Procedure for Review of Ad Hoc International Agreements Policy

The director of international education will coordinate the establishment, negotiation, evaluation and maintenance of ad hoc international agreements at SUNY Plattsburgh for the Office of the Provost. All existing agreements over four years old should be reaffirmed, starting at step three of this process, by September 1, 2010. Thereafter, agreements must be reaffirmed at least every five years.

The first step will be a preliminary evaluation to determine whether or not a proposal or concept for an international agreement has merit for development and the appropriate format for such an agreement. Conducting a preliminary assessment will minimize the loss of staff time, reduce institutional impacts of rejection if a concept is not considered feasible, and ensure that the appropriate format for a particular agreement is used.      

Step One – Concept Review

The first step will be preliminary review of an ad hoc proposal to clarify what type of agreement is being proposed and whether or not such an agreement is appropriate. Appendix A presents a short form to be used to identify the distinct components of a proposal and help make a preliminary assessment. The director of international education (DIE) will evaluate the proposal and make a recommendation to the provost. The provost will decide whether or not such an international agreement is appropriate for negotiation.

Step Two – Negotiate an Agreement.

If a concept is approved, the next step will be negotiating an agreement. The director of international education will negotiate all agreements to ensure that SUNY standards and policies are fulfilled. 

Step Three – Review/Approval of an Agreement

The third step will be a detailed review of the draft agreement. Appendix B presents a short form to be used to guide the assessment of international agreements. If the agreement involves the admission of international students, it will be independently reviewed by International Student Services. The DIE and provost will review the draft agreement and related assessments and the provost will make a recommendation to the president. If the recommendation is positive, SUNY legal staff will review the agreement to ensure that legal issues are addressed. The president makes the final decision on an agreement.  

Criteria for Evaluating Proposed International Agreements

• Must comply with SUNY policies and procedures.
• Must comply with Ethics in State Government as defined by the New York State Ethics Commission.
• Must not expose participants to undue risks or hazards.
• Must have associated measurable outcomes that can be assessed.
• Must include both a starting and ending date, such as for a period of five years.
• Must be approved by the appropriate department(s) and dean(s) and/or the Global Education Office (for study abroad programs) and International Student Services (for agreements that bring international students to Plattsburgh) as appropriate.

Preference will be given to proposals/agreements that:

• Are self-funded.
• Do not duplicate or conflict with other SUNY Plattsburgh options, programs, or agreements.
• Benefit SUNY Plattsburgh as a whole.
• Cannot be implemented without an agreement.