International Programs

UNO Faculty or Staff must comply with policies and procedures before committing to any international partnership.

When proposing new strategic international partnerships, please consider the following:

Depth of impact: Partners should provide potential for opportunities for a wide range of interactions between institutions. i.e. collaborative research projects, student exchanges, faculty exchanges, short-term student programming, joint grant funding, joint or dual degrees, jointly taught courses, co-development of new curricula, etc.

Strong faculty support: Identify key faculty at both partner institutions to spearhead the initial efforts and champion the partnership among their colleagues.

Demonstrative mutual benefit: Strategic international partnerships must offer ongoing mutual benefits to both institutions. Such benefits need not be financial but should be measurable and demonstrable. Ex. Number of students exchanged, amount of research funding, etc.

Types of International Agreements

Vetting and Approval Process

Frequently Asked Questions

Types of International Agreements

Memorandums of Understanding MOU)

General statements of mutual interest to explore opportunities for collaboration. Often a first step to partnership development. Considered a friendly or “handshake” agreement.

Articulations

Visiting Student Programs VSP)

Exchanges

Sponsored Student Organizations

All agreement types listed require approval by the International Agreement Review Committee.

Vetting and Approval Process

Follow this process when initiating new agreements to ensure appropriate support for the planned activity. UNO encourages departments and colleges to engage in international activities and collaborations.

This process is designed to inform appropriate parties about the activity, ensure that binding and non-binding agreements meet university criteria and facilitate a timely response.

Step 1 – Internal Discussion and Proposal Form Submission

• Discuss the initiative and scope of activities with your chair and/or dean. Learn about departmental or college policies for international collaborations and confirm their support.
• Submit the UNO Partnership Proposal Form.
• Optional: Contact UNO's Assistant Director of Global Partnerships, Louisa Ehrlich, at lehrlich@unomaha.edu after submitting the Partnership Proposal Form.

1. What subject areas are they interested in?
2. What degree level are they thinking?
3. What is the English language ability of their students?
4. Is the UNO tuition level feasible?
5. What kind of accreditation do they have, if any?
6. We are looking for strategic partners, do they have interest beyond exchange?

Step 2 – Discussion with Prospective Partner

• After discussing the prospective partner opportunity with the Assistant Director of Global Partnerships, advice will be given on whether an agreement is required and which type.
• Virtual meeting with the prospective partner
  • Discussions should include the Assistant Director of Global Partnerships and counterpart at prospective partner institution, as well as those involved in the initial discussions.

Step 3 – Agreement Development

• A template agreement will be sent to the prospective partner for review
• Partner will provide redlines or move forward with signing or further planning of agreement terms (varies by agreement type)

Step 4 – Agreement Approval and Signing

• Once signed by prospective partner, Assistant Director of Global Partnerships will route the agreement through a formalized approval and signature process.
• Once signed by all parties, agreement will be filed and a copy sent to the new partner.

A Note on Signing Ceremonies

If the prospective partner requests a signing ceremony, please contact the Assistant Director of Global Partnerships, Louisa Ehrlich, at lehrlich@unomaha.edu. Agremeent approval is still required prior to the signing.

UNO signatories are not always available for singing ceremonies (on campus or abroad). The Assistant Director of Global Partnerships will provide guidance on how to proceed.

Signing ceremony folios, pens, and printed agreements will be provided by the Assistant Director of Global Partnerships. Materials can be picked up at the Office of International Programs if the signing ceremony occurs abroad.

Signed documents should be returned to the Assistant Director of Global Partnerships for final processing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will the agreement negotiation and approval process take?
Timeline depends on agreement complexity, whether UNO templates are used, and the number and significance of changes proposed by the partner institution.

Average turnaround times:

• UNO templates used, minimal changes to terms: 1 to 4 weeks
• Other templates are used or significant changes proposed: 4 to 36 weeks
• Articulated agremeents: 8 to 52 weeks

What if the collaborating institution wants to use its template instead of the UNO template?

• UNO strongly encourages use of our templates for all international agreements.
• Alternative templates may be proposed, but may require significant revision.
• All non-UNO templates must be closely reviewed, commented on, and approved by the UNO Compliance Officer and NU legal counsel. This can result in significant delays.

For research agreements, should I work with International Programs or the Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA)?

• The Office if International Programs will ensure an MOU is in place for the partner institution.
• Please work with ORCA for research related compliance and agreements.