{"id":69592,"date":"2026-01-29T16:11:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T00:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/?page_id=69592"},"modified":"2026-01-29T16:16:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T00:16:54","slug":"bppm-65-05","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/business-policies-and-procedures-manual\/bppm-65-05\/","title":{"rendered":"65.05 International Memoranda of Understanding and Agreements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading wsu-font-size--xxmedium\">University Policies and Procedures Manual&nbsp;(previously Business Policies and Procedures Manual)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">International Memoranda of Understanding and Agreements<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-row--single\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<p><strong>UPPM 65.05<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For more information contact:<\/strong><br \/>\u00a0 \u00a0 International Programs<br \/>\u00a0 \u00a0 509-335-2541 \/ <a href=\"mailto:ip.admin@wsu.edu\">ip.admin@wsu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"toc_container\">\n<h3>Contents<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n<li><a href=\"#One_0\">1.0\u00a0\u00a0 Introduction<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Two_0\">2.0\u00a0\u00a0 Office of International Programs<\/a>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Two_1\">2.1\u00a0\u00a0 Contact Information<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Three_0\">3.0\u00a0\u00a0 Types of International Agreements<\/a>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Three_1\">3.1\u00a0\u00a0 International Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Three_2\">3.2\u00a0\u00a0 International Agreements (IAs)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Four_0\">4.0\u00a0\u00a0 Other Agreement Types<\/a>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Four_1\">4.1\u00a0\u00a0 Business Contracts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Four_2\">4.2\u00a0\u00a0 Non-Internationally-Related Research and Scholarly Activity Agreements<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Five_0\">5.0\u00a0\u00a0 Agreements Initiated by International Universities, Institutions, or Organizations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Six_0\">6.0\u00a0\u00a0 Requirements<\/a>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Six_1\">6.1\u00a0\u00a0 Check Existing Agreements<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Six_2\">6.2\u00a0\u00a0 Retention of Agreements<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Seven_0\">7.0\u00a0\u00a0 Agreement Criteria<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Eight_0\">8.0\u00a0\u00a0 Approvals<\/a>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Eight_1\">8.1\u00a0\u00a0 Curriculum Transfer<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Eight_2\">8.2\u00a0\u00a0 IA Approvals by Activity<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Eight_3\">8.3\u00a0\u00a0 Final WSU Approval<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"One_0\">1.0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Introduction<\/h3>\n<p>Global participation by faculty, students, staff, and other relevant constituencies is essential to the mission of the University for achieving a world-class environment for research, education, the arts, and engagement. Providing a broad spectrum for international experience, bridging language and cultural differences, fostering collaborative research, and recruiting the best undergraduate and graduate students and visitors in a research university can be accomplished by successful global partnerships.<\/p>\n<p>Through international Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and International Agreements (IAs), the University can foster a network of students, faculty, alumni, teaching and research colleagues, sponsors, and leaders with shared commitments to cultural understanding and academic activities that benefit WSU, the state of Washington, the nation, and the globe. A description of agreement types is available at International Programs <a href=\"https:\/\/ip.wsu.edu\/research\/agreements\">International Research<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Two_0\">2.0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Office of International Programs<\/h3>\n<p>The Office of International Programs (IP) facilitates and coordinates international MOUs and IAs for the University. IP should be consulted in advance of any international MOU or IA being drafted, agreed upon, or signed. IP, in consultation with the Provost and other relevant WSU offices, will review this policy annually.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Two_1\">2.1\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Contact Information<\/h4>\n<p>International Programs <br \/>Bryan Hall 301<br \/>Mail code: 5121<br \/>Telephone: 509-335-2541<br \/>E-mail: <a href=\"mailto:ip.admin@wsu.edu\">ip.admin@wsu.edu<\/a><br \/>Website: <a href=\"http:\/\/ip.wsu.edu\/\">ip.wsu.edu\/<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Three_0\">3.0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Types of International Agreements<\/h3>\n<h4 id=\"Three_1\">3.1\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0International Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)<\/h4>\n<p>An international MOU is a general nonbinding statement of a plan to cooperate and explore collaborative international activities between WSU and a partner university, institution, or organization. <br \/>An international MOU may not contain financial or other binding obligations or commit resources.<br \/>An international MOU must identify the contracting parties and purpose and be signed by authorized signatories. Authorized signatories may be the President or other administrator with delegated signature authority and an administrator with signature authority at the partner university, institution, or organization.<\/p>\n<p>The international MOU provides a simple format to enter into a general nonbinding agreement and serves as the foundation for more detailed agreements on specific activities.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Three_2\">3.2\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0International Agreements (IAs)<\/h4>\n<p>An IA is a legally-binding contract that commits WSU and the partner organization to provide specific services or activities. An IA should build upon the framework established by an international MOU and further the vision expressed in the MOU. The IA must be signed by the President or a WSU administrator with delegated contracting authority (see <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/business-policies-and-procedures-manual\/bppm-65-03\/\">UPPM \u00a065.03<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note: <\/strong>Depending on the nature or scope of a program, IP routes an IA to other relevant University offices for review and approval, including, but not limited to, the Office of Research (OR), the Office of Finance and Operations, the Provost\u2019s Office, Faculty Senate, or the Budget Office. See <a href=\"#Eight_0\">Section 8.0<\/a> regarding approvals.<\/p>\n<h5 id=\"Three_2_a\">3.2.a\u00a0\u00a0 Examples<\/h5>\n<p>Examples of activities documented by IAs include, but are not limited to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Research partnerships<\/li>\n<li>Reciprocal student exchanges<\/li>\n<li>Faculty exchanges<\/li>\n<li>English language training programs<\/li>\n<li>Study abroad programs<\/li>\n<li>Internships<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5 id=\"Three_2_b\">3.2.b\u00a0\u00a0 Requirements<\/h5>\n<p>An IA must contain details pertaining to the parties\u2019 contractual relationship, including, but not limited to, the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Activities to be carried out.<\/li>\n<li>Institutional responsibilities.<\/li>\n<li>Sources of funds, payment, and billing.<\/li>\n<li>Facilities and administrative costs (see also <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/business-policies-and-procedures-manual\/bppm-40-25\/\">UPPM 40.25<\/a>) when required by federal law.<\/li>\n<li>Period of performance and termination.<\/li>\n<li>Contacts and authorized signatures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Refer to <a href=\"#Eight_0\">Section 8.0<\/a> for approval requirements for IAs.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Four_0\">4.0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Other Agreement Types<\/h3>\n<p>This policy (<a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/business-policies-and-procedures-manual\/bppm-65-05\/\">UPPM 65.05<\/a>) does not apply to the following agreement types.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Four_1\">4.1\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Business Contracts<\/h4>\n<p>Contracts within the authority of the Office of Finance and Operations are not processed by International Programs. Refer to UPPM <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/business-policies-and-procedures-manual\/bppm-65-01\/\">65.01<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/business-policies-and-procedures-manual\/bppm-65-02\/\">65.02<\/a> to process such agreements.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Four_2\">4.2\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Non-Internationally-Related Research and Scholarly Activity Agreements<\/h4>\n<p>Non-internationally-related research and scholarly activity agreements are processed through the OR. Refer to <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/index\/manuals\/business-policies-and-procedures-manual\/\">UPPM Chapter 40<\/a> to process such agreements.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Five_0\">5.0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Agreements Initiated by International Universities, Institutions, or Organizations<\/h3>\n<p>If departments\/units receive a proposed agreement from an international university, institution, or organization, it is the chair\u2019s responsibility to evaluate initially whether the agreement is in the best interest of the department and college, in consultation with the appropriate University offices. If so, the department must work with IP to determine whether the terms of the agreement are consistent with the laws and policies governing University contracts. IP then makes a recommendation to the Provost regarding the proposed agreement.<\/p>\n<p>The department must obtain approval from the applicable dean for the proposed agreement. See <a href=\"#Eight_0\">Section 8.0<\/a> regarding approvals.<\/p>\n<p>If the proposed agreement does not meet all the requirements of law and policy and is not determined to be in the overall best interest of the University, it must be modified to meet University requirements.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Six_0\">6.0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Requirements<\/h3>\n<p>Each agreement with an international university, institution, or organization or for an international program must include certain standard information presented in an approved format.<\/p>\n<p>Each agreement must identify contact persons or units at WSU and at the collaborating international organization with responsibility for conduct of the proposed activities. IP provides established and approved standardized agreement templates for the University.<\/p>\n<p>Departments are advised to consult with Risk Management and\/or the Office of Research regarding additional contract requirements which may be applicable, including but not limited to insurance and export controls.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Six_1\">6.1\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Check Existing Agreements<\/h4>\n<p>IP maintains a list of current agreements. Refer to this list before beginning work on an international agreement. To view the current list, contact the IP office; telephone 509-335-2541 or e-mail <a href=\"mailto:ip.admin@wsu.edu\">ip.admin@wsu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Six_2\">6.2\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Retention of Agreements<\/h4>\n<p>The Controller\u2019s Office retains the originals of all IAs for the retention period stated on the University Records Retention Schedule.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"Seven_0\">7.0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Agreement Criteria<\/h3>\n<p>Consider each of the following criteria when evaluating international MOUs or IAs for establishment and\/or approval:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Level of interest to a wide segment of WSU faculty and students.<\/li>\n<li>Faculty members or units willing to take responsibility for the successful implementation of the partnership.<\/li>\n<li>Degree to which opportunities benefit the mission and priorities of the department, college, and University.<\/li>\n<li>Enhancement of comprehensive internationalization at WSU.<\/li>\n<li>Degree to which the proposed international MOU or IA creates and\/or provides access to resources, whether U.S. or international human, fiscal, or other.<\/li>\n<li>Degree to which opportunities are provided that are not otherwise available for students, faculty, and programs at WSU.<\/li>\n<li>Adherence to WSU\u2019s academic requirements.<\/li>\n<li>Degree to which the international MOU or IA addresses criteria specific to the participating faculty and units.<\/li>\n<li>Ability of the University to meet the obligations, particularly financial obligations, of the agreement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"Eight_0\">8.0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Approvals<\/h3>\n<p>Obtain college\/departmental\/institutional approval for the international MOU or IA on the Internal Approval Form. This form is available from IP and is for WSU internal use only. For complete internal approval and routing information email: <a href=\"mailto:ip.admin@wsu.edu\">ip.admin@wsu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Approvals from the applicable campus chancellor (when appropriate), dean, chair (director), and contact person are required. Seek approval from the college financial officer when appropriate. If an MOU (other than one relating to study abroad) involves courses or degrees, the Provost\u2019s Office must be notified. For IAs involving courses or degrees, Provost approval is required, and Faculty Senate also must be provided an opportunity to review and make recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>If the agreement covers more than one college, obtain approval for each college. See also <a href=\"#Eight_3\">Section 8.3<\/a> regarding final WSU approval. Allow at least two weeks for completion of the final University approval process. Processing time varies depending on the type of the agreement, the need for additional negotiations, and\/or routing of documents for signatures.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Eight_1\">8.1\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Curriculum Transfer<\/h4>\n<p>If curriculum transfer credit is involved, include a table of transfer equivalencies approved by the appropriate university entity. A curriculum transfer agreement allows the student to transfer a defined set of courses and credits between an academic program at one institution to a program at another institution.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Eight_2\">8.2\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0IA Approvals by Activity<\/h4>\n<p>IP routes certain agreements to other appropriate offices as necessary. Contact IP with questions.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"Eight_3\">8.3\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Final WSU Approval<\/h4>\n<p>After the Vice President of IP approves the agreement, IP determines appropriate final University reviews and approvals, including final signature by an authorized signatory of the University. If the MOU or IA includes curricular content or involves a WSU degree, final authorization must include the Provost\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: .8rem\">_______________________<br \/><strong>Revisions:<\/strong>\u00a0 Jan. 2026 (Rev. <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/bppm-manual-revisions\/bppm-revision-650\/\">650<\/a>); May 2019 (Rev. <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/bppm-manual-revisions\/bppm-revision-530\/\">530<\/a>); Nov. 2006 &#8211; new policy (Rev. 290).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>University Policies and Procedures Manual&nbsp;(previously Business Policies and Procedures Manual) International Memoranda of Understanding and Agreements<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49281,"featured_media":0,"parent":50633,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/69592"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49281"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69592"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/69592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69724,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/69592\/revisions\/69724"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/50633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=69592"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policies.wsu.edu\/prf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=69592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}