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International exchange programs frequently play an integral role in universities’ internationalization efforts. These programs encourage students at the home campus to study abroad, and they attract talented international students from partner institutions to the home campus.
But establishing an exchange partnership with a foreign university often requires tremendous institutional energy and commitment. And, once established, considerable attention must be devoted to cultivating the relationship. Moreover, when exchange partnerships are unsuccessful, they can be difficult and awkward to terminate.
Accordingly, prospective exchange partnerships should be approached carefully. The information provided here will help in the careful consideration of exchange opportunities. It is more beneficial to support a limited number of robust exchanges than to maintain a long list of inactive ones, and no institution can sustain an infinite number of international relationships.
Strong faculty support is necessary for a successful exchange relationship; however, faculty support alone is not sufficient. Strong student interest also is essential. When it comes to study abroad, faculty and student interest do not always coincide. Care must be taken to develop partnerships where the two overlap. This is particularly true in Texas, where evenly balanced exchanges are mandated by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Rules. (See below, Legal Foundations of Reciprocal Exchange Programs.)
Exchange programs represent the institution, not only individuals. Thus, NAFSA: Association of International Educators and the Forum on Education Abroad recommend that prospective exchange partnerships be vetted by a committee whose membership includes faculty from a broad range of disciplines and at least one senior administrator knowledgeable about the institution’s strategic goals for internationalization. This approach promotes thoughtful, reasoned decisions that will be respected by members of the university community.
Before pursuing an exchange agreement, the feasibility and appropriateness of the desired agreement should be established. Important questions to consider include:
- Does the proposed initiative have significant support from at least one academic department?
- Do the proposing departments at both institutions possess comparable strengths and exhibit a strong willingness to sustain an on-going relationship?
- Is there potential for long-term student interest and activity based on the courses available to students at the partner institution and requirements toward the degree that such courses will be permitted to fulfill at the home institution?
- Is the proposed agreement in a region or country in which the campus already has similar programmatic exchange relationships? If so, is there a strong rationale for the establishment of the proposed agreement and a demonstrated benefit to the university?
- Does the proposed partner institution offer students at compatible levels of study for exchange (undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral)?
- Are the academic calendars of the two institutions compatible?
- What evidence is there of the infrastructure necessary to administer the exchange at the host institution?
The Standards of Good Practice promulgated by the Forum on Education Abroad provide a more comprehensive framework for evaluating prospective partnerships.
In addition to the Forum’s Standards of Good Practice, the American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the International Association of Universities (IAU) have jointly developed a checklist to assist institutions in designing and assessing their international partnerships.
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