New student exchange programs need to be sponsored by an academic department and approved by the Department Chair, the College Dean, the AVP for International Studies, the Provost and the President. SJSU does not consider exchange arrangements that are set up by individual faculty members as official linkage agreements of the university.

International and Extended Studies (IES) has developed guidelines, policies and procedures for establishing formal linkages between SJSU and international institutions.
Faculty members who want to develop a student exchange with a university abroad should discuss their proposal with their Department Chair, and then meet with the Study Abroad Coordinator who can take them through the development process.

There are three levels in the program development process:

1. Letter of Intent - This document states that the institutions want to collaborate with each other but it creates no legal, resource or financial obligations. The AVP for International Studies, the College Dean and the Department Chair must sign the Letter of Intent.

2. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - This document outlines detailed implementation plans for cooperative programs and represents a pre-contract stage of agreement. The Provost, the AVP for International Studies, the College Dean and the Department Chair must sign the MOU.

3. University Exchange Agreement - This document is the formal contract that establishes a relationship between the institutions. The Exchange Agreement must be signed by the President, the Provost, the AVP for International Studies and the College Dean.

For more information on establishing new exchange programs, please contact:
Study Abroad Office (Admin. Bldg. 223A)
International Programs and Services (IPS)
Tel: (408) 924-5897

To search the SJSU database of existing relationships, please visit:
http://ies.sjsu.edu/international-database/index.html

Contact us at the Study Abroad Office, Clark Hall, Room 543 Tel  (408) 924-5931 Fax (408) 924-5976
or send us an email