Pre-Departure Process
As Faculty Leader, you might be returning from your latest study abroad program or this is the first time you are going through the pre-departure study abroad process at Seton Hall. Either way, this is your central hub to understand the entire timeline from how to make your approved Faculty Led Program go live to students to getting ready for departure with your roster of confirmed students.
New Programs: If you are still in the process of creating a new study abroad experience at Seton Hall, explore our New Faculty Programs hub for details on that approval process whether you are a study abroad veteran, or this is your first program.
Abroad Resources: To understand the resources that will be assist you and your students while on-the-ground in your host country, explore our Faculty Abroad Resources hub.
Connect with OIP: Faculty or administrators, email studyabroad@shu.edu for any questions you might have throughout the pre-departure process or better yet sign up for a Global Chat where you can learn more about study abroad at Seton Hall by joining intimate conversations over a complimentary beverage of your choice! All chats meet in-person in the Office of International Programs: Jubilee Hall, Room 232. Click here to sign up for a Morning or Aperitivo Chat.
Launching Your Program
The following are the first required steps in ensuring your approved Faculty Led Program (FLP) launches smoothly.
Assessments and Adjustments: If you have previously run this FLP, consider what changes you might make this time around. Click here for some items and questions you should consider.
Recurring Programs Form: For FLPs previously approved as recurring programs by their Department Chairperson, Dean and the Provost Office, Faculty Leaders are required to submit the Recurring FLP Form for their student applications to go live for the current cycle. The Recurring FLP Form will be open until August 1, 2023 for Winter and Spring 2024 Programs and until November 1, 2023 for Summer 2024 Programs. Student applications for submitted Recurring 2024 FLPs will begin going live as soon as April 1, 2023.
Significant Program Changes: If there is a change to the FLP destination country, the Faculty Leader, the Program Term (example: from Summer to Spring), or the Seton Hall chaperone assisting the Faculty Leader, then OIP will send a form for written approval to your Chairperson, Dean, and the Office of the Provost (in that order). If you are considering any of the above changes, OIP encourages you to submit the Recurring Programs Form as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for university review.
Close Your Course: All FLP courses at Seton Hall are required to be closed (capacity set to zero) so that students that are not approved and confirmed for the study abroad experience cannot register for the associated course. All study abroad course sections must be closed prior to a program’s application going live to students and as soon as they are published on Banner.
Marketing and Outreach
A successful Faculty Led Program (FLP) is the result of two main components: faculty participation in recruitment and departmental strategy for curriculum integration and promotion. To best promote your program abroad, we recommend a thorough marketing strategy over a broad period of time.
Department Strategy: As Faculty Leader, you should notify all faculty within your department about the FLP to coordinate outreach efforts and achieve target enrollment through all department points-of-contract: newsletters, email blasts, events and class visits. If your department provides funding for study abroad scholarships for your program, notify OIP so we may promote it on your program’s webpage and in the Scholarships Abroad hub. If your target audience hears about your program from multiple points-of-contact in your department, the easier it will be to reach your target enrollment.
Flyers and Handouts: After your program has been approved via the Recurring Programs Form, the Faculty Leader and their academic department should create and post flyers around the department, in key campus areas, and on relevant Blackboard course pages. After program approval, OIP will provide the Faculty Leader with a QR code that goes directly to the program’s web page and the study abroad email address for student questions. Faculty leaders should include this QR code in all promotional material. It is strongly recommended that all flyers be as succinct as possible with a priority on visuals over text. All specific details should be left to the program’s website, which the students can access via the QR code.
Class Visits: Short, compelling class presentations hosted by the faculty leader and/or program alums are the most effective in-person marketing. The Faculty Leader should consider the program’s target student population and work with their department to compile a list of courses that are prerequisites to the study abroad program’s connected course. For example, if your program is a 3000-level course, perhaps think about visiting some 2000-level classes (with permission of the Chairperson and faculty) within your department that would lead into your course.
The Application Cycle
Students go through the following stages while applying to their study abroad program. You may find further details of what students are required to complete for each of these stages under the Spring Embedded Program Checklist and the Summer Abroad Program Checklist. You can view the statuses of all your students through the Application Finder.
Pending: Students have started their application but have left certain requirements incomplete.
Application Submitted: Students have submitted their application and are now awaiting review from both the faculty leader and OIP. Please wait up to 24 hours after the student has submitted their application for their profile (GPA, major, biographical info) to update from Banner into their profile.
Approved: OIP will mark students as approved after the student has received faculty approval and has been verified to meet the University requirement of a 2.5 overall GPA. Applications may be approved after the chosen Application Deadline up until their Confirmation Deadline at the discretion of the Faculty Leader.
Withdrawn: The student has withdrawn their application – students may only withdraw their applications before submitting their application.
Committed: The student has committed and electronically signed the “Acknowledgment of Refund, Participation, and Withdrawal Policy.” Commitment is not confirmation of a seat.
Confirmed: To confirm their seat, the student must have signed the Acknowledgment of Refund and paid the nonrefundable deposit, which typically goes towards the overall program fee. Students can pay for their deposit through an access link in their student portal. Once these steps have been completed, OIP will update the student’s status to Confirmed.
Waitlist: If a student is approved for a FLP but that FLP has already reached a capacity of Confirmed students, the student will be shown a message that when they go to deposit via the TouchNet payment portal that the program is at capacity and they should email studyabroad@shu.edu if they wish to be added to the program’s Waitlist. OIP manages all FLP waitlists and if any Confirmed students withdraw from the program, with the Faculty Leaders permission, OIP will reach out to the next student on the Waitlist with instructions to Confirm their spot.
Ready for Departure: After students have completed the remaining pre-departure steps and paid the remaining balance for their program (if applicable), OIP will mark these students as “Ready for Departure.”
Review and Approve Students
You will receive an email issuing your log-in credentials for the study abroad portal. Once you have accessed the portal, you will be able to review all of your student applications. If you have difficulty accessing your portal and the review console, please contact studyabroad@shu.edu.
Eligible Students: Beyond the specific qualifications of your program (pre-requisites, language requirements) all students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and students cannot be on disciplinary probation level II or higher at the time of departure. Faculty will have access to applicants’ academics including GPA, major and standing. OIP will review any disciplinary probation level of all confirmed students.
Reviewer Console: You will receive an email from the study abroad system indicating that a student has submitted their application. You can access the Applicant Review for that student through the provided link. Multiple student applications can be accessed through the Application Finder. If you’d like to learn more about reviews through this online application platform, watch this video (Lesson 5). Applicant Review: In the email update from the study abroad system, click on Complete Review link to access the student’s application. You will need to log into PirateNet to access the Applicant Review. Because of the university’s security measures, please wait 24 hours after the application is submitted to view the student’s profile, as their data must sync from the Banner registration system. We advise that you do not approve students after their applications are fully accessible so you can confirm whether they qualify for your program. Once a faculty review has been submitted, it cannot be changed. If you need to amend your review decision about an applicant, please email studyabroad@shu.edu.
Understanding Student Melt: It is crucial that Faculty Leaders continue to approve qualified students for their program regardless of how many students have already been approved prior to the application deadline. Every study abroad program has what is called “melt,” in which a certain proportion of Approved students don’t end up Confirming for a program. You can never predict the exact proportion of “melt” your program will experience but generally most study abroad programs have at least half of approved students decide not to Confirm their spot. On rare occasions even a Confirmed students might withdraw for unexpected reasons, so it is crucial that Faculty Leaders continue to approve students. A good rule of thumb is that you want at the very least double the number applicants as your minimum enrollment. For example, if your program needs at least 10 students to run, you should aim for at least 20 approved students if not more. The higher the program fee, the more melt you may experience.
Application Finder: Through the Application Finder, you may view the total list of applications for your program. You may also view what stages these applications are currently in. You can also access pending and submitted student applications from this page by clicking on an applicant’s name.
Vendors and Payments
As part of the Application Process, all nonrefundable deposits and final balance payments are made by the student through the Study Abroad Portal within TouchNet. Those payments are automatically placed in a program’s restricted fund setup by your School or College.
Payments to vendors are managed by your School or College coordination with the University’s Finance Team. The Office of International Programs does not manage these payments to vendors and Faculty Leaders should provide plenty of advanced notice to their School or College about vendor payments so that those transfers can be made in a timely and effective manner. This includes any payments that may need to be made on-the-ground.
As part of the Recurring Programs Form, Faculty Leaders will provide update details on the vendors they are working with and OIP will pass that information along to the Faculty Leaders’ School or College so that both parties can start working together on the payment timeline.
Please reach out to your School or College’s Finance point-of-contact if you have any questions.
The Emergency Packet
Prior to departure Faculty Leaders will be provided an Emergency Packet which includes the essential information for responding a potential emergency on-the-ground abroad. This will include resources on Identifying an Emergency and Emergency Protocols.
Passports: A valid passport is required for all Seton Hall University programs taking place outside of the United States. Students do not need a valid passport to apply, be approved or confirmed for a Seton Hall Study Abroad Program but they must have a valid passport prior to departure and be considered “Ready for Departure.”
Dietary Restrictions and Food Allergies: All students confirmed for your programs must submit their dietary restrictions and food allergies through the Study Abroad Portal. Please use this information when arranging group meals and advising students on the local food scene at your destination.
Flight Information: If your program does not include a group flight for all participants, OIP will provide the departing and returning flights for all students in your program.
Emergency Contact: All Faculty Leaders are provided the emergency contact information for all participating students (both phone and email). In the event of an emergency please consult the Emergency Protocol which is also included in the Emergency Packet.