognized regional or (in the case of a foreign institution) national accreditation board.

g) Students who attend programs in non-English speaking countries are expected to take at least one course in the language of the country. (Note: Language departments at Colgate have specific criteria for awarding credit for courses taken on non-Colgate programs. Please speak to the language department’s chair early in your process to confirm transfer credit eligibility.)

h) The program should carefully evaluate student work and provide an official transcript from either the host or the sponsoring institution.

Questions about these criteria or about specific non-Colgate programs can be discussed with a member of the Off-Campus Study/International Programs staff.

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PROCEDURES FOR ENROLLING IN OFF-CAMPUS STUDY PROGRAMS

A. Colgate Study Groups

1. Submit application(s) to study group directors in the fall semester for both fall and spring study groups. Applications for Colgate Study Groups are available from the department sponsoring the program, from the study group director and from Off-Campus Study/International Programs. Deadlines for applying to Colgate study groups will be announced at informational meetings, in the student newspaper, and on the Off-Campus Study/International Programs web site in the fall.

2. If accepted, register for the study group classes with the study group director during the Colgate pre-registration period.

3. If you receive Colgate financial aid, consult with the Office of Financial Aid about your plans.

4. Make housing arrangements for your return to campus.

B. Non-Colgate Programs: Affiliated Programs, Foreign Institutions and Foreign Study Programs Sponsored by Other Domestic Institutions

Students interested in participating in non-Colgate off-campus study programs must first be approved for an Academic Leave of Absence (ALOA). Colgate tries very hard to approve academic leaves that will enable students to deepen their liberal arts education with course work sponsored by other institutions. Nonetheless, the university needs to balance enrollments across both semesters, and therefore reserves the right to regulate the number of students who are granted fall or spring leaves. Students should discuss projected academic leaves of absence with their faculty advisers, considering options for both fall and spring terms. Additional factors under consideration for an academic leave of absence include: the student’s overall grade point average, his/her level of preparation for the intended program, and the quality of the Statement of Intent.

1. Students must declare a concentration prior to applying for an Academic Leave of Absence. Schedule a meeting well in advance of the ALOA deadline to review your plans with your faculty adviser.

2. After researching your options, complete the Cover Sheet for each program you are interested in (available from Off-Campus Study/International Programs or on the OCS/IP web site) and one Statement of Intent that includes the following information:

a) The study abroad program name and destination, and your academic rationale for selecting the particular program(s): How does the program build on what you have already studied at Colgate or enhance your liberal arts education? What courses have you already taken at Colgate in preparation for this experience? What aspects of the program and location make it a good fit for your academic interests? If applicable, how does the proposed coursework integrate with your concentration or academic program?

Note that our experience is that students applying to numerous programs and/or countries tend to have weaker academic rationales.

b) The courses you plan to take if accepted. You should list four courses and, if available, four alternates for each of the programs to which you will be applying. Indicate the type of credit you wish to receive for these courses. If you would like to receive concentration credit, specify the particular course or courses – for both your first choice and alternate courses – which you will be asking to transfer into your concentration. Students who attend programs in non-English speaking countries are expected to take at least one course in the language of the country. (Note: Language departments at Colgate have specific criteria for awarding credit for courses taken on non-Colgate programs. Please speak to the language department’s chair early in the process to confirm transfer credit eligibility).

3. Since not all spring leaves can be accommodated, we expect students to consider off-campus options for both fall and spring semesters. If a student has a unique and compelling academic reason for needing to be on campus for a specific semester, the student must submit supporting documentation from the student’s major department chair or faculty adviser clearly indicating the reason. This documentation should be submitted at the time of application. Examples of reasons that are not considered compelling include but are not limited to: needing to stay on campus to improve your GPA, needing a course for a minor, preferring to take a course with a certain professor, or wanting to take your first Colgate language class in the fall.

4. Well in advance of the academic leave of absence due date, schedule an appointment with an adviser in Off-Campus Study/International Programs to review your Cover Sheets and Statement. Bring all program materials with you to this meeting. If the Statement provides all the information requested above and if the program warrants approval in accordance with the criteria listed on page 3 and 4 of this document, you will be given a Faculty Adviser Statement of Support form and an Application for Transfer of Course Credit.

5. Present your Cover Sheets/Statement of Intent and the Faculty Adviser Statement of Support form to your Faculty Adviser. Your adviser may want to review the catalogs and other program materials you have collected. Be sure to take course descriptions, syllabi, term length and other pertinent information with you. Discuss your plans for off-campus study with your adviser – in particular how those plans relate to your concentration and options for fall and spring semesters. Obtain your adviser's signature on the Faculty Adviser Statement of Support form. One copy is for your adviser, one is for you, and the other you should submit to Off-Campus Study by the deadline.

If you plan to take courses for concentration credit, you should discuss those courses with the appropriate Department Chairperson or Program Director to determine if concentration credit may be awarded.

6. ALOA applications must be submitted between 19 January and 19 February 2010 for both the fall and spring semesters of the 2010-2011 academic year. You will be notified of the status of your ALOA on or before 12 March 2010. If you are granted an Academic Leave you will be notified via your Colgate email address and, as is stated on page 20 of the Colgate Catalog, you will subsequently be billed a $500.00 administrative fee. No leave of absence is required for summer terms.

Please note that the decisions of the ALOA Review Committee are considered final. For this reason it is critical for students to plan in advance for both fall and spring options.

7. Submit your program application(s).

8. Transfer credit information: After acceptance but before submitting a deposit to the program, we recommend that you submit your Transfer of Credit Application to the Registrar's Office. Please note the following:

•   Colgate students may receive credit for a maximum of six equivalent Colgate courses taken at other institutions or in non-Colgate programs. This includes all Advanced Placement credits and other college credits earned prior to entering Colgate as a first-year student, courses taken as a visiting student elsewhere, and courses taken at another institution during the summer or during the time that a student is on an academic leave of absence.
•   A course must fall under the category of “Liberal Arts,” bear a minimum credit of three semester hours or five quarter hours, be comparable to Colgate courses in terms of classroom hours, and a grade of "C" or above must be earned in the course in order to transfer the course credit to Colgate. Note that courses in marketing, business, journalism, or other subjects beyond the scope of Colgate’s curriculum are not eligible for transfer credit.
•   If you are seeking concentration credit for a course or if you are seeking transfer credit for any English or Natural Sciences and Mathematics courses, obtain the signature of the appropriate Department Chairperson for those courses only. Note that even though the deadline for submitting your Transfer of Credit Application to the Registrar's Office is not until May 1 for fall programs and December 1 for spring programs, we highly recommend that students submit it before committing financially to the program.
•   Grades for courses taken on non-Colgate programs will not appear on the Colgate transcript and will not be factored into the Colgate Grade Point Average. (Please see here for information on how grades are recorded for Affiliated programs.)
•   Transfer of credit will not be automatically approved. No credit is guaranteed for courses or programs not approved in advance of enrollment. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain pre-approval for courses to be taken on an affiliated or non-Colgate program. Credit will be approved only for those programs of high academic quality. The ultimate decision regarding programs of questionable quality will rest with the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.

9. Finances: Students approved for an academic leave will be charged an administrative fee of $500 to Colgate University. However, students pay tuition, room, board and fees to the host institution or sponsoring program. Colgate students participating in non-Colgate programs are not eligible to receive Colgate financial aid, although state and federal aid is typically transferable.

10. Colgate housing: Make housing arrangements for your return to campus.

11. Transcripts: Be certain to request from your study abroad program that an official transcript be mailed to the Registrar's Office upon completion of your course work.

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DEADLINES TO REMEMBER

1. Academic Leave of Absence – applications must be submitted to your Administrative Adviser between 19 January and 19 February 2010 for both the fall 2010 and spring 2011 semesters. Notification of academic leave approval will be given on or before 12 March 2010.

2. Program Application – this varies from program to program. Be sure to inquire about application deadlines from your program provider as soon as possible.

3. Transfer of Credit Application – must be submitted to the Registrar:

prior to 1 May for a summer program
prior to 1 May for a fall program
prior to 1 December for a spring program

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QUESTIONS?

Call Off-Campus Study/International Programs at x7216 to set up an appointment, or e-mail your questions to: Off-Campus Study, OCSIP@colgate.edu. We encourage all students to attend one of the twice-weekly general information meetings conducted by Off-Campus Study/International Programs (Tuesdays 11:30-12:30 and Fridays 3:00-4:00).

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Revised 9/09