Accompanying Individuals

The following guidelines apply to all individuals accompanying resident directors of global education programs sponsored by The Ohio State University. The purpose of global education programming is to provide an impactful academic experience for degree-seeking, enrolled students, and resident directors are expected to focus on students’ learning and welfare. Ohio State acknowledges that spending time away from home for extended periods of time may cause hardship for the resident director’s family. Therefore, resident directors leading programs longer than 14 days may submit a request to bring a spouse and/or legal minor dependent. Resident directors should give thoughtful consideration to how they will carry out their academic and program management duties and how students will perceive this arrangement. 

• Definition: An eligible accompanying individual is the spouse or minor legal dependent of the resident director. Grandchildren, nieces, nephews or other relatives, as well as family friends who are not minor legal dependents, are not allowed to accompany a program unless they are enrolled as Ohio State students participating in the program.
• Supervision of minor children: Dependents under the age of 18 must be accompanied by another supervising adult while the resident director is leading program activities. Hiring or relying on program participants or fellow resident directors for childcare during the program is not acceptable. An additional relative or nonrelated adult is permissible so long as their role is to serve as a primary childcare provider while the resident director(s) are performing program duties. Such persons must follow the conditions and requirements of the policy on spouses and minor legal dependents. Any additional costs incurred because of alternate arrangements made for spouses, minor legal dependents or childcare providers are the responsibility of the resident director.
• Deadline: Requests must be made during the initial program planning meeting between the resident director and global education specialist The Office of International Affairs and the Office of Risk Management will review requests on a case-­by-­case basis.
• Resident director responsibility: The resident director assumes far greater responsibility than overseeing the academic content of the program. Resident directors have a duty of care to the student participants and must be available on a 24/7 basis to participants during the entirety of the program. Programs administered by Ohio State are designed by academic units as complete programs focusing on both the curricular and student development needs of participants. Ohio State expects resident directors to serve as the program participants’ primary contact and to be the first responder to a participant emergency. Additionally, in the event the program needs to depart the country for political upheaval, natural disaster or any other reason, the resident director’s primary responsibility is to the student participants. If an incident occurs that involves a resident director’s family member, the resident director’s attention should not be diverted from the students. Rather the incident should be handled by the assigned supervising adult .
• Expectations of spouses and legal minor dependents: Spouses and dependents are not considered in any way to be resident directors, program staff or official representatives of Ohio State. Therefore, they should take no role in leading the group or making decisions regarding the program or program participants. Spouses and legal minor dependents are not protected by the university liability insurance.
• Program participation: Just as family members are not permitted to participate in students’ Ohio State classes, family members are not permitted to participate in any aspects of the program, including meals, excursions, tours or academic activities and lectures. Nor are they permitted to utilize group private transportation, such as private coaches. Family members may be housed in the same lodging as the group.
• Background checks: Accompanying individuals who are 18 years or older must complete a background check. Accompanying dependents will receive instructions from the Office of International Affairs regarding the background check process. The accompanying individual is responsible for paying the cost associated with this service.
• Travel expenses:
  • Lodging: If accompanying individuals have their own room, they will pay the full room rate. If accompanying individuals share a room with the resident director, the resident director will be charged the difference between the cost of the resident director’s lodging and the cost of adding the accompanying individual(s) to the lodging. The Office of International Affairs will invoice the resident director for the additional lodging expenses (if any).
  • Airfare: All accompanying individuals will purchase their own airfare.
  • Transportation: All accompanying individuals will purchase their own in-country transportation. They may not utilize group private transportation.
• Payment: Lodging expenses for spouses, minor legal dependents and their care givers must be paid within two weeks from the date students are admitted to the program. If the spouse and/or minor legal dependent withdraws prior to the program start date, the resident director may only receive a partial refund if “non-­recoverable costs” cannot be avoided.
• Liability, preparation and insurance for spouses and legal minor dependents: The resident director and their spouse and/or partner are responsible for the proper documentation and health clearances, if any, for travel overseas. In preparation for travel, the spouse or partner is encouraged to read all pre-­departure materials. Ohio State is not responsible for injury, illness, loss or death of spouses, partners or minor legal dependents. All Ohio State students, faculty and staff are enrolled in a blanket policy with Crisis24. This policy covers approved spouses, partners and legal minor children of faculty or staff members only when they are traveling with the staff or faculty member and in connection with university-approved travel.