Guidelines for Inviting an Exchange Scholar

Visiting Scholars and Other Formal Delegations of Visitors from Abroad: Procedures for Invitations and Considerations for Hosting

I. Definitions; Benefits; General Policy

A. Definition: Visiting Scholars in the meaning of this policy are academics with professional appointments at foreign universities, foreign research institutes, or similar non-U.S. organizations with missions well-aligned with higher education in the United States, who take up temporary residence in an academic department at California State University, Fullerton. (See footnote 1)

B. Benefits of Visiting Scholars. Visiting Scholars can enrich faculty and student research, broaden and enliven teaching, and in myriad other ways contribute to campus teaching and learning activities. Visiting Scholars can help the university to achieve its goal of being a comprehensive, regional university with a global outlook.

In light of these substantial potential benefits, California State University, Fullerton encourages requests from willing host departments for invitations to Visiting Scholars. This policy sets out expectations and procedures for requesting such invitations and for hosting Visiting Scholars.

C. Definition: Formal Delegations of Visitors are groups of persons from other countries, which may include academics, but may also be comprised of (or may include) other professionals whose plans call for visiting California State University, Fullerton for short periods [clause deleted]. Formal delegations may find that invitations from California State University, Fullerton facilitate their visit to the United States.

D. Benefits of Formal Delegations. A formal delegation visit may be immediately useful in the university’s teaching and learning program, such as by visiting a class. Further, a visit from a formal delegation may lead to a variety of partnership activities, including exchanges, training programs, reciprocal invitations for visits, and other activities, thus helping the university to achieve its goal of being a comprehensive, regional university with a global outlook.

E. General Policy for Invitations. The Associate Vice President, Academic Programs shall issue all invitations on behalf of the university to persons who may wish to become Visiting Scholars.

All invitations on behalf of the university to formal delegations of visitors shall be issued by senior administrators, including the president, vice president, associate vice president for Academic Programs, college deans, and the Dean of University Extended Education. Faculty, staff and / or students may request that invitations be sent by the university, but may not issue official invitations in the name of the university, or in the name of any part of the university, such as a department, employee organization, or committee.

II. Visiting Scholars: Types of Support

California State University, Fullerton may invite Visiting Scholars under various terms and conditions.

A. Visiting Scholars may be invited without specific salary or other support from University funds, other than the courtesies and general support identified in item III below. Most Visiting Scholars are in this category, with their salaries and certain support paid by their home institutions under sabbatical or other leave programs. Note that securing a J-1 visa requires showing financial support for the proposed Visiting Scholar (such as from his or her home institution).

B. Visiting Scholars may also be supported by third-party funds. Examples include the Fulbright program, and programs mounted by government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of State.

C. In some circumstances, Visiting Scholars may be offered salary and/or other specific support from University funds or from funds, such as grants, administered by the California State University, Fullerton Foundation. Most Visiting Scholars are not supported in this way; and any that are proposed to be so supported must have invitations approved in detail by college deans. Note that the hiring of faculty who happen to be from another country for a standard job opening does not fall into this category of Visiting Scholar. (See footnote 2)

III. University Obligations to Visiting Scholars

In general, the University is commit­ted to provide at least minimal support for the teaching and research activities in which Visiting Scholars will be engaged during their stays. Visiting Scholars will be provided a Titan Card, and access to the library with privileges at least equal to those provided to Patrons of the Library. It is expected that the inviting academic unit will provide Visiting Scholars with access to an office (either shared or singly-occupied) in the host department, access to a telephone and a computer (normally located in the office), opportunities to share in the intellectual and academic life of the inviting unit, and appropriate and courteous informal welcome by disciplinary colleagues. A request for invitation should be reconsidered if an academic unit is unwilling or unable to provide this level of support.

These commitments together with any others that may accrue in special cases will be detailed in the official Letter of Invitation.

IV. Expectations of Faculty vis-à-vis Visiting Scholars. Most invitations to Visiting Scholars begin with faculty suggestions and requests. In general, faculty who want an individual to be formally invited by the university should assess the nature of a possible request for a formal invitation, consider­ing the Visiting Scholar’s projected activities over a certain period of time. Additionally, the overall costs and benefits of hosting a Visiting Scholar, including contribu­tions to academic life and collegial relation­ships in the department and at the university, need to be factored in. Faculty should also consider whether they stand ready to assist the possible Visiting Scholar in the ways outlined in the checklist appended to this policy, and if not, decide who would offer such assistance.

• A request for invitation should be reconsidered if:

• department / host faculty cannot articulate the probable benefits to their own research, teaching, and professional lives that the presence of a Visiting Scholar would bring (e.g., when an unknown person from abroad proposes no specific cooperative program).
• no member of the department or academic unit stands ready to offer personal assistance to the Visiting Scholar, especially upon the Scholar’s initial arrival.

V. Expectations of the Department vis-à-vis Visiting Scholars

Through its chair, the department chooses whether to request that the college dean endorse and forward a memo proposing to host a Visiting Scholar. In doing so, the chair should consider whether appropriate space and facilities are available to host a Visiting Scholar, whether a department faculty member has been identified who is prepared to act as special mentor and colleague particularly at the beginning of the Visiting Scholar’s stay, and more generally the benefits and costs for the unit that are associated with hosting a Visiting Scholar. The chair should also consider whether there may be prospects for reciprocity with the proposed Visiting Scholar’s home department and university.

Upon the arrival of the Visiting Scholar – the first day here – the department chair or desig­nee shall assure that the Visiting Scholar checks in with the office of Academic Programs. The department chair or designee is also expected to assist the Visiting Scholar in informing Academic Programs as to the items and topics outlined in part VIII of this policy.

VI. Expectations of the College Dean vis-à-vis Visiting Scholars

Bearing in mind that the university encourages invitations to Visiting Scholars, the college dean should review the request, its proposed draw upon resources, its probable benefits, and the overall soundness of planning for hosting a Visiting Professor. Upon his or her approval, the dean forwards a request for a Letter of Invitation to the Associate Vice President, Academic Programs.

VII.Role of the Associate Vice President, Academic Programs vis-à-vis Visiting Scholars

In order to develop and draw upon experience in managing technical visa issues, interactions with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. consulates and embassies and others, and in order to maintain appropriate records and consistent campus policies, the Associate Vice President, Academic Programs (AVPAP) shall write all official Letters of Invitation to Visiting Scholars. Upon the request of a college dean, the AVPAP will also officially invite formal delegations of visitors, as defined in item I.C above ((although, as noted, deans may invite such delegations).

Not all persons whom deans and faculty wish to invite may be eligible for J-1 Exchange Visitor visa status; and not all per­sons who may be eligible will succeed in winning a visa from U.S. consulates / embassies. Similarly, not all dependents of Visiting Scholars may be eligible for a J-2 visa; and not all who may be eligible will receive a visa. Contact with Academic Programs early in the planning stages for a Visiting Scholar (and any dependents) will help in navigating the complex and frequently-changing U.S. federal regulations.

VIII. Expectations of the Visiting Scholar vis-à-vis Academic Programs

United States federal regulations require that the whereabouts and status of Visiting Scholars be known to Academic Programs at all times. Specifically, Visiting Scholars must:

• check in with Academic Programs in person immediately upon arrival in the United States,
• provide Academic Programs with their addresses while in the United States,
• notify Academic Programs of any changes in local addresses while in residence at the university,
• notify Academic Programs of any personal or professional travel outside of the area prior to undertaking such travel, and
• check out with Academic Programs immediately prior to departure from the United States.

Academic Programs also orients Visiting Scholars to other required conditions of their stay in the United States, including a health insurance requirement.

Health insurance is mandatory for a Visiting Scholar, and for any dependents present in the United States with the Scholar. Academic Programs can facilitate access to a policy, the cost of which the Scholar must bear.

Deans and departments are requested to assist Visiting Scholars in staying current with these requirements by maintaining contact with the office of Academic Programs.

IX. Checklist to be Maintained by Academic Programs

The Associate Vice President, Academic Programs shall maintain a checklist that seeks generally to capture key points of this policy for the use of parties wishing to consider whether to invite a Visiting Scholar. The checklist may be updated from time to time in the context of a review by the International Education Committee, but without formal action by the Academic Senate. The checklist may be distributed with this University Policy Statement.
Note. This checklist is not proposed as a part of the UPS. See Section IX of the policy.

1. This policy does not pertain to U.S. citizens who are visitors to California State University, Fullerton. Such visitors may be appointed as Adjunct Faculty by the Vice President for Academic Affairs on the basis of a recommendation from a department chair and personnel committee, with the approval of the college dean. Consult Faculty Affairs and Records for procedures.

2. Non-U.S. citizens who are hired to take faculty positions at the university would normally not be Visiting Scholars, but instead would be probationary or temporary faculty whose conditions of employment would be overseen by Faculty Affairs and Records. Such persons would receive “H” visas rather than “J” visas.

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