Academic Exchange Coordinator

This document outlines the roles and responsibilities of the Academic Exchange Coordinator in each school of the  Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. It is intended to be overarching in nature and should be read in conjunction with more detailed guidelines and policies developed by individual schools regarding the implementation of their exchange agreements.

The primary role of the Academic Exchange Coordinator is to advise and assist the Head of School in conjunction with the Faculty Office and the Placement Office in relation to:  

1. Ongoing monitoring and review of exchange agreements 

2. Incoming students on a school’s exchange agreements 

3. Outgoing students on a school’s exchange agreements 

1. Ongoing monitoring and review of exchange agreements 

It is the responsibility of the Academic Exchange Coordinator to: 

• Retain an overview of the number of incoming and outgoing students on each exchange programme so  that ongoing imbalances can be identified. 
• Inform the Head of School where there is an ongoing imbalance over a number of years. 
• Inform the Head of School where there are ongoing issues with the quality and/or suitability of an  exchange agreement. 
• Maintain records, and share as appropriate on an ongoing basis. At the end of the term of office, pass on  all relevant records and information to the new post holder. 

2. Incoming exchange students 

It is the responsibility of the Academic Exchange Coordinator to: 

• Assist the Head of School to identify appropriate modules, including quotas as necessary, to be made  available on Exchange and Occasional programmes within and outside the Faculty as part of the academic structures process in Spring which is then communicated to the Faculty Office and thence to  Registry and to the Placement Office
• In conjunction with the Placement Office, advise incoming exchange students on their module choices,  as per the approved HMSAX / HMSAOO academic structure and individual student learning agreements.
• Where students have selected modules from other schools, refer any queries to the coordinators in these  schools. Where schools are not in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences refer queries to the Teaching and Learning Convenors in these schools. 
• Liaise / assist the Placement Office where Learning Agreements for Erasmus students are incomplete or  incorrect so as to resolve any outstanding issues taking into account approved HMSAX / HMSAOO  academic structures. 
• Review and sign change of mind forms where a student wishes to change their module choice, or is  required to do so owing to cancellation of a module or modules or a timetable clash, provided this is  permitted within their Learning Agreement (where applicable) and as per approved HMSAX / HMSAOO  academic structures. The cut-off date for such changes of mind is four weeks after the students’ start  dates. 
• Liaise with the Placement Office and Head of School where significant unforeseen issues arise in relation to  incoming exchange students. 

3. Outgoing students on a school’s exchange agreements 

It is the responsibility of the Academic Exchange Coordinator in collaboration with the relevant Programme Chair  to: 

• Clarify the application and selection process for study abroad, and the requirements for successful  completion of the year abroad. 
• Convene a meeting of eligible students at an appropriate time informing them of the year abroad  option and the academic requirements for its successful completion, as well as of the application  process and selection criteria. 
• Review the applications for study abroad. 
• Inform applicants of the outcome and request that they accept or decline the offer within a set  period of time. 
• Provide the Placement Office and Registry with a list of those students who have elected to spend  a year abroad so that the Placement Office can start the formal application process.  f. Schedule and deliver pre-departure briefings for students going abroad. 
• Contact students who are abroad at least once per semester to check on their progress and respond,  where reasonable, to queries from students abroad. 
•  Act as module coordinator for the year abroad modules associated with their school and submit year  abroad results provided by the Placement Office indicating Pass or Fail directly to the (Deputy)  Programme Chair or Programme Administrator as appropriate. 
• Schedule and deliver debriefing sessions for students on their return. 

An Academic Exchange Coordinator normally serves a three-year term and reports to their Head of School. 

This role descriptor is due for review in June 2026.