Off-Campus Study Programs

A.  St. Lawrence University Off-Campus Study Programs:  International programs are offered in Australia, Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, China, Denmark, England, France, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Spain, Trinidad, and many other countries via the International Student Exchange Program.  St. Lawrence University also has three programs within the United States: the Adirondack Semester (offered through the SLU Outdoor Studies program), the Washington Semester, and an exchange program with Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.  Detailed information is available through the Center for International and Intercultural Studies (CIIS) and on the web (stlawu.edu/ciis).  For spring semester programs, the application deadline is September 25; for Fall Semester and full-year programs the deadline is February 20 unless otherwise noted on the application.

Off-campus study is an opportunity open to all sophomore, junior and senior students.  Students must petition to participate in the second semester of the senior year.  Starting in 2003, first-year students may apply to participate in the program in Rouen, France, which offers an FYS.  Students in all majors may participate in off-campus programs.  Some of the programs have distinctive curricular strengths and are especially valued choices for students in those fields.  Most of the programs offer a range of courses, and many of these courses are “site-specific,” designed to enhance the student’s understanding of the host culture.  Students need to identify programs of interest at least a couple of semesters prior to making application in order to enroll in courses which will prepare them for a specific program.  All programs have pre-requisites of some sort.  Some programs require prior study of a language.  All programs are intended to complement the student’s academic program in some way and to give students the experience of living and studying in a different culture.

The selection of locations for, and the continuation of, all off-campus study programs is based on, among other factors, the availability of a safe environment for students.  Unforeseen circumstances may cause an interruption in or termination of a program.  Should that happen, CIIS will try to find alternative arrangements to accommodate effected students, but suitable alternative arrangements cannot be guaranteed and may not always be available.

Students on social or disciplinary probation are not eligible to apply or participate, except that students placed on social probation for one semester or less and for whom this is a first offense may ask the Associate Dean of Student Life for an exceptional review of their situation; this review will be conducted in conjunction with the Associate Dean for International and Intercultural Studies.  In addition, students with outstanding disciplinary fines, service hours and/or educational program requirements are not eligible to participate in off campus study programs (subject to an exceptional rerview of their situation by the Associate Dean of Student Life).  Such students may apply to participate while fines/service hours/educational program obligations are still outstanding, but if not completed by the time of departure, they will lose any right to participate in the program (and will forfeit any deposits or other financial payments made in support of such participation).  A student who has been accepted to participate in an off campus program and is subsequently placed on social or disciplinary probation or who becomes subject to disciplinary fines, service hours and/or educational program obligations, is similarly ineligible to participate in the program (subject to an exceptional review by the Associate Dean of Student Life).  Such students must immediately report this change to the Center for International and Intercultural Studies (CIIS).  Failure to timely report such a change will be grounds for denying an exceptional review of their case.  Students against whom a judicial complaint has been registered prior to their participation in an off-campus program must also immediately report that fact to the CIIS and will also be the subject of an exceptional review to determine their continued eligibility for the program (based on, among other things, the seriousness of the charges pending against them), and it is possible that their acceptance may be withdrawn.  Students who have been suspended and who have been readmitted must spend at least one full semester on campus before being eligible to apply for off-campus study.

Admission to off-campus study programs is competitive.  The degree of competitiveness of these programs varies from semester to semester, depending upon student interest.  The number of students who can participate varies from program to program, but enrollment is limited for all programs.  In applying, students should have a solid academic track record, normally a cumulative grade point average of 2.8 or above.  Certain programs require a 3.0.  Selection committees review the student’s academic record, seeking evidence that the student is prepared for the challenges of off-campus study.  An important element in the application is evidence of the student’s intentional preparation and rationale for participation in a specific program.  The selection committees also take into consideration faculty/staff evaluations.  Applicants for off-campus programs must also present evidence of maturity, responsibility and cultural sensitivity.  Admission to a program requires a positive recommendation from the selection committee.  Students who are denied have the opportunity to present new evidence to an appeals committee.  The selection committee also presents its view of the candidate and pool to the selection committee.
Students who participate in off-campus programs must respect the rules and regulations that apply on the home campuses (as specified in the university’s catalog and student handbook) as well as those specified by the off-campus program and its director or administrator.  Students must also conform to the norms and expectations of the host culture.  Because these programs are off campus and the normal procedures for handling violations and infractions of stated rules and regulations (e.g. in the Student Code of Responsibility and the Academic Honor Code) are not available or practicable, such matters will in all cases be handled directly by the program director or administrator for the off-campus program and/or by the Associate Dean for International and Intercultural Studies.  The student will be notified of the alleged breach of conduct and will be given the opportunity to submit, in writing, his/her account of the alleged violation.  Following review of the situation and the student’s response, the program director or administrator may impose sanctions up to and including dismissal from the program.  Directors of programs operated by St. Lawrence University will make a recommendation to the Associate Dean as to the appropriate sanction, if any.  Sanctions may be applied immediately or they may be imposed by the associate dean when the student returns to campus, or both.

A number of services and benefits available on the home campus may not be available on these programs; examples include athletic, computing and internet, and laundry facilities.  Such services as well as cultural programs and excursions vary from program to program. Credit for these programs, which are designated as SLU off-campus programs, is residence credit, not transfer credit, (i.e. grades earned are computed in the student’s quality point average).  Participation in an SLU program counts towards the residence requirement. For any SLU program, students pay regular comprehensive fees and receive their usual financial aid, just as they would receive on campus.  Additional financial support may be available from Financial Aid and from CIIS.  All students interested in study off-campus, no matter what their financial resources, should confer with CIIS.

Students should be aware that there are a number of courses offered off campus, some in international locations, during January and in the summer.

B.     Non-SLU Off-Campus Study Programs:  Students are encouraged to consult with CIIS if the SLU programs do not appear to meet their academic objectives. If a student identifies an appropriate non-SLU program, s/he should apply to the program and to CIIS, for review by the Non-SLU Programs Selection Committee. Completed applications are due by September 25 (for spring programs) or February 20 (for fall and academic-year programs). Such students must demonstrate strong academic preparation and academic reasons for studying in that particular location. They must have a record of academic performance that demonstrates ability to meet the challenges of off-campus study without the academic and other support that St. Lawrence University offers on campus and on its programs; a GPA of at least 3.0 is expected. Students who wish to study in a country or area where St. Lawrence maintains a program must have an extraordinarily compelling academic reason for applying to another program.  Unlike the programs indicated in section A, any credit earned on these programs will be transfer credit (not residence credit) and St. Lawrence’s own financial aid does not apply (though federal and state aid may). 

If an applicant is approved to study on a non-SLU off-campus study program, then s/he will receive, with the approval letter, a form to use in getting transfer credit approval. This form directs the student to get prior approval by the appropriate department chair for all courses s/he plans to take. The form is filed in CIIS and in the student’s file in the registrar’s office.  The student will earn credits toward graduation (and possibly in the major) but no grades will be included in the quality point average.

If a student is not approved for study on a non-SLU off-campus study program, the student may take a leave of absence in order to participate. However, as is the case with all leaves of absence, the student will not be able to transfer more than one unit of credit per semester, and must have prior approval from the appropriate department chair and submit a signed transfer of credit approval form to the registrar’s office.  Students may not use the approval of individual courses by department chairs as a way to earn additional credits while participating in a non-approved program.

(Further information: Associate Dean for International & Intercultural Studies, 229-5991.)