Faculty course leaders (and sometimes their sponsoring academic department) are responsible for all student recruitment and advertising efforts. Make sure that in program descriptions, discussions with students and advertising, you include:

• Student eligibility requirements 
• Physical and emotional requirements for successful course participation (examples could include swimming; ability to hike 8 miles/day in hot and humid climate; etc.)
• Policies that are non-negotiable for your specific course, such as the number of pre-departure meetings required
• Accurate pictorial and other representation of the program experience
• Notable information specific to the destination or course activities that could help a student determine if the course is a good match for them (consider aspects of student identity that might make a destination more or less friendly, for example)
• All costs -- including estimated costs of airline tickets if applicable, and any costs not included in the program fee budget. (Don’t advertise until budget is approved)

• As the faculty leader, you will reply to student questions related to course academic content and itinerary.
• Questions related to how a course fulfills a student's degree requirements should be directed to their academic advisor.
• Direct interested students to your course landing page in GoAbroad. Students can only apply once applications are open.
• As students apply, OIE staff will send student application information to you. You will admit, deny or waitlist students according to OIE's instructions.
• OIE staff will notify students of admission and advise them on how to pay their deposit.
• As the lead faculty member, you will receive a weekly summary report during the application and deposit season. Reports include the number of students who have applied, been admitted, paid their deposit and enrolled (once course registration opens).

As the lead faculty member, you are responsible for deciding which students will participate in your course. Selection criteria must be objective and not discriminate on the basis of any protected categories. The application process can be an important educational opportunity wherein you begin to establish behavioral expectations and begin to build rapport, which has a substantial influence on the success of any travel course. 

• What characteristics will the successful student in this course possess beyond the minimum eligibility requirements? What type of student will make this an optimal learning experience for everyone?
• What criteria will you use (and apply to all applicants equally) for program acceptance? Questions regarding mental health or disabilities are not allowed in the application process; the most effective way to screen applicants who may not be appropriate for a given program is by providing clear information about required activities, on-the-ground conditions, and what is needed to successfully participate. 
• What will you require of students beyond basic application information so that you can determine who to admit? Will you require responses to several short essay questions? Brief interviews? Enrolling students simply because they apply and pay a deposit first come, first-serve often can lead to challenges down the road which could have been avoided for certain destinations and/or for certain types of course activities. Ask questions to understand maturity and tolerance for ambiguity.
• How will you assess student motivation/likelihood of contributing positively to group dynamics?
• What commitments will you have students make in writing before you guarantee them a spot in the course?
  • Consider: pre-departure meeting attendance (you are required to hold at least two meetings; many courses hold three); successful completion of pre-departure quiz covering primary health and safety risks and mitigation strategies; pre-travel readings….
  • How will you know a student is prepared to engage safely, responsibly and be optimally ready academically when they arrive in your destination?

• As the lead faculty member, you will receive a weekly summary report during the application and deposit season. Reports include the number of students who have applied, been admitted, paid their deposit and enrolled (once course registration opens).
• Students accept their admission by paying a $450 non-refundable deposit within 48 hours of admission per OIE instructions.
• When admitted, the student agrees to formally register for the course when registration opens through myUVM, and accepts responsibility for all course-related tuition and fees on their student account.
• Tuition, plus the balance of the program fee, will be assessed on the student account after formally registering for the course according to the UVM Student Financial Services billing cycle.
• For disciplinary reasons, a student may be sent home at his/her own expense, without any refund, if they violate a course policy or otherwise engage in behavior which endangers health and safety of themselves or others, or if they disrupt the host community. This is at the discretion of the Faculty Director after consultation with the Office of International Eduation (we will engage with the Center for Student Conduct and/or Office of General Counsel).
• Students are strongly advised to purchase "cancel for any reason" trip protection insurance. If UVM cancels the course due to insufficient enrollment or for any other reason, students will receive a refund of course-related tuition and fees, including the full program fee. However, airline tickets or other transportation purchased directly by the student will not be refunded by the University.

At Go/No Go, OIE will notify your dean's office of enrollment numbers for your course, and they will grant final approval or denial for the course to proceed. OIE will notify you of your dean's office's decision and provide the list of students who have paid deposits. At that time, you will issue a course registration override (only to students who have paid their deposit!) so that the student may register for the course in Banner once registration opens for the relevant term. (If you issue a course override for a student who has not paid the non-refundable deposit, that means the student also hasn't committed financially in writing; if they back out of the course, you will be left with a complicated situation where your department will be on the hook financially.)