International Student Service Delivery

Scope

For matters concerning the recruitment and admission of international students, see INT-05, Use of Agents in International Student Recruitment.

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Policy Statement

1. Only appointed employees of Indiana University are authorized to deliver non-immigrant international student services, including recruitment and admission (see INT-05, Use of Agents in International Student Recruitment), pre-arrival preparation and orientation, visa and immigration advising, and on-going academic, cultural, and social support.  In addition, IU campuses that enroll an average of 25 international students or more per semester are required to meet minimum international student service staffing levels as detailed under the “International Student Enrollment” section of this policy.  
2. International Student Service Delivery
   1. The use of agents or any other individual, company, or organization as part of a contractual arrangement, partnership, or any other arrangement that results in payment for pre-arrival preparation and orientation (commonly referred to by third party providers as “pathway programs”), visa and immigration advising, and on-going academic, cultural, and social support is prohibited.  Thus, Indiana University units shall not enter into contractual arrangements or any other third-party arrangement to deliver these services. 
   2. Appointed employees may not receive compensation in any form from any other party for services related to the recruitment, admission, enrollment, pre-arrival preparation and orientation, visa and immigration advising, or on-going academic, cultural, or social support provided to international students at Indiana University.  
   3. This policy does not preclude the use of institutional consultants for purposes of providing indirect services in support of the university’s efforts to ensure excellence in the provision of international student services. Institutional consultants may be engaged by the university to provide indirect services, such as translation services, financial verification services for visa purposes, foreign credential evaluation services, developing media campaigns, identifying prospects through testing services, assessing orientation programs and services, and similar kinds of activity in support of a unit’s efforts.
3. International Student Enrollment
   Indiana University is committed to ensuring that each IU campus has the appropriate staffing, service, and support capabilities in place to meet international student enrollment levels and goals.
   1. The UA Office of International Services (UA-OIS) provides centralized support of international student enrollment up to an average of 25 students per semester on the regional campuses.
   2. The IUI Office of International Affairs (IUI-OIS) provides centralized support of international student enrollment up to an average of 25 students per semester for IUC and IUFW.
   3. The following minimum staffing is required on campuses with international enrollment on average of 25-50 students per semester:
      1. Dedicated 0.5 FTE appointed staff position with a direct reporting relationship to the appropriate campus personnel, and an indirect reporting relationship to the UA-OIS Director of International Student Advising.  In the case of IUC and IUFW, the reporting relationship would be to the appropriate staff member in the IUI-OIA.
      2. The staff member must meet the minimum qualifications for Designated School Official (DSO) certification as established by the Department of Homeland Security, and also satisfy the training and certification requirements as established by UA-OIS.
   4. The following minimum staffing is required on campuses with international enrollment on average of 50-100 students per semester:
      1. Dedicated 1.0 FTE appointed staff position with a direct reporting relationship to the appropriate campus personnel, and an indirect reporting relationship to the UA-OIS Director of International Student Advising.  In the case of the IUC and IUFW, the reporting relationship would be to the appropriate staff member in the IUI-OIA.
      2. The staff member must meet the minimum qualifications for Designated School Official (DSO) certification as established by the Department of Homeland Security and must also satisfy the training and certification requirements as established by UA-OIS.
   5. For enrollment on average which exceeds 100 students per semester, the Office of the Vice President for International Affairs will work with campus leadership in determining additional staffing needs.  

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Reason for Policy

Indiana University is committed to excellence in the provision of international student services. The overall goals of this policy are to ensure that international students receive an appropriate array of services and the expert staff support they need while studying at an IU campus; that complex federal compliance, reporting, and recordkeeping responsibilities are met; that adherence to the highest ethical standards is upheld; and that the reputation of IU as a leader in the field of international education and exchange is maintained.

Failure to provide accurate and timely advice or to comply as required with Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of State (DOS) regulations could result in major penalties and fines, up to and including loss of the University’s authorization to admit and enroll international students. In addition, negative student experiences are harmful to the university's reputation, and immigration-related compliance violations are particularly detrimental to international students and the broader international community at IU. As a result, the university is committed to ensuring that visa, immigration, and other essential international student support services are performed only by appointed employees of Indiana University who have met rigorous training requirements as established by the UA Office of International Services (UA-OIS) and have subsequently been authorized by the President of Indiana University as per DHS regulation to serve as Designated School Officials (DSO).

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Procedures

Campus Chancellors interested in strategically growing international student enrollment are advised to contact the Office of the Vice President for International Affairs (OVPIA) and the Vice President for Regional Campuses and Online Education (VPRCOE) in advance of extensive planning of any such initiative, in order to determine the fit between the proposed activity, IU’s International Strategic Plan, campus mission, and University-wide policies that will govern implementation. OVPIA is responsible for assessing campus readiness for international student enrollment growth and determining on-campus staffing levels that may be required beyond those outlined in the “International Student Enrollment” section of this policy.  

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Definitions

Agent: An individual, company, or organization engaged to provide pre-arrival preparation and orientation, visa and immigration advising, and on-going academic, cultural, and social support as part of a contractual agreement, partnership, or any other arrangement that results in payment for these services.  (Reference also INT-05, Use of Agents in International Student Recruitment)

Institutional Consultant: An individual, company, or organization engaged by Indiana University on a fee-for-services basis for purposes of providing indirect services in support of the University’s efforts to ensure excellence in the provision of international student services.    

International Services: The provision of non-immigrant international student services, including pre-arrival preparation and orientation, visa and immigration advising, and on-going academic, cultural, and social support.

International Student - Non-immigrant non-degree, short-term, exchange, and degree-seeking students who attend an Indiana University campus. Common visa types include F-1/2; J-1/2;H-1B4.

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Sanctions

Violations of university policies, including the failure to avoid a prohibited activity or obtain required approvals, will be addressed in accordance with applicable university policies and procedures. These may include disciplinary actions up to and including termination from the university.

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Additional Contacts

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History

This policy was established in May 2014 and based on a review of international student and scholar services. The policy was updated in September 2021 as part of a routine review of all OVPIA policies. On April 24, 2023, position titles referenced in the policy were updated to reflect current administrative offices. On June 7, 2023, the position title for the policy contact was updated. In July 2024, references to the renamed IU Indianapolis and IU Columbus campuses were updated in this policy.  

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