Office of International Affairs

Pre-Departure Finances

Resident Director Covered Travel Expenses

Resident directors are not compensated for leading a global education program but do receive round trip transportation to the program site, lodging and meals. A meal allowance is provided for any meals that are not provided directly as part of the program (such as group meals or breakfast included with hotel stays).

Any questions about the terms of regular appointment, course load reduction and/or how the time commitment to the education abroad program is assessed must be directed to the chair or director of the resident director’s academic unit. Please refer to the Fair Labor Standards Act FAQ at the bottom of this page for information about overtime for non-exempt employees.

In collaboration with the Office of International Affairs, Ohio State's 15 colleges are actively involved in setting program fees for faculty-led and Ohio State managed programs. A calendar of activities and deadlines for creating the program fee is followed in order to publish the final program fee in a timely manner. This allows students to plan accordingly. Enrollments for education abroad flow to the sponsoring college instead of to the Office of International Affairs. In the shared responsibility model, the colleges and OIA will work together to promote education abroad access and affordability. 

The Office of International Affairs selects host institutions and educational travel providers based on their ability to provide responsive, high-quality and safe program arrangements at a fair price. When the unexpected occurs, these entities can provide the Office of International Affairs with support, information and solutions. 

It is important to be aware that the Office of International Affairs does not work directly with hotels, airlines, bus companies, guides, museums, theatres, etc. Travel services are secured only through Ohio State’s designated travel providers. 

During the program planning process, resident directors work with a wide variety of Office of International Affairs staff members.

Setting program fees 

  • Program fee setting process
  • The Office of International Affairs will work with vendors, host institutions and other providers to make program arrangements and establish the cost of program services. Travel arrangements (hotels, airlines, bus companies, etc.) are secured through Ohio State’s designated travel providers.
  • The Office of International Affairs will send an itemized program fee worksheet for each college’s faculty-led or Ohio State-sponsored programs to the college senior fiscal officer in advance of publishing the study abroad program fee.
  • The senior fiscal officer will be responsible for reviewing the program fee worksheet, recording the college’s level of financial support if applicable and returning the Program Fee Worksheet to the Office of International Affairs.
  • The Office of International Affairs will publish the program fee after receipt of the Program Fee Worksheet from the senior fiscal officer.
  • Education abroad participants pay the OIA Education Abroad Program Fee through the Office of the University Bursar. It is posted during the term in which they will study abroad.
  • The deadlines for faculty led programs include important milestone dates for setting program fees. These dates are set based on our experience working with airlines, vendors, host institutions and other providers and cannot be changed.

Program arrangements

  • The Office of International Affairs cannot make payments directly to vendors in excess of $50,000.
  • Providers must meet Office of International Affairs and university service, quality and safety expectations. The Office of International Affairs reserves the right to deny use of any provider(s) that do not meet expectations.
  • Please note that resident directors are not permitted to drive with students as passengers while abroad unless a petition has been approved by the university's International Travel Policy Committee.

Itinerary and travel arrangements

  • Academic departments and resident directors are expected to propose a list of required services/activities or a detailed day-to-day itinerary to the Office of International Affairs, which will then be submitted to the host institution or university-designated travel provider for a quote.
  • Education abroad specialists will make group international and in-country arrangements only through the use of Ohio State's designated travel provider– with the exception of programs managed by a host institution or in cases when airfare is arranged by the individual participant.

Budgetary information and viability of program

  • The Office of International Affairs will determine the per person amount for emergency funds to be included in the program fee.
  • In consultation with resident director(s) and/or relevant academic unit, the Office of International Affairs will determine the minimum number of students required to run the program.
  • Resident directors will have one opportunity to ask the Office of International Affairs to revise the program budget prior to review by the college senior fiscal officer and advertising the program fee.

If sufficient budget information has not been provided by the host institution, vendor or resident director by the program budget deadline, program viability will be assessed by the Office of International Affairs after consultation with the college global education liaison and academic unit and may result in cancellation. 

If the number of viable applicants falls below the predetermined minimum after the program application deadline, in consultation with the college senior fiscal officer: 

  • The application deadline may be extended (when possible).
  • The academic unit sponsoring the program agrees to provide financial support, so the program does not run at a loss.
  • The program is cancelled.

Revenues and expenses reconciliation

The Office of International Affairs bears responsibility for reconciling the program revenues and expenses after its completion. Surpluses and/or deficits will be transferred to the academic unit in consultation with the college education abroad liaison and senior fiscal officer.

Program deadlines

Review the autumn 2024 to Summer 2025 deadlines. Meeting the milestones listed within the deadlines matrix give programs the best chance of running. Barring major delays, students would have sufficient time to review the program fee before the application deadline. If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Jurden.

Fair Labor Standards Act FAQ

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has a substantial financial impact on faculty-led education abroad program budgets. It is critical for all program leaders (resident directors), non-exempt employees’ supervisors, department chairs and education abroad liaisons to understand FLSA and how to comply with this law when planning and running a faculty-led education abroad program. FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, record keeping and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in federal, state and local governments. Covered nonexempt employees must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 per work week at a minimum rate of 1.5 times the regular rate of pay. The following FAQs provide a summary of federal and university regulations around FLSA and how the regulations are applied to the global education program fee setting process at Ohio State.

Why does compliance matter?

Violating FLSA regulations by not rendering appropriate pay or overtime may result in Ohio State bearing significant financial penalties through litigation and Department of Labor audits. In addition, there may be unfavorable media attention and negative perceptions among our employees.

Who is affected in the context of global education?

Any nonexempt staff who leads a group of students.

How is compensable time calculated?

At Ohio State, a work week starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday. The first 40 hours worked are compensable at regular pay. Any hours worked in addition to the 40 hours, are compensable at 1.5 times the regular rate of pay. During travel with one or a group of students, non-exempt employees hired to fulfill the resident director role are considered to be leading/chaperoning students. Accordingly, all time is compensable. While in country/during non-travel time, resident directors are typically engaged with students for 8-10 hours during the day. 

However, they are considered to be ‘on-call’ to help with student needs or to respond to emergencies at any hour of the day. Accordingly, all non-exempt employees hired as resident directors are eligible to receive compensation for at least 16 hours during the 24-hour day; 8 hours is considered as rest time per day. In the case that an the employee is on-call tending to student needs/emergencies, all hours worked are compensable.

How does the Office of International Affairs plan for FLSA?

At this time, if the resident director is nonexempt, the education abroad program fee setting process requires that the anticipated cost of the resident director’s compensable time and effort be represented in the program fee budget.

Who pays for the resident director's overtime?

Multiple sources such as the college, department/s or a grant may pay for the costs associated with the non-exempt resident director’s overtime pay. If none of these are an option, students participating in the program bear the cost of the time and effort through the established program fee.

What happens if the resident director is not known when the budget is created to finalize the program fee?

If the resident director has not been identified during the program fee setting process, OIA will calculate several time and effort cost scenarios, including the anticipated overtime pay.

What are some different scenarios?
  • Scenario 1: Resident director is hired in a graduate appointment (GTA/GRA/GAA) 
    • Cost of tuition + non-resident fee (when applicable) + estimated stipend and benefits 
    • Note: A graduate appointment is considered exempt under FLSA. However, if the graduate student (at the time of fee setting process) does not plan on being enrolled in classes during the semester the program travels but has a graduate appointment for the following semester, s/he may be hired as a student associate in a bridge appointment. In this case, the student associate position is deemed as nonexempt from overtime, and accordingly, eligible to receive overtime pay. 
  • Scenario 2: Resident director is an hourly paid employee, not exempt from overtime 
    • When not travelling, and assuming no emergencies on the program that may require resident directors to work around the clock, the maximum compensable time in a week is 7 days x 16 hours (8 hours considered as rest time) = 112 hours. The first 40 hours of these 112 hours are calculated at regular rate of pay; the remainder of the 72 hours are calculated at 1.5 times regular rate of pay. 
    • Example: 7-day program to London that starts on a Sunday, ends on the following Saturday. 
      • Sunday (travel day) = assumes it takes 20 hours to travel from Columbus to London = 20 hours
      • Monday through Friday = 5 days x 16 hours = 80 hours
      • Saturday (travel day) = assumes it takes 20 hours to travel from London to Columbus = 20 hours 
      • Total compensable time = 20+80+20 = 120 hours. Of these 120 hours, 40 hours will be paid at the regular hourly rate and the remaining 80 hours at 1.5 times the regular rate.
  • Scenario 3: Resident director is hired as a lecturer assuming two thirds of time is spent on instruction and no more than one third on program administration. 
    • Since stipends for lecturers vary by department, in this case, the stipend would be determined by OIA after consultation with the respective college/department. 
    • If a determination on the type of scenario that will apply is not made at the time of fee setting process, the program fee will be calculated using a simplified assumption; accordingly, the most expensive cost scenario will be utilized for budget purposes. The actual cost may vary depending on the resident director’s appointment type. Does OIA hire resident directors for summer programs?
Does OIA hire resident directors for the summer?

No. The resident directors remain employees of their home unit. The home unit will process the resident director’s appointment and associated payroll. Depending on how the appointment was agreed to be funded, any cost of time and effort borne by the students may be settled with OIA when closing the books of accounts on the specific program iteration.

Can a resident director take compensatory time (comp time) in lieu of overtime pay?

Yes. The resident director may elect to take compensatory time in lieu of compensation. The compensatory time must be approved by the home unit and be taken at a mutually agreed upon time within 180 calendar days from the time of earning. The cost of such time will also be quantified in dollar value and represented in the budget. For budgeting purposes, the ‘overtime pay’ logic will be utilized where applicable.

Is more than one resident director required? Should only one exempt employee be considered for this role?

For a myriad of risk management reasons, more than one resident director is required. Potential qualified resident directors that may add value to the program and to the overall student experience should always be considered, regardless of their FLSA status.