Establishing a New Agreement

Below is a brief outline of the steps to establish an agreement. International partnerships may be initiated by a faculty, department or college. The Office of International Affairs is responsible for overseeing the process of establishing and renewing all international academic agreements.

 

1. Before creating a new agreement, check the agreement database to see if Texas Tech has an agreement with the institution you are interested in as a potential partner. If there is already an active agreement in place, please contact the International Partnership Administrator to explore possible options.
2. Once you have reviewed the types of partnerships and know the type you want complete the OIA Partnership Proposal Form. When considering a new partnership, consider the issues outlined below to determine whether the partnership is mutually beneficial and sustainable.
   1. Be aware that initiating, drafting, and fully-executing an agreement is not a quick process and often takes many months or more to complete.  Please plan accordingly.
   2. Identify strong academic programs and research capacity of the potential partner institution.
   3. Compare university structures, characteristics of the institution, and academic strengths of both institutions.
   4. Describe the type of programs that you envision and consider reasonable goals and outcomes for the partnership.
   5. For any kind of Study Abroad agreement, please consider the following:
      1. Ensure that the partner institution has adequate courses in English and a compatible academic calendar.
      2. If the agreement involves reciprocal exchange programs or any other study abroad opportunities initiating faculty should discuss with the Director of Study Abroad the feasibility of sending students and maintaining the student exchange balance.
   6. For any kind of collaborative degree agreement, please consider the following:
      
      1. Course equivalencies must first be established to ensure program viability.
      2. All collaborative degree programs must comply with SACSCOC requirements including additional certification guidelines and processing fees.
      3. Once program agreement is signed by all parties, minimum wait time to receive SACSCOC confirmation and approval is six (6) months.
   7. List faculty and administrators on campus who are interested in and committed to the proposed collaboration or exchange program.
3. Drafting the Agreements — The International Partnership Administrator will use the Partnership Proposal Form and work with the initiating faculty to draft an international partnership.
4. Approval and Signature — When the draft has been agreed upon by both sides, the International Partnership Administrator will print two original copies of the agreement and obtain the appropriate signatures. Per OP 34.28, all international academic agreements must be signed by the Vice Provost for International Affairs to be considered valid. Additional signatures will be required based on the scope of the agreement.
5. Agreement Evaluation and Renewal — Under normal circumstances, the Office of International Affairs will initiate the renewal process for international academic agreements six months prior to the expiration of the agreement. The International Partnership Administrator will initiate the web form and identify the appropriate faculty or staff member. Faculty/staff will complete the form and return to OIA via SharePoint. Afterwards, the International Partnership Administrator will process the agreement for renewal or termination.

For more information, please contact:

Michael Johnson
Senior International Partnerships Administrator & Export Control
Phone: +1 (806) 742-3667
Email: michael.johnson@ttu.edu