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Welcome

Congratulations on your decision to learn abroad! Learning abroad is a transformational experience. Research shows that University of Utah students who learn abroad graduate faster, have higher GPAs, and are more engaged on campus and in the community. Learning abroad alumni consistently report that their experiences abroad impacted them academically, personally, and professionally. We are excited that you have taken the steps to begin this journey!

As you consider this opportunity, there are a few details to be aware of. Learning abroad can be overwhelming at times. You’re not alone! The Peer Advisors and Staff Members in the Learning Abroad Office are here to help! Stop by our office (Olpin Union Room 159) any time from 8 am – 5 pm, Monday through Friday for walk-in advising. You can also find us online, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

Finding Information

The University of Utah has specific policies and procedures for learning abroad programs. Information about our programs is conveyed to students in the following ways:

  • On-line application
  • Learning Abroad Handbook
  • Verbally
  • The Learning Abroad Office website
  • E-mail (Per University policy, all e-mail communication will be sent to your Umail account)
  • Hard copy information
  • During orientations (on-line and in person)

Students are required to know and adhere to all policies and procedures outlined before departure and on-site.

Expressing Concerns and Requesting Assistance

The Learning Abroad Office strives to assist students as expeditiously as possible. Learning abroad programs present unique challenges with addressing student concerns. In most cases, Learning Abroad Office staff members are not on-site with students. For this reason, we are only aware of your concerns if they are communicated to us in a timely manner.

If you have concerns about your program, it is your responsibility to convey those concerns to your Faculty Director or Learning Abroad Coordinator. Students who do not effectively communicate their concerns are often experience unnecessary frustration and disappointment on-site, and we are unable to address concerns retroactively. It is in your best interest to contact the Learning Abroad Office or your Faculty Director immediately if you have concerns about any aspect of your program.

Communicating with the Learning Abroad Office

Per University policy, all e-mail communication will be sent to your Umail account. Check your Umail account regularly or have messages sent to your Umail account forwarded to your preferred e-mail address. The Learning Abroad Office will NOT correspond with students using e-mail addresses different from Umail.

The Learning Abroad Office obtains contact information from Campus Information Services (CIS). Make sure that the information in CIS is accurate so that we can contact you when necessary.

Disclosing Information to Non-emergency Information

Learning abroad programs are subject to the same privacy rules and regulations as any other University of Utah program. As such, we are limited in the type of information that we can disclose to family members and friends. In the pre-acceptance/pre-decision application, you are required to select your emergency contacts and supply contact information for those individuals. In the event of an emergency, we will contact the individuals you identified in your application. You will also have the option to grant these individuals access to non-emergency information such as student account information, financial data, health information, and insurance details. Unless you provide consent, the Learning Abroad Office is not able to share any non-emergency information with these individuals.

The Learning Abroad Office reserves the right to determine whether or not a disclosure of non-emergency information is necessary or appropriate in a particular situation. There will be instances in which you must attend to your own affairs personally. The Learning Abroad Office will not disclose any academic information to emergency contacts including, but not limited to, information about graduation requirements or progress, grades, course offerings and enrollment, faculty members, or transcripts. Program information is available to the public on the program website. To access information about programs, use the following steps:

  1. Go to http://learningabroad.utah.edu and click "Search Programs."
  2. Use the filters to narrow down the program that you are interested in. You can search by Term, Language, Field of Study, Destination, and much more! Click "Apply Search."
  3. On the list provided, click on the link to the program you are interested in to read the information available.

Contact the Learning Abroad Office if you have questions or concerns about this policy.

Handbook Contents

Last Updated: 6/27/24