Traveling overseas is a process that begins long before the plane ride. International Education Programs is committed to working with students individually through the decision-making process as they select and prepare for a study, internship, or volunteer program. The bullet points below highlight ten reasons why advisors and faculty have chosen IEP.

• Jacksonville University accredits all study abroad programs and issues U.S. credit
• Courses offered in both English or native language in most foriegn language semester locations
• Federal and state financial aid can be used when applicable
• Affordable programs in unique destinations
• On-site student support services on all programs in all countries
• Short-term and multi-country options
• Customized internship placements
• Service-learning opportunities on volunteer programs and some study programs
• Housing provided in all locations
• Orientation and support before, during and after programs

This body at Jacksonville University reviews each foreign institution and study program carefully to ensure that academic integrity and standards are upheld in each location. The committee carefully reviews the quality of the institution, courses, and faculty members before approving the program or site. The Study Abroad Advisory Committee is composed of , the Dean of Arts and Sciences - Dr. Douglas Hazzard, Assistant Photography Professor - Ginger Sheridan, Faculty Chair - Dr. Janet Haavisto, Professor of Nursing - Dr. Michelle Edmonds, Professor of Management - Dr. Mohamed Sepehri, and Professor of Humanities - Dr. Carole Barnett.

For more than eight years at Jacksonville University, IEP has partnered with prestigious foreign institutions that share our vision of making study abroad affordable and accessible to students with a variety of backgrounds and skills, while emphasizing immersion and never sacrificing quality.  Our experience and reputation in the field of education abroad have awarded excellent opportunities to students from Jacksonville University and all eligible students meeting standards equivalent to Jacksonville University and our partner institutions.  For a list of academic institutions abroad with which IEP partners, please click here. 

IEP also partners with U.S. colleges and universities to offer quality programs more directly to students of the home institution, streamline enrollment and billing processes, and enhance outreach on the home campus.  Partnership agreements include IEP staff representation on campus, customized program opportunities and scholarship contributions on behalf of IEP to the chosen office or scholarship fund.  Please contact us for a current list of U.S. institutional partners.

IEP offers several types of in-house scholarships and provides information about other scholarship opportunities.  Please visit the Financial Aid page to view the abundance of discounts available on IEP programs that make our programs even more affordable.

Individual health and personal safety are of utmost importance before, during and after an overseas program. Although risks associated with traveling can never be eliminated, IEP stresses that proper preparation, a comprehensive support network, and wise decisions drastically reduce the possibility that a student will become a victim of crime, accidents or illness. We encourage all students to discuss their health and safety with their parents or guardian, study abroad office, and personal doctors and counselors.

IEP is committed to offering the necessary resources to students, parents, advisors and faculty as they relate to in-country emergency contacts and support services, travel and medical insurance, country-specific information, and additional web resources. Prior to departure, all students will be issued a packet with information about the, program details, health & safety issues, culture shock & re-entry, transportation, accommodation, and more.

Alcohol

In most countries, the legal drinking age is 18 years or younger. This naturally means that most students participating on a study, internship or volunteer program will be of legal drinking age. However, it is important to note that abuse of alcohol is grounds for dismissal from a program (please see Code of Conduct) at the discretion of the on-site staff or faculty member. Abuse can be defined as any action that puts the participant or others in danger as the result of intoxication. It is important for students to avoid public intoxication and to be aware that they are also held liable for their actions in the United States and at their home institutions.

Drugs

The possession and/or use of illegal substances is prohibited at all times on all programs. The use of illegal substances is grounds for immediate dismissal at the cost of the participant.

Excursions

In the event that a participant may need medical attention during an excursion, the local staff member or faculty will accompany the participant to a medical facility. In the instance that the staff member or faculty is the only adult-member accompanying the group, then that member may grant leadership to one of the program participants. The chosen participant will work with the staff or faculty member to determine the continuation of the excursion and establish a meeting point at which the group will reconvene with the member. In most instances, the staff or faculty member will guide the group back to the program headquarters or lodging while they take the medical victim directly to the appropriate facilities.

In-Country Staff

IEP utilizes in-country staff in all of our program locations. On most programs, these individuals are native to the area and have been working with students for a considerable duration of time. The in-country staff meets each individual student upon arrival, conducts an orientation session specific to the area with them, and discusses safety protocols for their entire duration of their program. Each staff member has home and cell phone numbers, which are provided to all participants. Staff members are on hand to work with participants if an emergency, psychological or health concern arises. Staff members will work with the student in-country and immediately contact the US office to advise of the situation overseas. On all programs, staff members are responsible for the typical issues that arise on the home university campus as well as the risks that arise due to living in a foreign country and an unfamiliar locale. On short-term faculty-led programs, the faculty member provides the in-country support and expertise in regards to program related activities and excursions.

Program and Location Selections

All program locations are carefully considered and reviewed prior to accepting participants on any given program. The Study Abroad Advisory Board Committee at Jacksonville University has accredited all academic programs prior to the addition of the location site. IEP staff members review site locations annually and make necessary adjustments and improvements on existing programs.

Lodging

IEP utilizes various housing options in all program locations. In certain locations on-campus housing is utilized and an on-campus residential life office is on hand 24-7 to handle any housing concerns that may arise. In those locations where apartments or homestays are utilized, the in-country staff members are the immediate contact for all emergency situations. All housing options have been visited and approved prior to housing participants in their desired locations. Homestay families are given strict interviews and chosen based on their police background check and local recommendations.

Medical Facilities

Prior to departure, all staff and faculty members are given information on local medical facilities and in-country procedures on advising a student in medical emergencies. Hospital locations and procedures are discussed and insurance information provided to all program participants.

Parents/Guardians

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under the applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights are transferred to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.

Upon applying, all students are asked if information can be released to parents upon request from their parents/guardians. In the event of an emergency or health concern the participant involved would be requested to immediately contact their parents/guardians by the in-country staff member.

Program Dismissal

If a student is asked to leave the program due to disciplinary reasons, no refund will be given and the student will be responsible to pay for their return arrangements. Warnings will be issued by the in-country staff or faculty member at their discretion.  First, a verbal warning will be issued to the participant and an email detailing the verbal warning and the participant's response will be sent to IEP's office at JU. If the problem persists, a written warning will be issued to the participant and IEP office staff will receive a copy. Following these warnings, a participant will be dimissed from the program, following the procedure outlined below. In the event of severe misconduct, IEP reserves the right to dismiss a participant without the verbal or written warning at the cost of the participant.

Program Dismissal Procedure:

• The IEP in-country staff member will discuss the situation with the participant and go over waivers and pre-departure details with the participant.
• The IEP in-country staff member will then have the participant sign a document stating they have been asked to depart the program for disciplinary reasons, previously signed on the program waivers.
• The IEP in-country staff member will contact the IEP emergency phone to inform the IEP staff that the individual will be departing from the program.
• The IEP staff member on call will inform the rest of the IEP team of the situation.
• For all JU students, the IEP staff member on call will contact the Vice Presidents Office at JU to inform them of the situation.
• The student is officially off the program and responsible to pay for 100% of the costs of property damages, airfare, all ground transportation, and any other costs incurred.

Registration with Embassies

IEP registers all program participants with the appropriate US Embassies in country. In the event of an emergency, in-country staff members will work with the local consulates to aid in the emergency procedures for US citizens traveling abroad.

Transportation

IEP uses the same guidelines when arranging transportation for any given program as when choosing a desired location. IEP only arranges transportation to/from a destination and within a country with companies that are valued as safe and reliable. The selected companies are chosen based on prior safety records, insurance coverage and their overall company responsiveness to our program needs.

Program participants will have free time to travel on all study, internship or volunteer programs. This includes participation in local and domestic activities as well as travel outside of the host country.

Independent travel can be an extremely rewarding experience for students, as they have a chance to explore the cultures of their host country and surrounding areas. However, the risks of independent travel are the sole responsibility of the participant.

What may be safe travel arrangements for one individual may not be a safe travel arrangement for another due to individual maturity, experience, and personal limitations. Students should be candid and realistic about their ability to travel independently and exercise all safety precautions while making travel arrangements. IEP recommends that the students discuss and inform their independent travel arrangements with their parents and home study abroad advisors.

IEP staff and affiliates may verbally give examples of past students who have traveled independently or distribute literature highlighting typical destinations in a particular city or country. However, any discussion between a student and an IEP staff member or affiliate regarding independent travel is not a personal recommendation or endorsement. All literature and discussions on personal travel are meant to be resources for the student to enable them to make independent decisions regarding personal travel.

Travel

IEP provides each program participant with travel insurance on all study, internship and volunteer programs abroad. Each participant will be issued an insurance card prior to departure, which is proof of the insurance. This card cannot be used as a form of payment or as an official claim in-country. Should a student wish to submit a claim, they will have to do so upon their return to the United States. Travel insurance provides coverage for baggage delays, passport replacement, and 24/7 travel assistance worldwide.

Medical

In many cases, a participant’s home insurance provider will cover the student, intern or volunteer while traveling overseas, however, IEP advises students to contact their home medical insurance provider to confirm what coverage is available to them. In the event that a participant’s home medical insurance provider does not carry international medical insurance, IEP issues a list of study abroad medical providers that participants can use during their program. In some instances, such as Australia and New Zealand, Overseas Student Health Coverage is required for visa purposes and students will be billed directly by the overseas institution for the coverage. IEP provides for the following medical coverage: emergency medical evacuation, accidental death & dismemberment, repatriation of mortal remains, in-hospital indemnity-sickness, and accident medical maximums. Please contact IEP for specific coverage information.

Additional information about insurance coverage for overseas programs, visit this website.

During Office Hours Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 p.m EST. Call 904-256-7295.

After hours call 24/7 IEP Emergency Line: 904-859-7082

*This line is to be used only in the case of an emergency. All non-emergency calls received on this line will be re-directed to the office line.

Advice on Selecting the Emergency Contacts

When designating an Emergency contact, students should select a parent or guardian who will be available to offer support for the duration of their study, intern, or volunteer program.

In the case of a medical emergency, a parent or family member is the best emergency contact.

If the student does not attend Jacksonville University, they are also asked to designate a home university contact. IEP recommends that a student list their home institution’s study abroad office as the home university contact.

An emergency is any situation where the participant’s health and safety have been compromised. This includes medical emergencies and hospitalization, crime incidents, sexual assault, natural disasters, missing persons, political upheaval or evacuation, death, etc.

Prior to departure, all students will also be issued emergency contact information with a 24/7 IEP Emergency line, in-country contact, and the local embassy or consulate. Additionally, specific instructions are given to the students about what to do in an emergency. All IEP staff members and faculty are committed to doing everything in our power to act immediately and appropriately if an emergency occurs.

Take note that students are instructed to contact their in-country staff members and the 24/7 IEP emergency contact number prior to notifying their parents. In the case of a true emergency, the trained in-country staff are better equipped to secure your son or daughter’s safety. Students are strongly encouraged to notify their parents after the appropriate authorities have been notified.

If a family emergency or some other emergency occurs in the United States during the time when your student is abroad, please notify IEP’s office immediately so that we can in-turn notify our in-country staff and take necessary action. The IEP emergency number can also be utilized in the case of a stateside emergency situation.

For all other non-emergency related issues, please contact our office.

All ccourses taken abroad are reflected on the student's official JU transcript. For semester programs, students must fill out a Course Approval form and get the required signatures before he or she departs. Short term program courses are pre-approved and require no further paperwork.

• Are IEP study abroad programs academically sound?
• Do IEP programs focus on cultural immersion?
• How does IEP prepare students to go abroad?
• How does IEP handle emergency situations?
• What other colleges and universities does IEP work with?
• Why does IEP issue credit for study programs, but not internship or volunteer programs?
• Will an IEP representative meet with me in person on my campus?
• I do not see my question listed here. Who do I contact?

Are IEP study abroad programs academically sound?

The Study Abroad Advisory Committee at Jacksonville University reviews each foreign institution and study program carefully to ensure that academic integrity and standards are upheld in each location. The committee carefully reviews the quality of the institution, courses, and faculty members before approving the program or site. For a list of the committee members and more information, see the above tab labeled Study Abroad Advisory Committee.

Do IEP programs focus on cultural immersion?

All students participating on an IEP academic year or semester program enroll directly with the foreign institution. IEP encourages the model of cultural immersion on longer programs because we feel that students benefit from taking classes with local students and learning in an academic environment typical to that country. IEP internship and volunteer programs also offer cultural immersion opportunities because the participant will be working or volunteering in a local business, company or organization. IEP offers homestay accommodations on all volunteer programs and some study and internship programs.

How does IEP prepare students to go abroad?

Prior to departure, each student receives one-on-one advising and assistance. IEP holds a pre-departure orientation at Jacksonville University for every study abroad program. A detailed and comprehensive pre-departure packet is issued to every IEP participant prior to his or her program.

How does IEP handle emergency situations?

IEP responds to emergency situations by first ensuring the safety and well-being of the student or participant in-country, and then by informing the emergency contacts and designated support networks (such as counseling, student affairs, etc.) as necessary. The in-country staff or faculty member will carefully document all incidents as soon as the safety of the participant(s) is ensured. Please review our Policies & Practices tab above for more specific information.

What other colleges and universities does IEP work with?

IEP has sent students to over 200 colleges and universities overseas. IEP seeks to work together with any college or university that is willing to collaborate to send students overseas on study, internship and volunteer programs. IEP alumni include students from local community colleges, private institutions, large state universities, and Ivy League schools.

I do not see my question listed here. Who do I contact?

Please feel free to contact us any time by visiting our contact page and sending an email or calling our office.

Back to top