Responsibilities

Departmental Budget Managers and Coordinators are key to the successful functioning of education abroad programs! They manage program accounts and expenses, making it possible for students and faculty to travel on these programs. 

• Manage the program’s auxiliary, including revenue and expenses, in accordance with FIU’s Auxiliary and Enterprise Development guidelines and directives. 
• Answer any budget or financial questions related to program planning or operations.  
• Enter the program budget in PantherSoft during annual budget process. 
• Communicate with the faculty director and with OEA once the application deadline has passed in order to determine whether program enrollment targets have been reached and to proceed with arrangements. 
• Assist the faculty director with all program-related travel arrangements and financial matters using program itinerary, program budget, and student roster. 
• Open a TA for faculty director’s program travel. 
• Enter the faculty director’s salary contract as needed (e.g., overload, summer salary, etc.). 
• Communicate with the vendors abroad and process payments to the vendors by the established deadlines. 
• Work with the faculty director and OEA on any vendor agreements needed to make payments to international vendors. 
• Generate an expense report for the faculty director’s TA upon their return from the program. 
• Follow all university guidelines for travel. 
• Reconcile the program account and all expenses according to the university’s guidelines and deadlines.  

Resources for Budget Managers and Coordinators:

• Auxiliary and Enterprise Development
• FIU Travel Manual and Guidelines
• FIU Purchasing
• FIU Office of the Controller

• Meet with the Office of Education Abroad to discuss plans for the study abroad program.
• Discuss program proposal plans with Department Chair and College/School Dean as well as direct supervisor if different from above.
• Identify a program contact or vendor abroad to assist with all travel arrangements for the group on site in accordance with FIU Purchasing guidelines.
• Ensure that the program itinerary and program site are in compliance with all matters of student safety and academic quality as discussed in the education abroad program guidelines.
• Submit all program proposal materials for approval by the required deadline for education abroad program proposals.
• Provide detailed text/content and photos to the OEA so that promotional materials and online information can be developed for the program.
• Provide detailed application requirements and program payment deadlines to the OEA so that a program application can be developed.
• Actively promote the program through a variety of sources: information sessions, classroom presentations, individual meetings with students.
• Attend the OEA Education Abroad Fairs (November and January of each year).
• Attend the following OEA meetings:
  • OEA Annual Faculty Directors’ meeting
  • OEA Emergency Response Education Abroad Workshop
• Review program surveys and evaluations with OEA and Department Chair.

• Respond to student inquiries about the program.
• Review applications online in the Education Abroad application portal.
• Communicate academic program guidelines and faculty expectations to all student applicants.
• Adhere to your own admission criteria for study abroad, make program acceptance decisions, and update the Education Abroad application portal to reflect these decisions.
• Inform students as to whether they’ve been accepted into the program.
• Provide students with course syllabi for the program.
• Communicate with students on a regular basis and enforce program deadlines for applications, payments, and submission of program materials in the Education Abroad portal and PantherSoft (myFIU).
• Maintain continuous communication with the OEA regarding application material and payment updates for students.
• Meet with student participants as a group at least 2-3 times prior to departure.
• Communicate all program itinerary updates to students, as well as all arrival arrangements and local contact information.
• Provide students and the OEA with 24-hour on-site contact information for you for the duration of the program abroad.
• Ensure that all program participants are enrolled in the program courses and that their names are reflected in your class rosters.
• Send to students all correspondence and program reminders that are sent from the OEA to faculty directors for the participants.
• Oversee all course-related matters for the program, as the program’s instructor of record. Ensure that all university academic guidelines are met abroad. This includes meeting with students in or out of class daily in order to ensure their academic success in the program.
• Accompany students on all program-related activities and excursions.
• Respond to student requests and needs while abroad.
• Address matters of academic conduct and student behavior as necessary.
• Communicate matters of concern and/or student incidents to the OEA (see the OEA Emergency Response Manual).
• Submit grades for all program participants by the established university deadlines.

• Communicate with the OEA once the application deadline has passed in order to determine whether program enrollment targets have been reached.
• Communicate with the department chair and/or budget manager in order to open/update the study abroad program account and in order to identify and assign the appropriate person in the department who will assist the faculty director with all program-related travel arrangements and financial matters.
• Work with the department contact on opening a TA for travel, communicating with the vendors abroad, and processing payments to the vendors by the established deadlines.
• Work with the OEA on any vendor agreements needed to make payments to international vendors.
• Provide the program contact in your department with a program itinerary, program budget, and a student roster with names and panther ID’s.
• Confirm that all students have paid their program fees and study abroad fees.
• Communicate with students regarding pending payments and requirements.
• Maintain a detailed log of expenses and receipts while for the duration of the program.
• Work with the department contact on generating an expense report for the TA upon returning from the program.
• Follow all university guidelines for travel. See University Travel guidelines — a set of FIU Education Abroad Travel Guidelines can also be found here.

• Review and approve faculty-led programs.
• Provide guidance and assistance with program budget, itineraries, emergency contingency plan.
• Work with Faculty Directors in creating program study abroad accounts.
• Create and produce program marketing materials for each program and share at events, fairs and on social media.
• Process vendor agreements for in-country vendors.
• Host the Fall and Spring Education Abroad Fair to showcase programs.
• Provide and host mandatory pre-departure sessions for students studying abroad.
• Create online brochure for program and open application for student applicants.
• Review all documents submitted by students for their study abroad program, including medical forms, pre-departure forms, passport copies and required questionnaires.
• Schedule courses in PantherSoft
• Register students for all study abroad courses.
• Enroll students in mandatory study abroad health insurance plan and the US Department of State STEP program.
• Work with the Office of Financial Aid on program budgets and list of students.
• Work with Student Financials to process course payments through Florida Pre-Paid.
• Post program fees and study abroad fees to student accounts.