International Partnership Agreement Proposal and Approval Process

This process is for faculty and staff interested in collaborating with an international partner. The purpose of this process is to simplify what is needed to establish an international collaboration while ensuring all relevant campus stakeholders are consulted, including the Office of Data Protection.

1. Discuss the initiative with your Department Chair and/or Dean to confirm departmental support for such an initiative.
2. Search the Clark University Agreement Portal to determine if an agreement is already in place with your proposed partner. If there is one, contact International Program to discuss appropriate next steps.
3. If there is not, submit an agreement proposal at https://internationalagreements.clarku.edu/.
   1. The proposed partner and any contacts listed in the proposal will be put through Descartes Visual Compliance for restricted party screening and confirmation that the entity is not subject to US Export Controls.
   2. Once successfully screened, the proposal is approved by the Provost or the Provost’s Proxy if it meets the criteria for successful and sustainable partnerships.
      1. Do the participants have similar or complementary strengths, and will the partnership be mutually beneficial?
      2. Is there institutional commitment from all sides, and does the partnership have the capacity and interest to grow?
      3. Does the partnership fit with institutional goals, and is it consistent with the university’s mission?
      4. Is the partnership sustainable, with the necessary personnel and funding to support it?
4. Once approved, the Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Global Engagement will communicate with the sponsoring faculty or staff the best path forward and will help facilitate the negotiation of the agreement.
   1. If the relationship is to be for a student exchange, Clark University’s Template for Exchange Programs should be used.
   2. Templates are already vetted by General Counsel and the Data Protection Officer. Any edits to existing templates must be approved by these offices before signing.
5. Once the agreement is finalized, the sponsoring faculty will forward it to the Provost for signing and cc the Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Global Engagement.
6. Once the agreement is fully executed, the sponsoring faculty will send the fully executed document to the Office of General Counsel and to Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Global Engagement for their records and tracking of expiration.