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Study Abroad - A Parent's Guide |
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| Student Preparedness Policy Congratulations! Your student is about to embark on a life-changing adventure that will allow him/her to learn and grow academically, professionally, and personally, while having fun, making friends, and traveling all over the world. A semester abroad is often the highlight of a college career, and impacts students long after graduation. Our office is here to facilitate this process, and provide support at all times for your student. It is important that you and your student understand that completion of program requirements is the student’s responsibility, and s/he should be the only point of contact with our office. BBA exchange programs, by their very nature, require students to be highly responsible, independent, and able to solve their own problems with the help available. Indeed, until the student leaves, their participation status in the exchange program is considered “conditional.” The student demonstrates the above traits by following instructions, completing all the pre-departure materials for UT Austin and the host institution, obtaining their visa, and attending all of the mandatory pre-departure preparatory meetings we provide. Students must successfully go through this process themselves regardless of how demanding their regular course load and extra-curricular activities are. The period of preparing to go abroad is a vital part of the experience. This allows students to become familiar with the resources available to them, how to use them, and to become familiar with their host country’s culture. If students cannot do this on their own, they will not be prepared to cope abroad, and are not ready for a BBA exchange program. Any parent who contacts a McCombs staff member regarding their student’s study abroad (housing, courses, budget, visa, airfare, traveling, etc.) will be referred to our website and asked to contact their student about all matters concerning their program which do not constitute an emergency (serious medical, safety or legal issues). In the event of an emergency, please contact: OR Josh Rucker, BBA International Programs Coordinator Please encourage your student to take care of various
issues like insurance and travel arrangements mostly on
their own. It is most helpful to offer your
assistance, but wait until asked to provide help.
Students these days are usually capable of booking airline
tickets, researching living costs and currency conversions,
and taking care of phone calls to doctors and insurance
companies on their own. It is imperative that the student
fills out all the necessary forms him/herself because of
legal issues and Federal student privacy laws.
With the health, safety, and best interest of our students in mind, it is imperative that only students with the proper preparation participate in our exchange programs. Therefore, with the support of the Dean of Undergraduate Programs, we restrict communication with parents and have the students serve as the point of contact, except for emergencies. |
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