FAQ

Question 1. What are the conditions of participation in the VaCIE-VCCS International Exchange Program?

Delegates to the exchange are chosen at the discretion of each VCCS college. In general, applications are available through the exchange contact persons at each college very early in the spring semester. These applications are screened by the college’s chief academic officer or his designee and those accepted are listed on the Will Support Form which indicates the number of delegates that will be supported in the amount of $900 each. The application process is open to faculty, administrators, and staff employed at VCCS colleges; contact your dean or academic Vice President to determine if your college has allocated funds to support delegates this year. Once applicants have been matched with a partner in Europe or India, each must assume responsibility for his/her own insurance (both travel and health) and assume the risk associated with airline travel, transportation in a foreign country, and accommodation in a private home. Delegates must have a valid passport; further, each delegate must agree to make a presentation at the host college and at his/her home college, must assume the responsibility for housing, meals, and transportation for his/her exchange partner, and must actively support the exchange partner’s professional development goals.

Question 2. What should I do to prepare for the exchange once my match has been confirmed?

Once you have received your confirmation letter from the Coordinator, Virginia delegates should make the first contact via email or regular mail with their European partner. Use this opportunity to clarify the professional and personal goals of your partner and plan activities that are consistent with them. This is also the time to become personally acquainted with your partner; to introduce the members of your household; to describe your living arrangements, dietary habits, leisure activities, home, neighborhood, town/city, and college; and to explore common interests and expectations.

Question 3. What kinds of activities are typical?

One of the first events should be a meeting or reception with your college president. Shortly after that, you should arrange a reception or meeting with faculty or staff in your partner’s discipline or area of responsibility. A tour of the campus/campuses and an introduction to a range of personnel, classroom visits , including lectures or talks to students, meetings with college personnel whose professional responsibilities overlap, visits to area colleges and universities, attendance at PEER or other professional conference, and presentations by your partner to faculty, staff, or students as he/she prefers are all meaningful activities.

Question 4. Are there any activities I should avoid?

Since your college and the college of your partner have made significant investments in your professional development and the globalization efforts at your colleges, those activities should be your focus. In keeping with that advice, you should be on campus and perform your regular duties as usual. Out of town travel during the week should be related to the professional development goals of the exchange and not purely recreational. Recreational activities designed to enrich your partner’s appreciation of the rich cultural and historical resources in your area should be planned for evenings and the weekend. The Virginia exchange sets the tone for the reciprocal visit in Europe, so be cautious that you do not spend beyond the perceived capacity (or desire) for your partner to reciprocate. If you are uncertain about the cost or appropriateness of any planned activity, feel free to consult me.

Question 5. Who can I turn to for assistance on my own campus?

Do not hesitate to turn to others for assistance in planning and executing your exchange. It is normal to ask others to host your partner for an activity on or off campus, for a meal, even for an overnight. Each college (except JSRCC and ESCC) has at least one VaCIE-VCCS contact person (i.e. the individual from whom you received your application) who will know the history of the exchange on your campus and will be happy to assist you. Click Current VaCIE-VCCS contact persons. Both the contact persons members of the VaCIE-VCCS Steering Committee, and past VaCIE-VCCS delegates will be excellent resource persons. Of course, feel free to contact the coordinator at any time.

Question 6. What are the dates of travel for the European delegates?

This year, the the delegates from the Netherlands will arrive on Saturday, October 14, 2006, and will depart from Dulles International airport on Saturday afternoon, October 28, 2006. The delegates from the United Kingdom will arrive on Saturday, October 21, 2006, and will depart on Saturday afternoon or evening, November 4, 2006. The delegates from Jadavpur University in Calcutta, India, will arrive on Friday, October 6, 2006, and will depart on Friday evening, October 20, 2006.

Question 7. How and where will I meet my exchange partner on his/her arrival weekend?

If you live within an hour or so of Dulles International airport, please plan to pick up your partner mid-morning on the Sunday after his/her arrival at the Hyatt Regency at Reston Town Center. If you live further afield, either I or a member of my Steering Committee will provide transportation for your partner to a convenient and mutually agreeable location within an hour of your home. I will contact each of you with more detailed arrival weekend information in the first week of October.

Question 8. Typically, what are the costs to the Virginia delegates?

The home stay model requires, at a minimum, that each delegate provide his/her partner with a room, bath, three meals a day, and local transportation. Beyond that basic level, you are free to use your own discretion. You may expect that your partner will reciprocate in kind. As a guideline, the cost of meals not provided at home should be paid by the host, and basically anything that has a cost associated that you have chosen should be paid for by you. Many delegates choose to give their partners a gift either upon arrival or departure. Most college presidents send a gift to the European college principal (president) in May as a gesture of collegiality. Many Virginia delegates take gifts for the host delegate or his/her family and children in May. So, back to the question of out of pocket expenses, delegates often spend an additional $200-$500+ during the exchange, depending on the leisure time activities chosen and the cost of living in the delegate’s area.

Question 9. What kind of activities are planned for the exchange on the final weekend?

Delegates to the Exchange have the choice of spending the final Friday evening in a Washington area hotel. This arrangement makes it possible for Virginians and their European partners to enjoy a day of sightseeing in D.C. and to attend a farewell reception on Friday evening at the hotel. I will provide transportation to the airport for those who choose this option. I will reserve rooms for those who let me know their intentions by the Friday one week before the departure weekend. The cost of the rooms will be the responsibility of the delegates. Those who do not choose to spend the final Friday in Washington, D. C. will be responsible for delivering their partners to Washington Dulles International airport in time to meet their departing flight on Saturday afternoon.

Question 10. What are the dates of travel for the Virginia delegates to Europe in May?

Virginia delegates will fly to the European city nearest their partner’s college on Saturday, May 13. 2006, arriving in most cases early in the morning on Sunday, May 14th. You will be met by your partner at the airport and transported home. If you do not plan to extend your stay beyond the exchange period, you will fly back to Dulles on Sunday, May 28, 2006.

Question 11. Is it possible to extend my stay and travel in Europe after the exchange?

Yes. You may extend your stay and travel (at your own expense, of course) as long as you wish. You may fly home from a different airport. However, there are two caveats. If the cost of your ticket is higher than it would have been for a simple round trip from Dulles International Airport in and out of the major airport nearest your exchange partner’s college, then you must pay the difference out of pocket before your departure. I will arrange all airline tickets. In order to take advantage of the best available prices, I must know your travel plans no later than January 30, 2006.

Question 12. Is it possible to fly out of an airport near my home instead of Dulles International Airport?

Yes, again with a caveat. If the cost of the trip from the airport of your choice is higher than the cost of the flight originating in Dulles on the basic days of the exchange (usually departing the second Saturday and returning the fourth Sunday in May), you must repay the difference out of pocket before your departure. However, you may be delighted to discover that sometimes those convenient flights are not more expensive. They probably will require more connections and maybe more time malingering in airports, but as often as not, they are comparably priced. I would be happy to explore those options with you.

Question 13. Will you arrange tickets for my traveling companions?

I cannot purchase tickets for your companions. However, if your traveling companions are ready to commit to a particular flight by January 30, I can make sure that tickets are available for them on your return flight and assist you in finding the best flight combination for them. I will send you the flight information and your traveling companions can easily purchase a ticket through an online agency such as Expedia, Orbitz, through a travel agent, or directly from the airlines. Most of the time, I will be able to arrange your seats together when I book your flight.

Question 14. Can my spouse (daughter, cat, neighbor, etc.) travel with me on the exchange? My partner has invited him/her.

No. VaCIE-VCCS policy does not allow delegates to the exchange to take anyone else along on the two week professional exchange.

Question 15. I need to contact my partner by telephone. How do I do that?

Dial 011 to get out of the United States. Then dial the country code for the UK (44) or the Netherlands (31). Finally dial the local four digit number. This number may contain five digits beginning with a zero, but you do not dial the initial zero, just the remaining four digits of the number. (I know this sounds like nonsense, but it is correct. If you run into a situation totally unlike this, consult the international operator.)

Question 16. What is the best long distance calling card for Great Britain? The Netherlands?

Wait until you arrive at your destination and ask your host/hostess what the best deals are in phone cards. My experience with phone cards purchased in the United States for overseas use has been profoundly disappointing!

Question 17. When should my second invoice for the exchange be paid?

I will send each of you the second invoice for the exchange before the end of the fall semester. Please submit it for payment according to the policies of your college as soon as you receive it. Payment is due on or before January 18, 2006.

Question 18. When should I send my itinerary for the Virginia portion of the exchange to the coordinator?

Send a copy of the itinerary to the coordinator as soon as it is completes, which is usually in the two weeks leading up to the exchange. A few sample itineraries can be found on the link devoted to Past Participants.

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