General Agreement Information

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Creating a New Agreement

The University of Louisville has a number of agreements with international institutions. 

  • Before determining which type of agreement you are interested in creating, take a look to see where we are, as this may allow you to join an already existing agreement. Please email intcent@louisville.edu for further information on creating new exchanges.

There are three types of agreements that the International Center facilitates with institutions abroad.

  • Before proceeding with an agreement, you must contact Paul Hofmann, Assistant Vice Provost of International Affairs.

Letter of Understanding (LOU): An informal agreement to work together in areas of common interest, with few formal commitments; 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU):  A formal contracts that obligate one or both partners to perform specific actions or provide specific services to the other. This is also known as an exchange;

International Program Agreement: A formal contract wherein an unequal number of students either come or go.

New Agreement Process

Any department or School/College may initiate an agreement; however, it is advisable to consult with the Office of Education Abroad to ensure that the correct templates are being used and that proposed programs are viable.

Once you have determined which type of agreement you want with the foreign institution, follow the steps below to create the agreement.

1

Type of Agreement Warranted

Decide between an LOU, an MOU, or a Program.

2

Does the proposed agreement pass the viability test?

If it does not pass the viability test, contact the Director of Education Abroad to discuss program creation options.

If it passes the viability test, discuss the plans with Department Chair and Dean. Send to Office of Education Abroad for approval.

3

Discuss plans with: Department Chair, Dean. Send to Office of Education Abroad

If not approved, make recommended changes and resubmit the agreement.

If approved, use the appropriate agreement template. Redefine any changes. Then submit to the Office of Education Abroad.

4

Education Abroad Review

The Office of Education Abroad shares documents, if altered, to International Student & Scholar Services, UofL Counsel and Risk Management for comments.

If not approved, make recommended changes and resubmit the agreement.

If approved, the agreement is sent to the department for signatures: Faculty endorsed, Dean/VP approved.

5

Return to Office of Education Abroad

The Office of Education Abroad submits to Provost for signature.

Signed agreement is returned to the office for international signatures.

6

International Partners Sign

Once documents have been signed by international partners, return signed document to Office of Education Abroad and for activation. Activated agreements will be placed in Departmental CardBox folder.

Renewing an Existing International Agreement

Renewals of existing International Agreements must be approved by the Provost’s Office before being signed by the Dean or the institution abroad. An existing international agreement can be renewed in a number of ways depending on the original document and timing of the renewal. In some cases, an entirely new international agreement may need to be created with original signatures. In other cases, a simple statement or rider may be attached to the original document extending it time frame. Please email Paul Hofmann for more information.

Have general questions concerning exchanges? Contact Kristin Samer.