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University policy regarding hosting academic visitors

  1. Purpose.
    1. The university recognizes the valuable research and educational contributions that academic visitors may make through collaborative research and other scholarly endeavors.  The university encourages those individuals from other universities, institutions, and businesses who wish to visit the university for extended periods of time for reasons including, but not limited to, conducting research in a university facility, providing instruction that is supervised by appropriate university personnel in a university facility, collaborating with university faculty or staff on specific projects, and observing university instruction, administration, or faculty research. The designation “academic visitor” is a privilege accorded to such visitors. The university requires that academic visitors be approved, undergo the appropriate background check(s), and abide by relevant university agreements, policies, and/or procedures.  
    2. Nothing in this policy is intended, nor shall be construed or interpreted, to create an employment or agency relationship between any academic visitor and the university. 
  2. Definitions.
    1. The university academic visitor. Individuals from other universities, institutions, and businesses who:
      1. Are not Kent state university employees or students; and
      2. Intend to be present on campus for fourteen or more consecutive days in order to:  
        1. Provide academic instruction that is supervised by the appropriate university academic unit;
        2. Conduct collaborative research and creative activities with university personnel;  
        3. Observe university instruction, administration, and/or research; or
        4. Participate in coordinated university programming.
          The definition “academic visitor” includes but is not limited to visitors with the designation of “visiting scholar,” “visiting researcher” and “visiting scientist.”
    2. Host. A university employee responsible for facilitating a visit from an academic visitor. University undergraduate students, graduate students, graduate assistants, and postdoctoral scholars/fellows/researchers are not eligible to serve as an individual host for purposes of this policy. 
    3. Hosting unit. The academic administrative structure or administrative division or office where the host has their primary appointment.
  3. Implementation.
    1. Eligibility. Academic visitors must meet the following criteria:
      1. Have identified a university host who has agreed to serve as host for the duration of the visit; and
      2. If intending to arrive on a J-1 visa sponsored by the university, additional criteria must be met as established by the office of global education.
    2. Application and approval process. All academic visitors, must have the following:
      1. letter of invitation from the host reviewed and approved by:
        1. The host unit leadership (department chair, or school, center or institute director, or unit appropriate administrator) in accordance with the host unit’s applicable governance procedures, in consultation with the faculty advisory committee or faculty council, when applicable;
        2. The dean or vice president of the host unit as applicable; and
        3. The office of the provost;
      2. The letter of invitation shall set forth the privileges provided to the academic visitor described in paragraph (C)(7)(c) of this policy;
      3. Completion of a successful background check and/or restricted party screening as required by university policy and as required under federal law and regulation; and,
      4. If the academic visitor is an international individual that requests or requires university sponsorship during their period of stay, the host unit must contact the office of global education as soon as possible.
    3. Duration.
      1. The initial duration of the academic visitor visit shall be set forth in the letter of invitation. Any extension must be approved in accordance with paragraph (C)(2)(a) of this policy.                 .
      2. Academic visitors on a university-sponsored visa are subject to the durational limits of stay and must be reviewed and approved by the office of global education prior to the approval of any extension. 
    4. Host unit responsibilities. The host unit is responsible for facilitating the visit and ensuring compliance with university policies and procedures.  If the academic visitor is sponsored by the university for the J-1 visa, the host unit is responsible for performing the duties required by the host in accordance with the department of state requirements for the exchange visitor program in accordance with federal laws and regulations, and ensuring that the J-1 visitor is provided:
      1. Access to university facilities and resources such as libraries and laboratories;
      2. Office space as available;
      3. University email address, username and electronic credentials; and/or,
      4. University identification card.
    5. Host responsibilities:
      1. Inform the office of global education that the visitor has arrived at KSU and facilitate the immigration check-in process.
      2. Inform the office of global education if there is a substantive change in the visitor’s program or duration.
      3. Inform the office of global education if the visitor completes the program early.
      4. Inform the office of global education when the visitor completes the program and has left KSU.
    6. Office of global education responsibilities. The office of global education is responsible for reviewing all requests for J-1 immigration documents. Under the approval of the department of state, only certain individuals are authorized to issue J-1 immigration documents and are responsible for enforcing compliance with federal rules and regulations.
    7. Responsibilities and privileges of academic visitors.  Regardless of the duration or purpose of the visit, an academic visitor is subject to and required to observe all policies, rules, regulations, and requirements of the university, and all applicable state and federal laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, ethical behavior, responsible conduct of research, equal opportunity, compliance, safety, and health.
      1. Status. Academic visitor status may be revoked at any time (even during the term of the designated status) by the university in its sole discretion, without the necessity of a reason.
      2. Employment status. Academic visitors are not and shall not be construed to be university employees.  Accordingly, academic visitors are not entitled to any financial support or reimbursement.
      3. Privileges. The host unit may provide academic visitors with one or more of the following access privileges but only to the extent that any such privilege is directly related to and reasonably necessary for the purpose of the academic visitor’s visit: 
        1. Access to university facilities and resources such as libraries and laboratories;
        2. Office space as available;
        3. University email address, username and electronic credentials; and/or,
        4. University identification card.
          Such privileges shall be described in the letter of invitation and may only be issued in accordance with applicable university policies and procedures, the host unit’s governance procedures, and in accordance with the department of state exchange visitor program if applicable.  Host unit shall issue procedures for removal of privileges upon departure of the academic visitor.
Policy Effective Date:
Jan 01, 2023
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