{"id":499,"date":"2021-10-05T11:08:10","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T16:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/?p=499"},"modified":"2026-05-04T11:53:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T16:53:57","slug":"field-international-studies-study-abroad-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/?p=499","title":{"rendered":"Field &amp; International Studies (Study Abroad) Courses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Value Statement<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Austin Community College District (&ldquo;ACC&rdquo; or &ldquo;the College&rdquo;) recognizes that combining study and travel enhances student learning by providing alternative educational experiences outside the classroom. Study abroad programs create transformative academic opportunities, increase global awareness, and allow participants to engage directly with diverse environments and cultures, preparing them to be responsible global citizens and fostering cross-cultural understanding and global collaboration.<\/p>\n<p>ACC is committed to supporting affordable, high-quality, academically rigorous, and safe study abroad programs that enhance students&rsquo; character development, transferability of academic credit, and employability.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Administrative Rule<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>All ACC-sponsored study abroad programs will adhere to the following requirements:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Academic Standards:<br \/><\/strong>Programs must:\n<ul>\n<li>be of college-level rigor and complexity.<\/li>\n<li>be based on courses listed in the ACC Course Inventory achieve the stated learning objectives.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>include clearly stated learning outcomes and activities that students must demonstrate to successfully complete the course.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>require individual assessment methods (e.g., exams, essays, presentations) to evaluate achievement of learning outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Compliance:<br \/><\/strong>Programs must:\n<ul>\n<li>adhere to the standards and regulations of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highered.texas.gov\/new-program-development\/distance-education-resources\/#study\">Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)<\/a>, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and any other relevant accrediting agencies.<\/li>\n<li>comply with all applicable ACC Administrative Rules and policies, including those related to travel, faculty responsibilities, and student conduct, as well as risk management protocols and emergency response guidelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Instruction:<br \/><\/strong>Programs must:\n<ul>\n<li>be taught, evaluated, and directly supervised by faculty who meet ACC&rsquo;s hiring criteria and instructional standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Approval and Oversight:<br \/><\/strong>Programs must:\n<ul>\n<li>be developed and approved through the collaborative efforts of the Faculty Leader, International Programs, Department Chair, Dean, Associate Vice Chancellor, and Vice Chancellor of Instruction, with final approval from the Vice Chancellor of Instruction.<\/li>\n<li>undergo review on a three -year cycle, to ensure alignment with ACC&rsquo;s educational objectives, financial accountability, and risk mitigation standards, including itemized program costs and financial disclosures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Risk Management:<br \/><\/strong>Programs must incorporate a comprehensive risk management plan that includes:\n<ul>\n<li>compliance with the Clery Act and other applicable safety regulations,<\/li>\n<li>pre-departure registration of participants with the U.S. Department of State&#8217;s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP),<\/li>\n<li>mandatory health and safety training for faculty leaders, to be completed before program departure and renewed as required, and,<\/li>\n<li>mandatory international travel health insurance coverage for all participants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Student Support:<br \/><\/strong>Programs must provide participants with a comprehensive advising session and pre-departure orientation that includes:\n<ul>\n<li>financial planning guidance related to travel costs, budgeting, and potential financial aid options,<\/li>\n<li>academic expectations and conduct guidelines to ensure students understand program requirements and responsibilities,<\/li>\n<li>health and safety guidelines, including emergency procedures, and,<\/li>\n<li>cultural adaptation training to prepare students for engagement with different customs and social norms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>By adhering to this administrative rule, ACC ensures that study abroad programs maintain high academic and safety standards while fostering meaningful global learning experiences for students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Value Statement The Austin Community College District (&ldquo;ACC&rdquo; or &ldquo;the College&rdquo;) recognizes that combining study and travel enhances student learning by providing alternative educational experiences outside the classroom. Study abroad programs create transformative academic opportunities, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/?p=499\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":382,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-e-instruction"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/382"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=499"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2902,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499\/revisions\/2902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/administrative-rules\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}