Policies and Protocols

Related Concerns

• Academic: That groups participating in Messiah course work or service opportunities delivered overseas be comprised of individuals whose primary objective is learning and serving, not leisure. 
• Financial: That Messiah University students not subsidize the travel costs of auxiliary personnel and/or travelers.
• Liability: That all individuals accompanying the trip be officially known and approved by the University , and that all participants agree to follow the guidelines and parameters of Messiah-run international programs.  Likewise, that the insurance status of all travelers be clarified before departure.
• Ethos: That all group participants be compatible with Messiah's ethos and willing to abide by the community covenant.

Categories of Travelers

• Immediate Family Members: It is possible for spouses and school-age children of an Educator group leader to accompany the group while they are studying or serving abroad. If participating in an academic opportunity (such as cross-cultural courses), such family members are not required to take the course for audit or credit.  No subsidy for their expenses, however, should come from student tuition or fees, and the University cannot assume additional expense in order to accommodate non-participant individuals accompanying the trip.  It is important, however, for the University to be aware of the total roster of family members accompanying an official Messiah group, and to ascertain whether basic liability and logistical issues have been addressed.  Family members who are not Messiah students or employees are required by the University to sign a waiver form.
  • NOTE:  These experiences are designed for college-age students and student participants are not required to provide official background checks prior to participation.  Any leader choosing to bring their own minor child(ren) needs to understand that they are doing so at their own risk.  Leaders bringing their child(ren) on the program understand and commit to the following:
    • If a leader's child(ren) is disruptive to the program, the leader and the child may be dismissed.
    • The leader is responsible for the arrangement and cost of all expenses related to the child(ren)’s housing, transportation, meals, etc.
    • Supervision of the child(ren) will not interfere with the leader's responsibilities to the program.
    • The child(ren) will supervised at all times.
• Younger Children of Educator Group Leaders:  In most cases it is not advisable for younger children to accompany student groups on credit-bearing international courses or service experiences.  The 24-hour demands of delivering academic course work or leading a service group overseas leave little time or energy to tend to the needs of young children.  The concern here is that students' access to group leaders not be compromised by competing demands.  Requests for special permission should be directed to the appropriate Dean (i.e. Dean of Students for athletic teams, Dean of the School of the Arts for performing arts groups, Associate Dean of General Education for cross-cultural courses, etc.)
• High School-Aged Children of Educator Group Leaders:  Approval may be given for the high school child of a faculty leader to accompany the group on an international opportunity.  On credit-bearing experiences, it is advisable that a learning contract be negotiated with the high school student so that their own objectives are compatible with the educational mission of the trip.  In certain cases it might also be possible for the high school student to actually take the course for credit. 
• Spouses of Educator Leaders: The spouse of an Educator leader may also request to accompany the group.  It is important that student fees or fundraising not subsidize the travel expenses of the Educator's spouse.  If the spouse serves an essential, defined role on the trip, it may be appropriate to build a stipend for them into the trip budget.  This stipend should be at a rate consistent with stipends paid for other contracted services.
• Adult Auxiliary Travelers: All adults (i.e., alumni, parents, adult children, friends of Messiah students) who accompany an international travel opportunity must officially enroll in the program.  As such, they would pay any tuition and course fees associated with the trip. In the case of cross-cultural courses, auditing might also be a possibility, but with the following caveats:
  • The faculty group leader must approve the audit. (There are good reasons why faculty might not want outsiders registering for the course.)
  • The alumni or friend may not displace a matriculated Messiah student who wants to take the course for credit.
  • The financial terms of participation should be clearly articulated and clearly met.
  • All non-Messiah individuals must sign the Study Abroad Contract
  • All non-Messiah individuals must sign the Community Covenant.
  • The Academic Office will grant the final approval. 

• Adjunct Faculty Members:  On occasion for cross-cultural courses, it may be acceptable for the second group leader to be an adjunct faculty member.  Such an individual should follow the same application and screening process as other new or existing adjunct faculty who teach at the University.  Their compensation is at the normal adjunct rate.  The following guidelines relate to this option:
  • The same faculty-student ratio applies.
  • At least one of the individuals leading the course should be a full-time Messiah faculty member.
  • The adjunct faculty member must be willing to assume roughly half the responsibilities for planning and delivering the course.
  • This option may be most appropriate for residents of the host country who have appropriate graduate degrees.  Such individuals may be particularly well placed to coordinate curricular and logistical resources in-county, and provide expertise related to the course curriculum.  It should be noted, however, that such an arrangement places a heavier burden on the full-time Messiah faculty member for State-side student recruitment and orientation.