The International Programs Office & Dean of Students Office
Disciplinary Clearance Process for Education Abroad
To ensure that all education abroad participants will uphold the highest standards of personal conduct and ethics, the International Programs Office (IPO) collaborates with the Student Conduct and Community Standards Office in the Dean of Students Office (DOSO) to review the conduct records of all UMass students applying to participate in an approved education abroad program. IPO reserves the right to deny acceptance to students who have serious or problematic conduct histories.
All students applying to an education abroad program must consent to undergo this process, and student conduct records will be reviewed at the outset of the application process and periodically until departure.
Once a student receives conditional approval, it is their responsibility to maintain eligibility on all counts. New or additional infractions could result in a loss of eligibility at any time up to and after departure, leading to a forfeiture of all deposits/fees paid.
Conduct Requirements for Education Abroad Programs
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Students cannot have an active sanction of University Probation or Suspension Deferred. The term of such a sanction must end before the education abroad program starts.
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Students cannot study abroad while they are suspended from the University.
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All sanctions must be completed prior to participating in any education abroad program.
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It is in the student’s best interest to notify their IPO advisor if they have a Code of Conduct violation prior to application, or if any conduct infraction occurs after acceptance and prior to departure.
Having a conduct history does not automatically disqualify students from participating in an education abroad program in a future term, so long as all sanctions have been completed. Every case will be reviewed, and the following parameters will be considered:
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Nature of the incident
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Recency of the incident
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Severity of the incident
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Number of total incidents
Reasons that applications may be denied include, but are not limited to:
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A history of problematic or dangerous behavior
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Numerous and/or repeated violations of conduct policies
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Repeated violations of the alcohol or drugs policy
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A concern that the student’s conduct record indicates a threat to safety to themselves or other members of the community
