(EN) Regulations for Students' International Academic Mobility at the University of Lleida

Regulations for Students’ International Academic Mobility at the University of Lleida

(Approved by Agreement no. 139/2023 of the Governing Council on 2 May 2023, Official Gazette of the University of Lleida [Butlletí Oficial de la Universitat de Lleida] no. 218)

Preamble

The University of Lleida (UdL) encourages its students’ international academic mobility in fulfilment of its Statutes, which set out the need to strengthen the university community’s participation in exchange programmes.

The faculties and schools brought together in the creation of the UdL had already taken part in the Erasmus programme set up by the European Commission in 1987. The management needs of this programme and the desire to extend international mobility to as many students as possible led to the creation of the International Relations Office and, subsequently, of the Office of the Vice-rector for International Relations and Cooperation. Besides managing the Erasmus programme, these fostered participation in other international mobility actions, as well as the creation of the UdL’s own programmes, among which are the JADE grant programme, which has facilitated exchanges with Mexico since 2002, and the UdL Mobility Programme.

The UdL is conscious of the fact that the internationalisation of education in general and mobility in particular – the latter being understood as the possibility of spending a study period at a higher education institution abroad with academic recognition – add value to students’ education in terms not only of the academic curriculum, but also of gaining experiences and skills that favour personal growth and job prospects.

In the strictly education-related area, academic mobility enhances the learning possibilities available to students in their programmes of studies by enabling access to the educational offering of every university with which the UdL has signed exchange agreements. It is due to this overlap of academic activity that regulations complementing the UdL academic regulations become necessary. These must set out certain principles and responsibilities, as well as a general framework for international mobility, without prejudice to the particular characteristics of each programme or to each school’s autonomy when it comes to regulating the conditions for academic mobility within the framework of its degrees.

Furthermore, the presence of foreign mobility students in lecture halls also requires a general regulatory framework to make their rights and duties clear. This presence, alongside that of international lecturers, and the organisation of joint academic activities with foreign universities constitute a key element for both the internationalisation of teaching at the UdL and the inclusion of the international dimension in students’ education.

These regulations aim to complete the regulation of international mobility carried out over the years at the UdL, from the very first guides for the management of academic mobility programmes to the inclusion of mobility in the general procedures of the UdL, and even the regulations approved by several schools over the years. Indeed, they are yet another step towards extending international mobility to the entire student community.

• Preamble …. 1

• Title I. General provisions …. 6

• Article 1. Purpose and scope of application …. 6

• Article 2. Definitions …. 6

• Title II. Persons responsible for international academic mobility …. 8

• Article 3. Office of the vice-rector responsible for international academic mobility 8

• Article 4. Schools …. 9

• Article 5. International Relations and Mobility Committee …. 10

• Title III. Students’ international academic mobility programmes …. 11

• Article 6. Modalities …. 11

• Article 7. Competence to sign students’ international academic mobility agreements 11

• Article 8. Requirements for specific mobility agreements …. 12

• Article 9. Agreement monitoring…. 12

• Title IV. Outgoing mobility students…. 12

• Chapter I. Rights and duties …. 12

• Article 10. Rights …. 12

• Article 11. Duties …. 13

• Chapter II. Student selection procedure…. 15

• Article 12. General requirements and criteria …. 15

• Article 13. Calls for mobility places…. 15

• Article 14. Nomination and acceptance by the host university or entity …. 16

• Chapter III. Carrying out the study period…. 16

• Article 15. Study period duration…. 16

• Article 16. Renunciation …. 17

• Article 17. Schools’ specific programmes…. 17

• Chapter IV. Academic recognition …. 17

• Article 18. Competence…. 17

• Article 19. Principles of academic recognition…. 17

• Article 20. Formalisation of the learning agreement…. 18

• Article 21. Number of credits that can be included in a learning agreement 19

• Article 22. Limit on credits that can be taken during mobility….19

• Article 23. Amendments to the learning agreement….20

• Article 24. Procedure for the recognition of studies taken during international mobility….20

• Article 25. Grade conversion….21

• Article 26. Academic achievement….21

• Article 27. Alternative assessment….22

• Title IV. Incoming international mobility students….22

• Chapter I. Rights and duties….22

• Article 28. Rights and duties of incoming mobility students….22

• Article 29. Language proficiency….22

• Chapter II. Incoming international mobility student regime….23

• Article 30. Admission….23

• Article 31. Academic offering….24

• Article 32. Academic conditions….25

• Article 33. Transcript of records….25

• Chapter III. Specific free mover regime….26

• Article 34. Admission….26

• Article 35. Academic and administrative conditions….26

• Title V. Other international mobility period modalities….27

• Chapter I. International placements….27

• Article 36. Outgoing students on placement abroad….27

• Article 37. Incoming international students on placement at the UdL….27

• Chapter II. International volunteering….28

• Article 38. International volunteering period regime….28

• First additional provision….28

• Second additional provision….29

• Third additional provision….29

• Derogatory provision….29

• Final provision….29

Title I. General provisions

Article 1. Purpose and scope of application

The purpose of these regulations is to set out the rights and obligations of international academic mobility students, as well as the administrative procedure applicable to mobility study periods at other higher education institutions for students from the UdL’s own or affiliated schools, and to mobility study periods at the UdL with academic recognition for students from other universities through exchange or mobility programmes or agreements.

Excluded from the scope of these regulations are placements in firms or institutions abroad that are not included in mobility programmes, as are placements at the UdL for foreign students. Also excluded are students from foreign educational systems who have gained entry to the UdL in accordance with the general entry and admission regulations established for official bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees and who are taking studies that lead them to obtaining a certificate issued by the UdL.

Article 2. Definitions

For the purposes of these regulations, it is understood that:

Specific academic mobility agreement means an agreement, normally provided for in a framework cooperation agreement signed by the UdL and another university or in the regulations of a mobility programme, in which the mobility flows between two universities and the conditions for carrying out such mobility are defined.

Framework cooperation agreement means a general protocol of action signed by the UdL and another entity that solely contains general-content statements of intent that do not entail any specific legally enforceable commitment.

Mobility record means a document drawn up on the basis of a transcript of records (or academic results report) signed by the mobility coordinators of schools, in accordance with which the offices of the secretary of schools incorporate the grades obtained during mobility into the academic records.

Joining certificate means a document by means of which the destination institution certifies that a mobility student has joined it.

Learning agreement means a document of a binding nature reflecting the academic activities that will be carried out at the host university, as well as those that will be recognised at the university of origin and, where applicable, the value in ECTS credits. It is also known as a studies agreement, studies contract, academic agreement or academic contract.

Agreement means an agreement with specific, enforceable legal effects entered into by the UdL and other public or private bodies for a common purpose.

Academic mobility coordinator of a school means a member of the teaching and research staff (PDI, as abbreviated in Catalan) to whom the office of the director of the school assigns tasks of mobility coordination, and who is in charge, among other tasks, of determining which universities to establish exchanges with, and of academically tutoring incoming and outgoing mobility students.

Academic mobility coordinator of a degree means a member of the PDI who supports the academic mobility coordinator of a school in regard to a degree.

Mobility student means a student who is taking part of her/his studies at another university with academic recognition of such studies by her/his university of origin.

International student on placement at the UdL means a student from a foreign university who is doing a placement at the UdL as an intern.

Regular international student means a student who has gained entry to a UdL official degree in accordance with the general entry and admission regulations for students from foreign educational systems and who are taking studies that lead them to obtaining a certificate issued by the UdL.

Outgoing student on placement abroad means a UdL student who is doing a placement in an institution or firm abroad.

Free mover means a student who, in a one-way mobility modality, spends a study period at the UdL outside the framework of an exchange programme or a specific mobility agreement and who, in general, pays for the credits for which she/he registers. She/he is also called a visiting student.

Transcript of records means a document issued by the office of the academic secretary of the school where the student is registered at the end of her/his study period, in which the grades obtained during the mobility period appear. It is also called an academic results report.

Academic mobility means the set of actions enabling a student from a higher education institution to take part of her/his studies at another higher education institution without ceasing to be a student at her/his institution of origin, with the assurance that the grades obtained at the destination institution will be incorporated into her/his academic record.

Incoming mobility means incoming mobility flows to the UdL from other institutions or on an individual basis to spend a temporary study period at the UdL.

Outgoing mobility means outgoing mobility flows from the UdL to spend a temporary study period at another university or institution.

Exchange programme means a programme enabling UdL students to spend study periods at another university and vice versa. As a general rule, these study periods are for eight weeks or longer, and students do not pay registration fees to the destination university.

Blended mobility programme means a programme combining a physical study period at another university with a virtual component.

One-way mobility programme means a programme enabling UdL students to spend study periods at another university and vice versa, without reciprocity. As a general rule, these study periods are for eight weeks or longer.

Short study period programme means a programme enabling students to spend study periods at other institutions for fewer than eight weeks.

International placement programme means a programme enabling UdL students to do a placement in an institution abroad.

International volunteering programme means a programme enabling temporary periods to be spent abroad to carry out volunteering activities.

Study abroad programme means a programme of the UdL’s own studies aimed at foreign students.

Academic viability of mobility means a necessary condition of all mobility, which is met when the educational activities that students can take at the destination university are compatible with, and complementary to, those of her/his degree at the UdL, in such a way that they may be recognised as part of her/his academic record.

Office of the Vice-rector and Vice-rector mean the UdL office of the vice-rector responsible for international mobility and the individual post-holder, respectively.

Title II. Persons responsible for international academic mobility

Article 3. Office of the vice-rector responsible for international academic mobility

As delegated by the rector, the vice-rector responsible for international relations shall:

a) Propose strategic guidelines for international mobility.

b) Sign documents relating to the international mobility procedure as a legal representative of the UdL.

c) Determine the UdL’s participation in general-scope international mobility programmes, manage participation in these programmes by ensuring fulfilment of the agreements with the convening body, and justify the activities carried out.

d) Approve the rules of UdL calls for international mobility places or, where applicable, put them forward for approval to the Governing Council.

e) Issue resolutions on the award of international mobility places and the corresponding grants.

f) Resolve on any extraordinary incidents arising from the international mobility programmes.

g) Coordinate the schools’ academic mobility policy via the International Relations and Mobility Committee.

h) Coordinate the UdL mobility policy with the office of the vice-rector responsible for academic planning.

Article 4. Schools

The deans or directors of the UdL’s own or affiliated schools are responsible for applying mobility programmes to the respective schools. They must appoint an academic mobility coordinator for the school, who shall form part of the team of the office of the dean or director, and she/he shall have the following functions:

a) To apply the academic mobility policy of the team of the office of the dean or director of the school in accordance with the UdL’s strategic guidelines.

b) To promote the necessary changes to programmes of studies in order to integrate and facilitate academic mobility, both incoming and outgoing, and ensure a suitable academic offering for incoming students.

c) To decide on entering into specific academic mobility agreements in order to ensure a suitable supply of mobility places that are compatible with, and complementary to, the programmes of studies of her/his school’s degrees.

d) To act as the permanent point of contact for the Office of the Vice-rector in the process of drawing up, implementing and monitoring specific mobility agreements that have been duly completed and signed.

e) To establish contacts with her/his counterparts at those universities with which the school has signed academic mobility agreements, to ask them for all the necessary information about the academic offering and the grading system, and to provide them with information about the study offering of her/his school.

f) To ensure that the academic information offered to outgoing and incoming international mobility students is up to date.

g) To advise her/his school’s students on the educational possibilities at each of the universities with which it has signed specific mobility agreements, and on issues relating to international mobility in general.

h) To take part in the student selection processes in accordance with these regulations and those regulating each mobility programme.

i) To take responsibility for the learning agreement between the school and its students and to monitor the academic recognition procedure under the terms of these regulations.

j) To ensure incoming mobility students’ academic integration and to guide them academically, especially when drawing up the learning agreement.

k) To resolve on any incidents that may arise (renunciations, extensions, reductions, etc.) in regard to the academic mobility of her/his school’s outgoing and incoming students.

l) To coordinate with the office of the academic secretary of the school to ensure the recognition of studies taken during mobility for both outgoing and incoming students, as well as the fulfilment of the document-related requirements determined by these regulations and those regulating each programme, including sending incoming mobility students’ academic transcripts.

m) To coordinate the actions of the academic mobility coordinators of her/his school’s degrees, if there are any.

n) To coordinate with the persons responsible for placements in her/his school in those instances where mobility includes placements.

o) To coordinate with the academic mobility coordinators of other UdL schools in order to evaluate and approve learning agreements that include subject areas of more than one school, and also in the case of double degrees.

p) To advise the teaching staff of her/his school on mobility programmes in order to improve the quality of student mobility.

q) To promote the adoption of mobility regulations for the school in order to adapt the application of these regulations, where applicable.

r) All other functions that the dean or director of a school may assign to her/him in accordance with each school’s autonomy in relation to students’ academic mobility.

If they deem it necessary, schools may appoint academic mobility coordinators of degrees, who shall be members of the PDI and have the following functions:

a) To maintain contact with destination universities in order to advise outgoing and incoming students on their degrees based on knowledge of the programmes of studies of the UdL and of the destination schools.

b) To agree on the learning agreements with the selected students on their degrees.

c) To act as the link between students under their responsibility and the person who academically coordinates mobility at the school.

d) To take part in their schools’ mobility and internationalisation actions.

Article 5. International Relations and Mobility Committee

The International Relations and Mobility Committee (CRIM, as abbreviated in Catalan) is the non-delegated committee of the Governing Council that carries out tasks of coordination, consultation and advice in relation to policies and actions in the area of international relations and the international mobility of UdL students, PDI and administrative and service staff (PAS, as abbreviated in Catalan). It carries out its functions under the guidance of the office of the vice-rector responsible for internationalisation.

The CRIM is formed by the holder of the office of the vice-rector responsible for internationalisation, who chairs it, and by the academic mobility coordinators of the UdL’s own schools, two student representative and one PAS representative, as well as the technical coordinator of the International Relations unit, who serves as the secretary.

In the area of students’ international academic mobility, the CRIM has the following functions:

a) To facilitate coordination in relation to mobility between the Office of the Vicerector, the schools and the students of the UdL.

b) To promote international mobility within the framework of inter-university agreements and programmes in which the UdL participates, and to draw up reports and action proposals to improve it.

c) To establish the general criteria for the recognition of studies taken during mobility.

d) To ensure compliance with these regulations.

e) To issue reports on the schools’ mobility regulations proposals.

f) All other competences that these and other regulations of the UdL confer on it.

Regarding its operation, the CRIM must adhere to the regulations for collegiate bodies of the UdL and observe each school’s autonomy.

Title III. Students’ international academic mobility programmes

Article 6. Modalities

In general, students’ academic mobility study periods are done within the framework of: a specific mobility agreement under a framework cooperation agreement between the UdL and another university; a mobility programme of a network or consortium in which the UdL participates; or an agreement between the UdL and another organisation.

These programmes may provide for different mobility modalities:

a) Exchange or one-way mobility, depending on reciprocity.

b) In-person, virtual or blended, depending on whether there is physical attendance or not.

c) Short or long study periods, depending on duration.

Article 7. Competence to sign students’ international academic mobility agreements

The signing of students’ international academic mobility agreements corresponds to the rector, in accordance with the regulations for drawing up, drafting and managing agreements signed by the UdL, and she/he may delegate the signing of specific academic mobility agreements to the holder of the office of the vice-rector responsible for international academic mobility, who signs the agreement following a favourable report from the school or schools involved.

In the case of standardised specific mobility agreements that some mobility programmes have, the signing of them may be delegated to the holders of the offices of the dean or director of schools.

The competence to sign double, multiple or joint degree agreements is that of the rector, at the proposal of the school concerned and under the supervision of the office of the vice-rector responsible for academic planning.

Article 8. Requirements for specific mobility agreements

In order to sign a specific student mobility agreement, it is crucial to ensure the academic viability thereof. To guarantee the academic suitability of the agreement, the academic mobility coordinators of the degrees affected must send a report to the Office of the Vice-rector specifying the interest in signing an agreement between the UdL and a certain institution, as well as the academic conditions governing it.

Article 9. Agreement monitoring

The academic mobility coordinators of the schools are responsible for monitoring the specific mobility agreements affecting their schools’ degrees and for asking for them to be renewed or terminated. The Office of the Vice-rector shall ensure the coordination and administrative management of the signed agreements.

Title IV. Outgoing mobility students

Chapter I. Rights and duties

Article 10. Rights

Beside the general rights set out in the university regulations, UdL students taking part in mobility programmes have the following specific rights:

a) To take part in calls for mobility programmes in accordance with the rules regulating them, and to be awarded mobility places, where appropriate, pursuant to the general and specific criteria laid down for their allocation.

b) To receive information and academic guidance from their school in relation to the available mobility options for their studies, the programmes of studies of the destination universities, as well as the requirements and conditions for the recognition of studies taken during mobility, and to receive the necessary support during the study period in order to take appropriate advantage of it.

c) To receive information from the International Relations unit about practical issues relating to the study period abroad, such as calls, grants, requirements and administrative procedures necessary for planning and organising the study period.

d) In general, and unless a specific programme specifies otherwise, to benefit from an exemption from paying the registration fee at the destination university. In certain cases, however, they may have to pay for insurance, pay student association fees, or bear costs stemming from the execution of an endof-studies project or from placements, among others.

e) To be eligible for grants associated with each mobility programme in accordance with the regulations for each call for grants.

f) To formalise a learning agreement before joining the destination university, which sets out the programme of studies and which of the credits from their programme of studies at the UdL will be recognised.

g) To ask for the previously agreed learning agreement to be amended when the circumstances set out in Article 23 arise, within the established periods and in accordance with the regulations, timetables and teaching programmes of both universities. And, consequently, an amendment to registration at the UdL when necessary, and a refund of the corresponding public prices, where applicable.

h) To carry out the mobility study period in accordance with the specific conditions set out in detail in the rules of the call.

i) To have recognition, at the UdL, of studies taken at the destination university and agreed beforehand with the academic mobility coordinator of their school by means of the learning agreement, in accordance with the transcript of records issued by the destination university and the mobility record, once all the documentation relating to their study period has been delivered.

j) To see the mobility programmes in which they have taken part, as well as their academic results, incorporated into the European diploma supplement.

Article 11. Duties

Beside the duties set out in the general university regulations, UdL students taking part in mobility programmes have the following specific obligations:

a) To learn about the academic offering at the destination university and to put forward a learning agreement with the credits they want to take at the destination university and, where applicable, any subsequent changes to the academic mobility coordinator of their school within the established periods.

b) To put forward a learning agreement with the credits they want to take at the destination university and, where applicable, any subsequent changes to the academic mobility coordinator of their school within the established periods.

c) To register at the UdL for all the credits included in the learning agreement within the periods set out in the academic regulations, and pay for them. In the event of any subsequent amendments to the learning agreement that increase the public prices initially paid, to pay the corresponding additional public prices within the established periods.

d) To have health insurance with at least the level of cover required by each programme, or the level of cover determined by the Office of the Vice-rector, as well as other insurance products required by the corresponding programmes. These insurance products must cover the entire study period at the destination university.

e) To comply with the regulations in force relating to legal entry to, and staying in, the host country, including, where applicable, obtaining a visa, and to abide by the laws of the host country.

f) To join the destination university within the period determined by said university and to notify the UdL that they have joined it by means of a joining certificate within a maximum period of 15 days.

g) To fulfil the requirements and carry out the procedures established by the destination university, to stay there for the agreed period and, in general, to respect its regulations as well as those of the mobility programme within the framework of which the study period is done.

h) To follow the travel advice of the authorities responsible for foreign affairs.

i) To carry out the mobility activities at the destination university within the period, for the duration and with the content set out in the learning agreement, and to notify the academic mobility coordinator of their school of origin and the Office of the Vice-rector or the entity managing the mobility programme of any change to their study period, e.g., renouncing the place, cancelling or adding subjects, changing study period dates, etc., as soon as possible. To also notify any relevant change to personal details for the management of the mobility programme (e-mail address, bank details, etc.).

j) To provide proof of having carried out the mobility study period and of having fulfilled the minimum requirements of academic achievement within the periods and in the manner set out in the respective call.

k) To do assessments of the mobility study period done at the host university or entity.

l) To bear the costs stemming from the study period, e.g., for travel, insurance, visas, accommodation and board, etc.

m) To repay all or part of the grant received when asked to do so in the event of renouncing, or the withdrawal of, the place, of not providing proof of having done the study period, or of reducing the study period.

n) If additional grants have been obtained within the framework of other calls, to fulfil the corresponding institution’s obligations of providing the necessary proof.

o) To send all the administrative documentation required of them to the Office of the Vice-rector or the entity managing the mobility programme in accordance with the call for the corresponding programme and within the periods established by the latter before, during and after the study period.

Non-fulfilment of these obligations for unjustified reasons shall determine the withdrawal of the mobility place, the repayment of awarded grants and penalisation in subsequent calls for mobility under the terms established in each call.

Should the destination university give notification of a UdL student’s inappropriate behaviour, the UdL disciplinary procedure shall be applied under the same terms as if the facts and/or events had occurred at the UdL, regardless of the measures adopted by the destination university.

Chapter II. Student selection procedure

Article 12. General requirements and criteria

Besides the specific requirements set out in the rules of each call, the following are the minimum requirements for the purpose of being able to take part in a mobility programme:

a) Students must be registered on a UdL official degree when the place is applied for, and also during the study period.

b) They must have the minimum number of credits required by the corresponding call.

c) They must accredit their level of knowledge of the academic or working language of the destination university in the cases and under the terms specified in the rules of the corresponding call in order to ensure that advantage is taken of the study period.

d) They must not fall into any of the following circumstances:

a. Be registered at the UdL as an incoming mobility student.

b. Be registered at another university and take, at the UdL, part of the studies corresponding to inter-university degrees in which the UdL participates.

Article 13. Calls for mobility places

After listening to the CRIM, the Office of the Vice-rector publishes calls for mobility places, both those it calls directly and those that other institutions call with the UdL’s participation. The rules of calls for mobility approved by the UdL must at least contain the following information:

a) The conditions pertaining to the places offered: destination, duration, academic and language requirements, eligible degrees and any other aspect that may be determined.

b) The general requirements of each programme or agreement, and the specific requirements for being able to apply for a mobility place.

c) The period and place for, and way of, submitting applications.

d) The selection criteria and the procedure for awarding mobility places.

e) The body responsible for resolving on the award of mobility places, and the period and means of publication of the resolution.

f) The appeals that the persons concerned may lodge against the call and against the resolutions issued in the procedure.

g) The period for, and way of, providing proof of having done the mobility study period.

h) The specific measures to facilitate the participation of students with special needs and other specific needs for educational support, as well as students with fewer opportunities due to socio-economic or other factors.

i) Data protection clauses.

Article 14. Nomination and acceptance by the host university or entity

The award of a mobility place by the UdL does not entail automatic acceptance by the host university or entity. After a place has been accepted, the Office of the Vice-rector provides the host university or entity with the data of the student it has selected, and said host university or entity shall proceed to admit her/him as a mobility student. The fulfilment of any additional requirements set by each school for the definitive admission of the student is the responsibility of said student.

If, for reasons not attributable to the student, the host university cancels the offer of a place or does not accept the person that the UdL has nominated, the Office of the Vice-rector, in conjunction with the academic mobility coordinator of the corresponding school, shall try to find a place for the student at another university as quickly as possible.

Chapter III. Carrying out the study period

Article 15. Study period duration

The study period at the host university or entity cannot be longer than a full academic year unless the mobility programme specifically allows it to be.

If the rules of the call so permit, a student may apply to extend her/his study period at the destination university within the established periods. The extension of a study period may only be accepted if the following requirements are met:

a) The limits of the UdL academic calendar are respected for the academic year in which the study period has been awarded.

b) The initially awarded mobility modality is maintained.

The approval of such an extension requires having the approval of the destination university or entity and of the academic mobility coordinator of the school where the student is taking her/his studies, of which it/she/he must notify the Office of the Vice-rector.

Any student extending her/his mobility study period must sign the amendment to the learning agreement, which shall include the subject areas or credits that she/he will be taking during the study period extension.

The rights and duties contained in Articles 10 and 11 are also applicable to the study period extension.

The acceptance of the study period extension at the host university or entity shall be for academic purposes only. The extension of the financial grant shall depend on the rules of the call and budget availability.

Article 16. Renunciation

Any student wishing to renounce an awarded mobility place must do so in a reasoned manner in accordance with the corresponding call for mobility, which must also regulate the conditions for, and consequences of, renunciation.

As a general rule, renouncing a place entails exclusion from the call. The renunciation of an already accepted place without a force majeure reason may be deemed a criterion for penalising or rejecting applications from the renouncing student in subsequent calls for mobility places.

Renouncing a mobility place entails the automatic cancellation of the corresponding financial grants, and the obligation to reimburse them in accordance with Article 11.

Article 17. Schools’ specific programmes

In the case of a school’s specific programmes, the exercise of the competences and functions that these regulations attribute to the office of the vice-rector responsible for international relations corresponds to the dean or director of the school where the students are taking their studies, who shall annually inform the office of the vice-rector about the implementation and results of the programmes for statistical and UdL international activity coordination purposes.

Chapter IV. Academic recognition

Article 18. Competence

The competence to issue resolutions on the academic recognition of studies taken during international mobility corresponds to the dean or director of the school, who may delegate it to the corresponding academic mobility coordinator.

Article 19. Principles of academic recognition

The academic recognition of studies taken during international mobility is governed by the following principles:

a) The principle of integrating mobility into the educational offering.

Schools ensure the academic viability of mobility by checking that the study offering at destination universities is suited to their students educational needs, which are established in the academic planning for each degree, and to the requirements set for achieving and recognising studies taken during the international mobility study period. Schools assess such suitability before signing each specific mobility agreement, and regularly review it during the lifetime of the agreement in order to propose any relevant changes, where applicable.

b) Principle of full recognition

In general, all of a programme of study’s credits are liable to recognition regardless of their nature, including bachelor’s and master’s theses.

For full recognition of the knowledge and competencies acquired, the joint educational value of the academic activities carried out shall be prioritised over the identity between subjects and programmes and an exact equivalence of credits.

In compulsory subject credit recognition, attempts must be made to ensure a high level of correspondence with either equivalent subjects or a combination of several subjects at the destination university. Optional subject credits may be recognised by credits taken at the destination university that have some relationship to the orientation and curriculum of each student.

UdL schools have autonomy to adapt the application of this principle to their degrees by means of their own mobility regulations. Such regulations must not contradict what is stipulated in these regulations, and they must be approved by the Studies Committee of the corresponding school, as well as by the International Relations and Mobility and the Academic Planning committees.

c) Principle of automatic recognition

The academic activities contained in the learning agreement and carried out at the destination university are automatically recognised and incorporated into a student’s academic record at the UdL after her/his study period has ended and the corresponding transcript of records has been received. Any activities accredited by the host university that do not form part of the learning agreement may be recognised as a cross-disciplinary subject area.

The mobility programmes in which a student has taken part are included in the European diploma supplement, as are her/his academic results.

Article 20. Formalisation of the learning agreement

A learning agreement is formalised after the UdL has selected a student to take part in an international academic mobility programme in accordance with the requirements of the corresponding call.

1. Depending on how each school is organised, the student must submit a learning agreement proposal either directly to the academic mobility coordinator of a school or, in schools where such a figure does not exist, to the academic mobility coordinator of a degree. The student and the academic coordinator must agree on a learning agreement proposal, which must include the credits that will taken at the destination university and by which UdL credits they will be recognised. This recognition proposal should preferably be made by competencies acquired in the largest possible units (whole academic year, whole semester, modules, subject blocks, etc.).

2. In the case of a doctoral degree or in other instances where a credit transfer cannot be established, the learning agreement must specify the educational units that will be taken in the destination and by which UdL units they will be recognised.

3. Exceptionally and on reasoned grounds, each school’s regulations may set out the cases in which, and with what limitations, credits previously graded as a fail should be excluded from the learning agreement.

4. For credits taken during mobility, neither the prior requirements nor the incompatibilities set out in the programme of studies of the UdL degree are taken into account.

5. The academic mobility coordinator of a school resolves on the learning agreement proposal and either signs it jointly with the student** or, **where applicable, refuses to sign it on reasoned grounds within a period of one month from the time when the student submits the proposal.

6. Once signed by the student and the academic mobility coordinator, the learning agreement must be sent to the mobility coordinator at the destination university by means of the procedure set out in the corresponding mobility programme.

7. The learning agreement must be signed by all three parties before the start of the study period unless the corresponding mobility programme establishes otherwise.

8. The duly signed learning agreement is binding for the purposes of recognition at the UdL and becomes part of the student’s academic record.

Article 21. Number of credits that can be included in a learning agreement

Students doing mobility study periods are deemed full-time students, which, depending on the level of the degree, translates into the following situations:

a) Bachelor’s or master’s degree students: as a general rule, the number of credits covered by the learning agreement must be proportional to the duration of the study period, in accordance with the UdL Continuance Regulations. Exceptionally, when the regulations of the corresponding mobility programme so permit, learning agreements containing fewer credits may be authorised when that number represents the totality of credits not passed but which need to be passed to obtain the certificate.

b) Doctoral degree students: the procedure for recognising these students’ international mobility study periods is established by the Doctoral School.

Article 22. Limit on credits that can be taken during mobility

As a general rule, the maximum limit on a degree’s credits that can be recognised on international mobility programmes is 50% of the credits of a UdL degree for which a student is registered, without prejudice to other specific rules that may have been approved within the framework of a specific degree or of double, multiple or joint degree programmes.

Article 23. Amendments to the learning agreement

1. During a study period at the destination university, a student may ask the academic mobility coordinator of her/his school to amend the learning agreement if the academic activities set out in the initial document become inappropriate or unviable.

2. After they have been formalised, amendments to the learning agreement become part of the learning agreement and are binding on the parties for recognition purposes. As a general rule, only one amendment per teaching period at the host university is allowed. The student may request such an amendment within a maximum period of one month from the start of the semester or equivalent teaching period at the destination university. Excluded from this limitation are cases of academic incompatibility detected after an amendment has been made.

3. The academic mobility coordinator of the school resolves on the amendment and either signs the definitive learning agreement or refuses to sign it on written reasoned grounds within a period of 15 days from the formalisation of the request, and informs the office of the secretary of her/his school thereof.

4. When an amendment to the learning agreement entails an alteration to registration at the UdL, the office of the academic secretary of the school shall formalise it at the student’s request. If such an amendment affects the public prices, the student must pay the corresponding additional amounts within the established period, or may request the corresponding refund.

Article 24. Procedure for the recognition of studies taken during international mobility

1. Within a maximum period of one month from receipt of the transcript of records, the academic mobility coordinator of the school, as delegated by the dean or director, must sign the mobility record, thereby automatically recognising the studies taken at the destination university.

2. This record must show all the modules, subject areas and/or subjects taken at the destination university in accordance with the learning agreement and its amendments, pursuant to Article 23, as well as the grades obtained in accordance with the criteria and equivalences set out in Article 25.

3. In accordance with this record, the office of the academic secretary must incorporate the recognition of credits and the corresponding grades into the student’s academic record.

4. Any academic activities certified by the host university that do not form part of the learning agreement may be recognised as a cross-disciplinary subject area.

5. Appeals against academic recognition resolutions issued in accordance with these regulations may be lodged before the rector.

6. Excluded from this procedure are those cases of short duration mobility, in which recognition is done directly because mobility is integrated into the subject area taught at the UdL.

Article 25. Grade conversion

Grade conversion is carried out by the academic mobility coordinator of the school, or the coordinators of degrees as delegated by her/him, in accordance with the previous Article and with the system set out in the ECTS Guide in force, based on the statistical distribution of grades awarded for degrees at the universities of origin and destination. If the necessary data are unavailable, the following criteria must be applied:

a) As a general rule, credits corresponding to subjects taken during mobility, including bachelor’s and master’s theses and curricular external academic placements, are graded by directly transferring the grade obtained under the assessment system of the destination university, in accordance with the equivalence table for average grades in university studies completed at schools abroad issued by Spain’s former Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (Appendix II of the Resolution of 18 September 2017, updating the list of scales of the Directorate-General for University Policy). Since the conversion of foreign grades only takes into account the range from 5.00 to 10.00, it is established that an ungraded fail at a foreign university corresponds to a 3.00 grade in the UdL’s records.

b) When certificates issued by the host university do not reflect the result and/or grade of a component of the learning agreement, the academic recognition resolution must state absent against said component.

c) The grade obtained in a UdL subject that is recognised as several subjects at the destination institution shall be the weighted average of the grades and the corresponding credits, provided that, in the coordinator’s opinion, all of the competencies foreseen in the UdL subject have been achieved.

d) In order to get a “with distinction” mention, it is necessary to fulfil the corresponding requirements set out in the Regulations for the Assessment and Grading of Student Learning on Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at the UdL, and the university lecturer at the destination university must also certify that the grade obtained by the student is among the top 5% of her/his class.

e) Until the conversion of the grades has been done, the certificate issued by the host university may be considered valid in the university’s own calls.

Article 26. Academic achievement

When more than 50% of the credits taken during mobility are recognised as a fail or absent, the Office of the Vice-rector may decide, after listening to the student and the academic mobility coordinator of the school, that the grant received should be fully or partially reimbursed and that the student be excluded from UdL calls for mobility in the following academic year.

Article 27. Alternative assessment

If a student has registered for subjects of her/his degree at the UdL outside of the learning agreement or has applied for alternative assessment because she/he is at the destination university during the corresponding teaching period, she/he shall have the right to a single final assessment in accordance with the Regulations for the Assessment and Grading of Student Learning on Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at the UdL.

Title IV. Incoming international mobility students

Chapter I. Rights and duties

Article 28. Rights and duties of incoming mobility students

1. As a general rule, during their study periods at the UdL, incoming mobility students have the same rights and the same obligations as UdL students.

2. Incoming international mobility students are under the obligation to have health insurance with at least the level of cover required by each programme, or the level of cover determined by the Office of the Vice-rector, for the entire study period at the UdL.

3. They are also under the obligation to carry out all the legal procedures set out in the regulations in force for foreign nationals depending on their provenance and the study period duration and modality.

4. In accordance with the UdL academic regulations, in order to guarantee equality of opportunity in access to the curriculum for students with disabilities, the UdL shall make curricular adaptations for students with disabilities based on each specific case via the Programa UdLxTothom, taking specific and appropriate measures.

Article 29. Language proficiency

1. Incoming international mobility students must have sufficient language knowledge to take part in the learning activities for which they have registered at the UdL.

2. The Office of the Vice-rector is responsible for setting the minim language levels that, as a general rule, incoming mobility students must have, and for stipulating how they should accredit them. Schools may ask the Office of the

Vice-rector to authorise the compulsory nature of fulfilling the specific language proficiency accreditation requirements for certain degrees, programmes or specific activities.

3. The Office of the Vice-rector and the Language Institute are the bodies charged with adopting, both before and during the study period, the necessary measures to facilitate mobility students’ language integration into the university community and to encourage the learning and use of the official languages by this group.

4. Pursuant to Article 4 of the UdL Statutes, which establishes that Catalan is the UdL’s own and institutional language and, therefore, the language normally used in its activities, schools must ensure that the incorporation of incoming mobility students into teaching activity does not represent an alteration to language uses or a reduction in the number of lectures taught in Catalan stipulated in the course guides for the subjects.

5. The presence of international mobility students is an opportunity to promote language diversity. The Language Institute, in cooperation with the Office of the Vice-rector, must foster these students’ participation in language diversity promotion activities for the enrichment of the entire university community. Whenever possible, schools should also make the most of international mobility students’ presence to encourage the use of third languages in their academic activities.

Chapter II. Incoming international mobility student regime

Article 30. Admission

1. Students from other countries’ universities who meet the requirements set out in international mobility programmes or agreements signed by the UdL and who have been selected and nominated by their university of origin or by the entity responsible for the programme may spend academic study periods at the UdL to take partial studies.

2. The universities of origin or the entities responsible for the programme submit the nomination of students selected to do a study period within the period and in the manner established by the UdL to the Office of the Vice-rector or, where applicable, to the corresponding school, together with the learning agreements signed by the student and the mobility coordinator of the universities of origin and, where applicable, the corresponding language accreditation and all other documents required by the Office of the Vice-rector.

3. The UdL academic mobility coordinator of a school is charged with reviewing the learning agreement and, where applicable, proposing any necessary changes to adapt it to the study offering at the UdL. Based on this document and, where applicable, language accreditation, she/he either signs the certificate of admission to the UdL or rejects it in a reasoned manner, as delegated by the dean or director of a school.

4. The Office of the Vice-rector sends the schools a list of admitted students, on the basis of which the offices of the secretary register the students.

5. In general, incoming international mobility students are exempt from paying the public prices at the UdL, except the insurance fee, without prejudice to the fact that each specific mobility programme may decide on specific conditions in this regard.

6. Acceptance as an incoming international mobility student does not mean admission to a degree to obtain the corresponding academic certificate at the UdL.

Article 31. Academic offering

1. At the UdL, an incoming international mobility student may take credits corresponding to modules, subject areas or subjects of any nature, be it theoretical or practical, offered on official bachelor’s or postgraduate degrees, from the branch or branches of knowledge and at the level corresponding to her/his degree of origin, under the terms set out in the specific mobility agreement signed with the UdL.

2. The credits included in the learning agreement must correspond to the study period at the UdL.

3. The UdL Centre of Continuing Education’s degrees are excluded from the offering available to mobility students, without prejudice to the fact that certain specific agreements may allow entry to them under certain conditions.

4. The academic mobility coordinator of the corresponding school may authorise an incoming international mobility student to combine bachelor’s and master’s degree studies if the structure of the programme at her/his university of origin so warrants.

5. An international mobility student may include modules, subject areas or subjects from more than one UdL school in her/his learning agreement. The academic mobility coordinator of the school where the knowledge area related to the teaching covered by the specific mobility agreement is carried out must coordinate with the coordinators of the other schools involved in order to evaluate and approve the learning agreement.

6. It is the schools’ responsibility to do the necessary planning to ensure the availability of places for incoming mobility students welcomed on validated subjects during the admission process.

In exceptional cases, which must be objectively justified on teaching grounds, schools may request, in a reasoned manner, the Office of the Vice-rector’s authorisation to limit admission to certain modules, subject areas, subjects or courses. This request must be submitted within the same period as the one established for the group structure proposal of the teaching plan for the corresponding academic year, and the Office of the Vice-rector resolves on it in coordination with the office of the dean or director of the school to which each specific subject area belongs.

If a limit on places is authorised, schools must put forward the criteria for awarding the offered places. These criteria must be authorised by the Office of the Vice-rector and must be made public well enough in advance.

Article 32. Academic conditions

1. Each school must establish the appropriate measures to ensure the orientation, supervision and monitoring of incoming mobility students. For administrative purposes, incoming mobility students are attached to the UdL school where they register for the highest number of subject areas.

2. The maximum number of credits that incoming mobility students may take at the UdL is proportional to the study period duration, without prejudice to the specific conditions set out in the double, multiple or joint degree agreements.

3. As a general rule, the status of incoming mobility students is that of full-time students at the UdL and they must therefore adhere to the ordinary assessment systems set out in the course guides for the subjects for which they have registered.

Exceptionally, when there is a manifest incompatibility in the educational activity timetable, they may apply for alternative assessment, which is a modality provided for in the Regulations for the Assessment and Grading of Student Learning on Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at the UdL. Such an application must be accompanied by a favourable report from the academic mobility coordinator of the school.

Article 33. Transcript of records

1. On completion of the study period, and based on the grades contained in the academic record, the office of the academic secretary of the school to which the mobility student is attached issues an official transcript of records that, besides a student’s personal details, includes the name of the mobility programme within the framework of which the student has taken her/his studies, the registered subject areas and the grades obtained in accordance with the grading system in force at the UdL.

2. The school must submit said transcript of records to the student who has taken the studies and to the Office of the Vice-rector within a maximum period of one month from the end of the period for delivering assessment results and grades from the school or schools where she/he has taken studies.

3. The Office of the Vice-rector must submit a copy of the grades certificate together with a certificate showing the dates when the student arrived at and left the UdL to the mobility student’s university of origin.

4. The Language Institute must submit certificates for the language courses that the student has passed during her/his study period at the UdL to the student.

Chapter III. Specific free mover regime

Article 34. Admission

1. Foreign students wishing to spend a temporary bachelor’s or postgraduate degree study period at the UdL as free movers must apply for admission to the Office of the Vice-rector. The Office of the Vice-rector shall establish the manner in which, and periods within which, applications must be submitted, as well as the specific requirements for, or limits on, admissions to certain degrees or schools, where applicable.

2. Students who meet the following requirements may spend academic study periods at the UdL to take part of their bachelor’s or postgraduate degree studies as free movers:

a) Have university student status in the country of provenance.

b) Have taken at least 60 ECTS credits, or equivalent, in bachelor’s degree studies at the time of starting the study period.

c) Are unable to spend the study period at the UdL within the framework of a specific student mobility agreement with her/his university of origin because none exists, because it is not open to her/his degree or because the university of origin has filled all the places provided for in the agreement.

d) Have health insurance with at least the level of cover determined by the Office of the Vice-rector for the entire study period at the UdL.

3. The Office of the Vice-rector resolves on admission in accordance with the dean or director of the school, taking into account the proposed learning agreement, that the accredited level of studies is sufficient to take the requested studies at the UdL and that the student has adequate language knowledge.

4. When the study period at the UdL is longer than an academic year, the student will need to renew the application by following the procedures established for the first admission.

Article 35. Academic and administrative conditions

1. Free movers may take credits corresponding to modules, subject areas or subjects authorised by the academic mobility coordinator of the school where they are taught.

2. Free movers must pay the specific public prices that are established annually by the UdL for registration and for the administrative management of the academic record, unless otherwise stipulated in the UdL acceptance resolution.

3. As a general rule, the number of credits that free movers may take at the UdL must be proportional to the study period duration, with a maximum limit of

50% of the credits needed to obtain the certificate in accordance with the corresponding programme of studies.

4. On completion of the study period and once the corresponding grades are available and validated, the student may apply to the office of the secretary of the school for an official academic certificate, which must include the name of the programme (UdL visiting students programme), the student’s personal details, the registered subject areas, the grades obtained in accordance with the grading system in force at the UdL, and an express mention of the fact that this certificate does not have academic purposes at the UdL. For this certificate to be issued, the corresponding public price must be paid.

5. In regard to anything not provided for in this chapter, the same regime as the one in the previous chapter (Incoming international mobility student regime) shall apply.

Title V. Other international mobility period modalities

Chapter I. International placements

Article 36. Outgoing students on placement abroad

1. Placements abroad are governed by the UdL regulations for external academic placements, the rules of each placement programme where applicable, and legislation governing placements in the host country.

2. In international academic mobility programmes that include the possibility of doing placements, the management thereof corresponds to the Office of the Vice-rector in collaboration with the office of the vice-rector responsible for placements.

These placements must be academically recognised, preferably in subjects or ECTS credits in a student’s academic record, and, whenever possible, they should appear in the European diploma supplement.

Article 37. Incoming international students on placement at the UdL

1. International mobility students at the UdL with placements included in their learning agreements are governed by the regime set out in Chapter II of Title IV and by the UdL regulations for external academic placements.

These students are under the obligation to take out the UdL’s compulsory insurance in order to get health care and accident and civil liability cover for the entire period spent at the UdL. The responsibility for taking out this insurance falls to the student her/himself.

They are also under the obligation to carry out all the legal procedures set out in the regulations in force for foreign nationals depending on their provenance and the mobility period modality.

To facilitate recognition at the university of origin, they have the right to be issued with a certificate of the placement done, detailing its duration, the tasks carried out and the competencies acquired.

2. The regime for international students hosted exclusively to do placements at the UdL is the one set out in the regulations for external academic placements at the UdL and the rules governing placements in Spain.

Chapter II. International volunteering

Article 38. International volunteering period regime

1. International mobility periods to carry out university volunteering activities are governed by the corresponding call and, subsidiarily, by these regulations.

2. The management of these international periods to carry out university volunteering activities corresponds to the unit responsible for university development cooperation at the UdL.

3. Students taking part in international volunteering activities must be covered by the health and travel insurance policies set out in Article 11. Similarly, they must also adhere to the security recommendations made by the authority responsible for foreign affairs.

4. The activities carried out within the framework of international volunteering periods are certified by the host entity and, whenever possible, they should be recognised by ECTS credits in a student’s academic record.

First additional provision

The Office of the Vice-rector is empowered to adopt all the necessary measures to interpret and implement these regulations.

It is the responsibility of the dean or director of the UdL school where the mobility student is registered to resolve individual cases of an academic nature that are not provided for in these regulations.

Second additional provision

For the purposes of the mobility management periods set out in these regulations, and bearing in mind the diversity of academic calendars of partner universities, the end of each academic year is set at 30 September.

Third additional provision

These regulations are applicable to students’ non-international academic mobility programmes until such time as the UdL’s own regulations for such programmes are approved.

Derogatory provision

The regulations for visiting students approved by Agreement no. 87/2004 of the Governing Council on 28 April 2004, approving the regulations for visiting students and the criteria for setting the corresponding payment fee (Official Gazette of the University of Lleida no. 54, of April 2004) are repealed.

All regulations of the same or lower rank that contradict the present regulations are also repealed.

Final provision

These regulations come into force the day after their publication in the Official Gazette of the University of Lleida.