STUDENT MOBILITY ABROAD - OVERSEAS 2nd NOTICE OF SELECTION A.A. 2018/2019 1 Information This document contains information regarding the selection process for the assignment of available spots to travel abroad for the second semester of 2018/2019 (beginning in 2019) to study and/or to conduct research at the foreign universities with which the University of Siena collaborates. Possible destinations are specified in the List of Destinations. The duration of the semester depends on each university. 2 Candidates The opportunities outlined in this notice are available to: University of Siena students enrolled in the three-year undergraduate programmes (Laurea Triennale), in the two-years masters programmes (Laurea Magistrale) or in the ciclo unico (five-years programmes); University of Siena students enrolled in the vecchio ordinamento (preceding the Bachelor-Master system) University of Siena students enrolled in PhD Programmes. Please note that not all partner universities accept graduate students. NB: Some universities may not guarantee exemption from tuition fees for all available courses. Exemption from fees is not guaranteed for certain types of courses, particularly post-graduate courses. 3 - Requirements for Admission During their time abroad, recipients must remain enrolled at the University of Siena. Third-year bachelor students who plan to graduate before departing abroad will be required to present a plan of study describing the masters level course in which they plan to enroll for the academic year 2018/2019 and will be permitted to study abroad only following their enrollment for the academic year 2018/2019. Admission requirements vary depending on the destination and are specified in Attachment A. 4 - Application Preparation Students are recommended to prepare applications with care. In particular, it is essential at this stage to verify that course offerings at the chosen university are appropriate for the student's academic needs. Before submitting the application, students must consult the websites of the universities for which they indicate a preference for the minimum requirements asked of potential exchange students (required language level, number and type of examinations taken, etc.) as well as the enrollment deadlines for foreign students. Such deadlines must be taken into consideration when selecting a host university, noting the deadlines stated in this notice and the time-frame necessary to complete the evaluation process, including the application and language examinations. Following these procedures will enable selected students to complete all aspects of the application process at the host university. Accepted students will be expected to provide all documentation requested of them by the host university and by the International Relations Department. Students intending to decline the scholarship are urged to communicate this intent in a timely fashion. Page 1 of 8
The foreign universities require students to compile and mail all relevant registration forms (including application forms, accommodation forms, learning agreements, etc.) by the strict deadlines. Students are therefore encouraged, as stated above, to consult the host university's website to note all deadlines for the submission of aforementioned documentation. 5 - Selection of Students and Formulation of Rankings The International Relations Committee will evaluate the applications and will proceed with the selection of candidates according to the documents provided by the applicants. The International Relations Committee will create a ranked list for each destination mentioned in this notice. Applications will be evaluated based on the sum of points from the following: 1. Academic Merit (max 30 points) 1 a. For all students enrolled in Level I courses (L1, L2, LC5, LC6, LM5, LM6): 0.8*average grades + 0.2*(30*credits received by the deadline). 2 b. For all students enrolled in Level II courses (LM, LS): 0.15*average grades of the student +0.15*(30*credits received by the deadline) + 0.7*mark on access degree (in thirtieths) c. For all students enrolled in Level III courses (M1, M2, D2, S1, SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6): mark on access degree (in thirtieths) 2. Understanding and knowledge of the foreign language pertaining to the course of study abroad and motivation of the candidate (max. 30 points). Language competency will be evaluated based on the table attached to this notice. 3. Congruence of the study abroad program and the motivation of the candidate (max. 30 points) evaluated by a teacher of the disciplinary area to which the student belongs. With reference to the first point, the date of merit reference is May 31 st, 2018. For those with the same total score, the software Esse3 managing the ranking procedure will apply the standard criterium..6 Language Requirements With reference to article 5 point 2, the evaluation will be carried out for each destination according to the language requested by the universities selected by the candidate. It should be noted that even though most universities offer courses in English, some of these universities also require knowledge of the language of the host country. Therefore, candidates must check in the list of destinations the foreign language requirements for each university. Knowledge of the foreign language will be evaluated as follows: Through certification: 1) for the English language, the candidate, who has a qualification or certification in their current career or from their immediately preceding cycle of studies (held at this university) recognized by the university or exam with a mark out of thirty will be evaluated automatically and will not be required to present any documentation. Candidates who have not already submitted an international certification to the CLA must send it (in pdf format) via email to the address internazionale@unisi.it by May 22 nd 2018. In the case the certification produced at the 1 The evaluation will be based on the average grades and credits received by May 31st, 2018. Page 2 of 8
CLA is of a higher level than the one recorded academically, the candidate must send this certificate (in pdf format) via email to the address internazionale@unisi.it. The table of recognized certifications is available on the CLA website: https://www.cla.unisi.it/sites/st17/files/allegatiparagrafo/04-12-2017/tabella_certificazioni_riconosciute-1.pdf 2) for all other languages (French, Portuguese, Spanish, and German), the candidates in possession of a certification or career examination or eligibility with a clear indication of level, must send via email to the address internazionale@unisi.it the self-certification form, by May 22 nd 2018 which can be downloaded from the link https://www.unisi.it/internazionale/studio-e-stage-allestero/studio-e-ricerca-allestero/programmi-internazionali. It is also asked to attach a copy of the relative documentation. The language documentation sent after May 22 nd 2018 will not be accepted. By performing a language examination: Only the candidates who do not have the aforementioned requirements must take a test for which the result will be valid only for the assignment of a score for the classification of scholarships. In the case the candidate has already completed the 2018 language test (Overseas or Erasmus), he/she may choose not to retake it. In this case, the score already obtained will be assigned automatically. The linguistic evaluation will not provide level certifications for admission to foreign universities. The winners will be required to independently obtain the certifications requested by the host universities. In Siena, the exams will take place on May 24 th, 2018 at the A and G computer classrooms of Via Fieravecchia 19, Siena. Candidates from Arezzo may take the test at the Arezzo headquarters of the CLA (Campus del Pionta, Palazzina Uomini) on the same day. In both cases, students must register on the following site: https://app.cla.unisi.it/sigte/cla/ Registration is available from May 3 rd to May 22 nd 2018, the same period during which students may submit an online application. In the event that the level of foreign language proficiency does not meet the language requirements of the host university, the candidate is not automatically ineligible to receive an overseas scholarship. The student may still apply for a scholarship and must be able to provide proof of his/her linguistic knowledge according to the requirements of the host university. In the event that the candidate neither registers for an exam nor possesses certification proving the level of linguistic knowledge, he/she will earn a score of 0. The language exam will be carried out according to the following methods: The exam will be taken on the computer and consists of multiple-choice questions on grammar and vocabulary. For each question, the candidate must complete a sentence choosing one of the options. At the end of the exam, the candidate will be able to see his/her level indicated in Table No. 2, attached to the selection notice: beginner, elementary, pre-intermediate, upper-intermediate, advanced. N.B: In the event that the candidate decides to not take the exam, it is requested that he/she cancels his/her registration. 7 Application Applications must be submitted online at https://segreteriaonline.unisi.it under the student s profile (applications sent by mail or email will not be accepted). Additionally, for each of the selected destination preferences (maximum 3), the candidate must describe, in the appropriate field, the motivation of his/her choice and an intended plan of courses and exams that he/she wishes to take at the host university. Further details regarding application submission are available on the Application Guidelines on the International Relations Department webpage: https://www.unisi.it/internazionale/studio-e-stage-allestero/studio-e-ricerca-allestero/programmi-internazionali Page 3 of 8
The online application will be accessible from May 3 rd to May 22 nd, 2018. 8 Financial Contribution An economic contribution (about 400 Euros per month 3 ) will be granted to study abroad students distributed as follows: - 3 monthly installments after receipt of the certificate of arrival at the host university, recording the exact arrival date - the final payment after the submission of the certificate is signed by the host university, attesting the duration of study with indication of both arrival and departure dates In addition, all selected students will receive financial contribution to partly cover travel expenses after the certificate signed by the host university attesting to the duration of study indicating both arrival and departure date is received. In order to receive the economic contribution, students must upload their own bank account or credit card details on the Segreteria on-line system (Home>Anagrafica) before leaving. Failure to submit this information will result in no financial contribution. 9 Acceptance/Renunciation Students selected will receive all relevant information, including the results of the selection process, via email. Recipients are urged to communicate their acceptance or refusal of the opportunity offered, meeting relevant deadlines. In the case that a student fails to respect these terms, the student forfeits all rights and the opportunity will be offered to the next most eligible candidate. Recipients will continue to receive study allowances and national scholarships of which they are beneficiaries. Winners of the contest organized by the A.R.D.S.U. (Azienda Regionale per il Diritto allo Studio Universitario) for the 2018/2019 scholarship may request that the regional scholarship be assigned to their study abroad program. For more information, please consult the website www.dsu.toscana.it or contact 0577/760819 or cghezzi@dsu.toscana.it. During their time abroad, students may cede their housing assignment to a foreign student studying in Siena. 10 Admissions Procedure at the Host University Following their acceptance, winners must complete the procedures for the application provided by the host university. In particular, for English-speaking destination, the TOEFL exam, with at least the minimum mark required by the university, will be considered a prerequisite, unless otherwise indicated by the host university. Students who are winners and possess a three-year degree are advised to apply for a Diploma Supplement (in Italian and English) at their Student and Teaching Office, as this documentation is often required during the application period. The winners must also send the documentation requested by the host university according to the methods indicated by the latter. Subsequently, upon confirmation of acceptance, the winners will receive the necessary documentation for the issuing of the visa and for the health insurance (private), for which costs are borne by the interested parties. Should winners fail to comply with the methods indicated above, the University of Siena cannot be held responsible for the non-acceptance by the host university, and in any case the definitive acceptance lies with the host university and in no case can the University of Siena interfere with this decision or modify it. It should be noted that the information and study periods indicated in the announcement may be subject to variations 3 The amount of the financial contribution may vary, depending on the yearly assignment of funds by the Italian Ministry of Education Page 4 of 8
following any indications from the host university. In this case, the University of Siena will not be responsible for any changes made to the terms set out in the announcement. Before Departure 11 Responsibilities of Scholarship Recipients - Learning Agreement (LA) : scholarship recipients who intend to take examinations at the host university will be required to submit a plan of study to their student office (Ufficio studenti e Didattica) at least 2 months before leaving (the Learning Agreement can be downloaded at http://www.unisi.it/internazionale/studio-e-lavoro-allestero/studiare-allestero/programmiinternazionali ). The student office will send the learning agreement to the Teaching Committee of the study course the student is enrolled in, for the formal approval of the proposed plan of study, which must be obtained before the student's departure. - Bank details: the recipients must upload their own bank details or card IBAN in https://segreteriaonline.unisi.it/home.do > Home > Master data > Data bank account. IBAN must belong to a SEPA country (www.ecb.europa.eu/paym/retpaym/paymint/sepa/html/index.en.html). As debit cards may have a credit limit, this possibility must be checked before uploading data. IBAN owned by third parties (parents, relatives, friends) are not accepted. - - Domicile: recipients with residence abroad must upload their address in Italy (Home > Registry) - - Residence vacancy: students living in a university residence are requested to communicate the mobility period by filling the appropriate on-line form: https://www.unisi.it/internazionale/studio-e-stage-allestero/studio-e-ricerca-allestero/programmiinternazionali/prima While Abroad - Certificate of enrollment: upon arrival at the host university, recipients will be required to report to the appropriate office (International Relations, Study Abroad, etc.) to announce their arrival, recording the exact arrival date on the certificate of enrollment, to be sent to the International Relations Department via email (internazionale@unisi.it) with the arrival date and the host university signature and seal. - Learning Agreement (LA): should students need to make changes to the LA, they must complete the relevant part of the section. During their mobility, students must have the LA signed by the host university and send it by e-mail to the student office within 2 months from the beginning of their studyabroad period. Upon Reentry At the end of the study abroad period, the recipient must email the following documentation to internazionale@unisi.it: Official certificate of enrollment signed by the host university attesting to the actual duration of study with indication of arrival and departure dates; Copy of Transcript of Records in the event that the student has taken examinations; Completed Final Report form; A report on the research activities carried out during the mobility (for those who worked exclusively on a research project for their theses), attested by an academic supervisor at home OR host university. These forms may be downloaded at: http://www.unisi.it/internazionale/studio-e-lavoro-allestero/studiare-allestero/programmi-internazionali Students who have completed examinations while abroad must provide their respective academic offices with the Transcript of Records and the study abroad confirmation form. Page 5 of 8
Students who do not provide the International Relations Department with the abovementioned documentation will not receive the final instalment of the financial contribution. 12 Handling of Personal Information In accordance with article 13 and article 24 of the D.L. 196/2003, personal information contained in the application will be used for selection purposes and for the assignment of grants. The interested parties may exercise at any time their rights outlined in article 7 of the D.L. 196/2003 with respect to the treatment of their personal information Siena, F.to Il Direttore generale reggente Emanuele Fidora Page 6 of 8
All. 1 University Linguistic Center Table No. 1 Evaluation of linguistic competence of candidates International Certification, or eligibility or language exam in career A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 17 points 19 points 22 points 26 points 29 points 30 points Page 7 of 8
All. 2 University Linguistic Center Table No. 2 Evaluation of linguistic competence of candidates Language exam aimed at evaluation for selection Beginner Elementary Pre-intermediate Intermediate Upper-intermediate Advanced 8 points 16 points 18 points 20 points 24 points 27 points Page 8 of 8