Chazen International Study Tours Winter 2014-15 Information Session Study Tours: Argentina Hong Kong / Taiwan India / Bangladesh (Healthcare-Focus) India South Africa Tuesday, September 9, 2014
General Info What are they like? Intense! A mix of business and cultural visits Expect about 2 business meetings each business day, which works out to 8-10 throughout the trip (depends on the length of the tour and the visits themselves) Students are expected to attend the entire tour ALL company visits are mandatory Who goes? Full-time Business School students (no significant others); a faculty member and sometimes a staff member. Tours range from 20-40 participants Students with holds on their accounts are unable to participate in Chazen Study Tours No shadowing company visits, please
Itinerary What is the schedule? Student organizers will show you tentative itineraries at this point with targeted companies. Many companies will not confirm until closer to the travel dates, but these are based on personal contacts and previous tours. Leading up to the travel, each tour will have a pre-departure meeting with the latest schedule.
Budget What is included? Hotels (double occupancy) Local transport Breakfasts and some lunches and dinners Some cultural activities How do international flights work? Since most people are coming from different locations, there is no group flight. Students will be responsible for booking for their own international flight Can I increase my loans for travel? Generally no since study tours are not for credit. Students are only able to increase their loan eligibility for a study tour if they register for an associated independent study, under the guidance of a faculty sponsor. Contact the Office of Student Affairs for more information
Sign up Some History First come-first serve (in person) Line out the door First come-first serve (online) Crashed server Lottery Dutch Auction Bidding System Some people got on multiple tours while others did not get on any tours System was conceived with feedback from students and input from GBA Board
Dutch Auction Bidding System How do I sign up? Dutch Auction Bidding System: lowest price that all bidders are willing to pay is the clearing price for everyone Example: Let s say there are 40 seats available in Chazen Study Tour to Japan in Round 1. If 30 people bid 500 points for the tour, 15 people bid 100 points, and 10 people bid 50 points, the clearing price would be 100 points. All 30 students who bid 500 would get into the tour, and receive a refund of 400 points. The system would then randomly select 10 of the 15 students who bid 100 points, and enroll them in the tour. The 5 unsuccessful 100-point bidders would get all of their points refunded, as would the 10 students who bid 50 points.
Bidding Process Everyone gets 2000 upfront lifetime Chazen bid points (separate from course bid points) Two rounds of bidding each round might have a different clearing price Round 1: Wednesday, September 10, 10am Monday, September 15, 4pm Round 2: Thursday, September 18, 10am Thursday, September 22, 4pm During the first 24 hours of bidding, you will be able to see which tours are full and also drop any tours and get your bid points refunded You can bid on more than one study tour There will not be an add/drop round or waitlist round If the study tour doesn t fill after both rounds, students can sign up on a first-come, first-serve basis by emailing chazen@columbia.edu (no bid points needed) No swapping is allowed
Waitlist If you don t get on a study tour at the end of the Round 2, you will be placed on a waitlist for that tour (your bid points will be refunded) The waitlist will be ordered from highest to lowest bid. If you get a spot on the study tour, Chazen will notify you by email If you accept your spot (by paying a non-refundable deposit), you will be charged the amount you bid so make sure to bid an amount you are willing to pay
Securing your spot - Deposit If you successfully bid on a tour, you will receive an email to pay a non-refundable $500 deposit within 48 hours after round 2 to secure your spot on the tour If you do not pay the deposit, you will forfeit your spot and your bid points will be refunded to you Once you ve paid the deposit, you are considered on the tour and will not get your deposit or bid points back if you drop (except in exceptional cases) Make sure to check your schedule for conflicting block week courses, on-campus recruiting, and other activities BEFORE signing up for a study tour (this does not count as an exceptional circumstance)
Withdrawal Withdrawal from a study tour not only creates a lot of work for organizers, but may also increase the costs for students on the waitlist Refunds of bid points/payments will only be made in the following instances: Personal, medical, and family emergencies Military service Court appearances, such as jury duty Visa denial Requests for withdrawal must be made in writing to the Chazen Institute with supporting documentation Refunds will be made less any non-refundable fees/expenses already incurred
Differences between Chazen Study Tour Bidding and Course Bidding Chazen Study Tour Bidding Course Bidding Two Rounds Three Rounds No Waitlist Round No Add/Drop Round No Swapping Two Waitlist Rounds Three Add/Drop Round Swapping Allowed Study tour spot is only secured by paying non-refundable deposit after successful bidding No extra bid points for completing a study tour Course spot is secured through successful bidding only Extra bid points are rewarded for completing an elective
Questions If you have any questions, please contact the Chazen Institute: chazen@columbia.edu 212-854-4750 Uris Hall 2M2 (second floor mezzanine)