In order to protect the educational environment and safeguard the health and well-being of the individual and the community, the policy concerning alcohol and illegal substance policy is as follows:
In the event a participant requires legal representation in the host country, the participant is responsible for seeking and acquiring legal representation. The participant is solely responsible for any and all legal fees and consequences.
All study abroad participants are required to purchase international health and travel insurance before participating in the program. Dependent on the program, student's insurance may be purchased on their behalf. It is the participant’s responsibility to purchase additional health and travel insurance coverage, if they choose to increase insurance coverage.
Participants are responsible for understanding their insurance plans and must be aware of certain incidents, costs, and/or claims may that may not be covered by the international and travel insurance plan. Participants are fully responsible for any and all costs that international health and travel insurance may not cover. Furthermore, participants are responsible for researching and understanding whether pre-existing conditions may not be covered.
Participants are fully responsibility for consulting with their health care provider for any medical needs that they may require while participating in the studying abroad and/or international program.
While participating in study abroad and/or international programs, participants are representing the University of the Incarnate Word. Any violation of the policies and procedures of UIW, including the UIW Student Code of Conduct, and/or violation of the host country laws, could result in dismissal from the program and additional disciplinary action upon return, including the possibility of being expelled from the host/home university.
Participants will adhere to the laws of the host country. In the event participants require legal representation in the host country, participants will be responsible for seeking and acquiring legal representation. Participants are solely responsible for any and all legal fees.
Participants will agree and understand the following are unacceptable, and engaging in any of them constitutes grounds for dismissal from the program, banned from participating in the program, and being returned to the United States at the participant’s own expense at the absolute and sole discretion of the UIW representative(s) on site:
Effective immediately, all unused funds shall be refunded back to the students as soon as the trip expenses have been reviewed and finalized by the UIW Comptroller's Office and supervisory dean.
Participants will not be able to participate, in any study abroad and/or international program, if any unpaid balances are owed to the university. Before pursing any study abroad and/or international program, participants must satisfy any outstanding balances owed to the university.
Tuition must be paid in full before being able to leave for the study abroad and/or international program. Even if the participant does not participate in the trip, whether voluntary/involuntary, participants are still responsible for all costs, which are non-refundable.
The participant is fully responsible for all tuition, deposits, payments, and fees in connection with the study abroad and/or international program. After the application of any scholarship, financial aid or other assistance, if there is a remaining balance resulting from the study abroad and/or international program, the participant is fully responsible to pay the remaining balance out of their own personal funds. As such, all “out of pocket” costs are the participant’s responsibility.
If applicable, participants agree to adhere to the payment schedule outlined by the professor. Failure to pay by the set deadlines may result in late fees, dismissal from the program and forfeiture of previously paid installments. No portion of any funds that have been paid, either directly or with financial assistance, to participate in the travel portion of the program will be refunded at any time for any reason.
Participants are responsible for consulting with their doctor prior to departure to obtain any vaccination, prescriptions and/or medications needed for the duration of their international program. Participants are also responsible for researching the laws of the host country regarding medications they plan to take into the country.
Participants are responsible for having the available (or access to the) financial funds to cover any medical insurance deductibles (if applicable), in case of a medical emergency.
All UIW sponsored programs must obtain an initial airfare quote from the university’s travel agency, CTP. After receiving a quote from a travel agent, participants may obtain and compare quotes from outside sources.
UIW requires all faculty, staff and administrators to report their UIW, non-leisure, international sponsored travel programs/trips, including travel dates , international location(s) , accompanying students (if any), and purpose of travel to the International Affairs Department. Questions regarding the characterization of any travel shall be directed to the International Affairs Department for clarification.
University policy does not permit participants to study in a country where a Level 3 or Level 4 Travel Advisory has been issued by the U.S. Department of State, unless the participant or the lead faculty has received specific approval from the International Affairs Office and the supervisory dean. Furthermore, the University acknowledges that a Level 3 or 4 Travel Advisory does not always negate compelling academic reasons for traveling to a country, and that security situations may vary considerably in different locations of a country under a Level 3 or 4 Travel Advisory. Therefore, the International Affairs Office, in collaboration with the supervisory dean, will review on a case-by-case basis all University-sponsored and/or funded student travel to any country under a Department of State Travel Warning.
In the event a level 3 or level 4 travel advisory is issued and the International Affairs Office and the supervisory dean render the decision not to approve the study abroad program, the University reserves the right to cancel any and all study abroad programs to the location(s) during planning or while abroad, participants may have to cancel their trip and/or return to the states at their own expense. It is the responsibility of the participant to obtain adequate travel insurance to cover such circumstances.
Dependent on the study abroad and/or international program, participants may be permitted, by the Vice President for International Affairs in collaboration with the supervisory dean, to have a travel companion. Participants are fully responsible of all costs, planning, supervision, and safety for travel companion(s), which include spouses, children, significant others, and acquaintances.
Due to the type of program, responsibilities, and/or other factors the Vice President for International Affairs in collaboration with the supervisory dean (or UIW representative) reserve the right to limit or deny the travel companion’s participation in any UIW sponsored International Program.
Travel companions, who will be participating in UIW sponsored events, excursions, and/or programs, are required to sign and adhere to the Non-UIW Participant Agreement.
The following policy expands on the current University of the Incarnate Word’s (UIW) Employee’s Children on Campus policy implemented on June 1, 2010 to include accompanying family members, including children under the age of 18 and who are not otherwise enrolled as students of UIW, participating in UIW sponsored international programs.
As stated on the Employee’s Children on Campus Policy:
"The University campus grounds and infrastructure are designed to provide an environment conducive to academic and occupational activities performed by students and employees. For reasons that include safety of children, and assuring professional efficient performance of academic pursuits, operations, and services, the University ".
The following policy also includes students and non-UIW participants, with accompanying family members, specifically children, participating in international programs (academic and occupational activities) sponsored by UIW. Partner institutions, including the UIW European Study Center (ESC) and Centro Universitario Incarnate Word (CIW), may have additional policies and regulations regarding accompanying family members, including children. All individuals shall abide by both UIW and other partner institution’s policies.
As stated on the Employee’s Children on Campus Policy, Children are not allowed in offices on campus in the following situations:
As such, leaders of international programs must be available at all times to respond to student needs or emergencies. For this reason, it is not recommended they, or others, take accompanying children in programs that require full time attention and supervisory guidance.
All international program participants, including leaders, may not bring accompanying family members, including children, without prior authorization from the supervisory dean in collaboration with the Vice President for International Affairs. Minor children accompanying program participants must be adequately supervised at all times. The presence of family members or minor children should not interfere with normal operations in the international program in any way.
If the dean, in collaboration with the Vice President for International Affairs, approve accompanying children, they must be accompanied by an adult who will be fully responsible for the child(ren). Furthermore, the participant will pay for all expenses incurred on their behalf. Children 18, or under, will normally be accompanied by an adult having no formal or informal role in the program (i.e. a full-time caretaker).
The dean in collaboration with the Vice President for International Affairs reserve the right to impose limits and/or conditions on the roles, activities, and presence of family members or friends who accompany program leaders. Such limits or conditions derive from “reasons that include safety of children, and assuring professional efficient performance of academic pursuits, operations, and services”. In some cases, accompanying family members may not be permitted to join the international program group for some or all activities.
The following describe the specific limits or conditions that apply to family members accompanying, including children, participants on international programs.
Contingency Plan: Leaders of international programs, in collaboration with their supervisory dean, shall have pre-selected a replacement faculty member if the leader cannot perform their duties due to accompanying members, including children, requiring emergency medical attention or require returning home before the end of the program.
Dependent on the study abroad and/or international program, participants may be traveling alone during or for the entire duration of the program. During the period of time participants may not be part of a group or under faculty/guide’s supervision; participants assume full responsibility for their own safekeeping and welfare.
Participants who are participating in faculty-led programs require permission from the led faculty and, in certain cases from the supervisory dean, before traveling independently from the group.
The led faculty and supervisory dean in collaboration with the Vice President for International Affairs reserve the right to limit and/or deny the participant’s request to travel independently.
Students choosing to study abroad at a non-sister school will not be registered at UIW for the duration of the semester in which they are abroad. In addition, students studying at a non-sister school will not be able to receive financial aid through the UIW Office of Financial Assistance.
Students attending a non-sister school must complete and submit a Request to Study at Another Institution Form to the Registrar’s Office BEFORE they depart. The Enrollment Policy for Studying at Another Institution is as follows:
Study at Another Institution:
After matriculating at the University as a degree-seeking student, a student must obtain prior written approval to transfer any additional credits from other institutions. The "Request to Study at Another Institution" form is available in the Registrar's Office and must be approved before enrolling for credit elsewhere. Transfer work approved on this form will be accepted and applied toward the degree indicated if the grade earned is a "C" or higher. It will be the student's responsibility to furnish the Registrar's Office with an official transcript reflecting completion of the course work. All institutional policies will be observed when considering all requests to Study at Another Institution. Approval will not be granted if an equivalent course is offered at UIW.
Upon returning from your sojourn, students must apply for re-admission to UIW. Students can visit the Registrar’s office website titled Re-Admission to UIW in order to download or submit the required paperwork via online.
Student Organizations, who are recognized by the Student Government Association (SGA), and are traveling internationally utilizing the organization's name, are subject to the same rules and protocol as faculty-led study abroad trips.
Please contact Javier Lozano, Ph.D., Director of International Affairs, for further details at 210-805-3015 or lozano@uiwtx.edu.
Any UIW student participating in an international experience organized by the Women’s Global Connection and receiving funds from UIW is required to follow the established UIW study abroad protocols. NOTE: Women’s Global Connection is not-affiliated with UIW.
Any UIW student participating in an international experience organized by the Women’s Global Connection and receiving funds from UIW is required to follow the established UIW study abroad protocols. NOTE: Women’s Global Connection is not-affiliated with UIW.
All participants are required to contact the Study Abroad Office and/or the UIW University Police to report any and all emergencies. If an emergency should occur during non-office hours, participants should contact UIW university police at 210-829-6030 or email.
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed on all University and Federal Holidays
Phone Number: (210) 829-6030
Fax Number: (210) 283-5058
You may also email your questions to:
police@uiwtx.edu
Please allow 5 business days for a response.
Police Officers patrol the UIW, IWHS, and SACHS campuses 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
When the main police office is closed, all the incoming calls are forwarded to the Police Departments two-way radio system. The system only allows for 45 seconds of talk time. Please speak clearly and specific of what you need. If the officers are not able to assist you with the information you need, they may give you another number to call.
