Starting an Auburn Abroad Program

Academic & Student Conduct Issues

General conduct policy
Auburn Abroad participants must adhere to the Auburn University Student Conduct Code (see Tiger Cub), specific program rules, and to the laws of their host country.

Rules and requirements specific to the program
Faculty directors will develop rules and/or requirements best suited to their specific program abroad. You will receive a copy of these rules along with the program syllabus.

Special Issue: Minor Age Students:
While Auburn discourages participation in a study abroad program for students under age 19, if a minor age student applies to a program and the program director agrees to accept the student, the student and their parents will need to complete the Minor Age Student forms below, a custodian will have to be appointed to accompany the student and the student will need to obtain Provost Approval before they can participate (see Minor Age forms and policy).

Faculty Director’s role:
Faculty directors are responsible for the supervision and welfare of the students during official program classes, travel, excursions, events and they oversee the student’s room and board arrangements – for the duration of the program. They monitor each student's conduct in relation to Auburn and other applicable rules, regulations and standards of conduct and the laws of the country (or countries) where the program is located. This supervision extends to housing requirements and reassignments, if the latter is necessary. The Faculty director reserves the right to dismiss participants at any time during the duration of the program for academic or disciplinary reasons, per Auburn Faculty Handbook procedures. In such an event:

• There will be no refund to the student.
• Dismissed student participants will not be allowed to remain in program facilities (such as housing).
• Dismissed student participants will not be allowed to participate in any group activities.
• Dismissed students will be responsible for arranging and paying for their travel back to the United States.

Alcohol use at destination
Alcohol use and abuse is a very important concern on US college campuses today. When US college students travel abroad, they may take their US-centric idea of alcohol use with them and this may lead to inappropriate and/or illegal behavior at their international destination. As guests in a foreign country, students need to know and understand the following to avoid problems and prepare for the culture they will enter:

• The legal drinking age at all destinations that the program will travel to (students also need to know this information for any university/program sponsored side trips they take during the program).
   
• The cultural norm (i.e. is wine served at meals?). Students need to understand that alcohol may be an integral part of the daily life of the residents of a country; however, the inability to handle alcohol and/or public drunkenness is unacceptable in any program destination.
  
  
• The legal definition of alcohol abuse and the legal jurisdiction (i.e. covers actions in a public bar but does it cover actions in a hotel?)
   
• The legal consequences of public drunkenness (i.e. public fines, jail time)
   
• The outside communication allowed upon arrest (i.e. phone calls to program or parents may be prohibited)
   
• The policies of the housing unit where the students will be living
   
• A strong safety concern: the likelihood that public drunkenness may result in the individual becoming a victim of a crime
   
• The advice, address and phone number of the nearest US consulate as well as the number for MEDEX legal referral service
   
• It is understood that faculty members are not responsible for the actions of students when they are off the program, but imprudent actions off the program may disrupt program events/ classes. Faculty directors are responsible for disciplining students should their off-program activities interfere with program activities.

Drug use on site
The use of illegal drugs is forbidden on programs abroad by any program participant and will result in the student’s dismissal from a program if discovered. If a student is prosecuted, jail time is virtually guaranteed. Realize that the laws of the host country supersede any US law. The US consulate can only try to visit the individual in jail, they cannot change, expedite or otherwise affect the in-country legal procedure.

Attendance
Students are expected to attend all classes and program events. Students are also expected to be on time for all appointments, classes and trips. Faculty directors are responsible for giving students the rules for attendance and for providing the meeting time, place, and transportation information for all trips. Being on time means that personal activities such as buying water, snacks, getting ATM withdrawals, and using the restroom, should be completed prior to the meeting time/trip departure time so that participants and instructors do not have to wait. Due to safety and security issues, leaving a student behind creates problems in certain circumstances; however, if the trip originates from the program’s housing this may not be an issue. In that case, late arriving students may find that they have “missed the bus”. Students are responsible for arranging and paying for any transportation necessary to “catch-up” to the group when that happens. Faculty directors can utilize the same disciplinary measures on-site as they would on-campus for students who miss events or who are habitually late.