Policies

First-Year Semester Abroad

POLICIES

Cancellation Policy

Georgia Tech and First-Year Semester Abroad reserve the right to alter or cancel this program due to low enrollment, unavailability of a professor to teach a planned course, or other unforeseen circumstances. If Georgia Tech cancels the program before departure for reasons within its control, and before any non-refundable payments are due to vendors, all fees paid by participants will be refunded. If Georgia Tech cancels the program before departure or while the program is in progress for reasons beyond its control, such as political unrest or danger to participants’ health and safety, or if a student withdraws from the program, only those fees that Georgia Tech is able to have refunded by service providers will be returned to participants. Furthermore, Georgia Tech can never, no matter the reason for cancellation, refund personal expenses incurred. The $500 FYSA deposit paid by students to secure their spot on their preferred FYSA track is non-refundable; if a student withdraws, the student forfeits the deposit.

Travel Policy

FYSA@Oxford:

Students spend the first six weeks in residence at Mansfield College dormitories and are expected to remain in Oxford during the first two weeks of the program. Students are expected not to leave the city during this two-week period, unless they are participating in a program-sponsored outing. Mandatory activities and group excursions are organized by the faculty director and assistant director during the first two weekends.

Students may travel independently starting on the 3rd weekend to locations on the island (e.g., anywhere in England, Wales and Scotland, but not to Ireland, Northern Ireland or other nearby islands, nor the European continent or anywhere further afield). During the second 6 weeks of the program, students may not travel independently at all; instead, they are travelling with the group by bus accompanied by the two instructors and one group leader. The faculty director may require individual students to stay at Mansfield if their conduct raises concern for their safety or the safety of others.

 

FYSA@GTE:

Except for organized FYSA travel, students are expected to remain in Metz through weekend three after which they may travel for daytrips, but not solo, e.g., with at least one other student or in small groups. Weekends four and five have structured co-curricular activities and excursions, but students are allowed to travel independently on the free day when there is no FYSA programming. After the sixth weekend (when there is a group trip to Paris), students are allowed to travel independently within Europe and solo but must provide details of their travel plans to the program assistants subject to approval by the faculty director. The faculty director may require individual students to stay in Metz if their conduct raises concern for their safety or the safety of others.

Attendance Policy

To ensure academic success and full engagement in the First-Year Semester Abroad Program, it is crucial that students attend all scheduled classes regularly. Therefore, students are expected to attend all class meetings and assigned concerts and cultural site visits. Absences should be limited to occasions of illness, religious observance, or personal or family emergencies. Because study abroad relies on experiential learning with instructors and classmates, students who anticipate absences amounting to 10% or more of the total class time should NOT register for the FYSA program. Guidelines for Institute Approved Absences may be found HERE.

Consequences of Excessive Absences:

  1. Grade Impact: Missing more than 10% of classes may lead to a reduction in the final course grade.
  2. Academic Probation: Students with excessive absences may be placed on academic probation.
  3. Program Dismissal: Persistent failure to attend classes could result in dismissal from the First-Year Semester Abroad Program.

Students must provide appropriate documentation to the program coordinator to have an absence excused.

Responsibility:

It is the responsibility of each student to manage their schedule and communicate proactively with their instructors and program coordinators regarding any anticipated absences.

By adhering to this policy, students will be able to make the most of their educational experience and contribute positively to the learning environment.