§ 1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES
1. At the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (hereinafter referred to as the UMCS) each student: of higher full-time and part-time studies of the 1st cycle (undergraduate or engineering), the 2nd cycle (Master’s), uniform Master’s and the 3rd cycle (doctoral) regardless of the citizenship possessed may apply for student mobility abroad for studies under the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility Programme between Programme countries, hereinafter referred to as the Erasmus+ Programme.
2. Mobility for studies is possible only for the universities that have signed cooperation agreements under the Erasmus Programme with the UMCS, and more precisely a specific Faculty/Institute and that provide the exchange of students.
3. Both the home University, i.e. the UMCS, and the receiving university need to possess a valid Erasmus Charter (Erasmus Charter of Higher Education - ECHE), granted by the European Committee.
4. In each cycle of studies, i.e. 1st, 2nd and 3rd cycles, the student has a right to benefit from mobility or mobilities comprising for studies and traineeships jointly of up to 12 months within one cycle of studies. Yet, earlier mobilities under Erasmus and Erasmus+ are included in the total number of months.
5. The uniform Master’s studies entitle to mobilities of total duration up to 24 months. Yet, earlier mobilities under Erasmus and Erasmus+ are included in the total number of months.
6. The minimum time of mobility for studies abroad is 3 months, i.e. 90 immediately subsequent calendar days or the entire shortest cycle of teaching (e.g. a trimester), with reservation of point 10.
7. A student accepted for mobility under Erasmus+ Programme needs to fulfil the following formal criteria:
a) throughout the stay at the receiving university he/she needs to be registered as a student of the 1st cycle of studies, the 2nd cycle of studies, uniform Master’s studies or the 3rd cycle of studies;
b) at the time of the start of mobility he/she needs to be at least a student of the second year of studies of the 1st cycle;
c) during the mobility he/she may not be on a dean’s leave or any other leave.
8. The mobility requires that the student takes up full-time studies at the receiving University.
9. If an accepted student makes payments for studies at the UMCS, then he/she continues making such payments at the UMCS also throughout the period of carrying out studies abroad. Possible exemptions from such payments shall be decided by relevant UMCS authorities.
10. A student’s stay for studies at a receiving University may not be shorter than 3 months or the entire shortest cycle of studies (e.g. a trimester) and may not be longer than one and the same academic year. The minimum period of stay at the receiving university refers only to the period of studies and does not include the time of possible language or orientation support.
11. Participants of the Erasmus+ Programme do not incur costs for educational services at the receiving University resulting from the „Learning Agreement”, referred to in § 3 clause 2, yet they cover costs of travel to, local transport, boarding and accommodation, textbooks, insurance and other personal costs during the period of studies abroad. Accepted students may receive financial support from the European Commission whose aim is to provide a student with aid in funding costs of living abroad. The amount of funding is specified by the European Commission.
12. Payment of domestic scholarships (e.g. for low-income students, Rector’s scholarship for the best students, Rector’s scholarship), to which a UMCS student was eligible before the mobility, shall be continued throughout the student’s stay at a foreign receiving university.
13. Students going for studies abroad under the Erasmus+ Programme that due to a difficult material situation have the right to receive a scholarship for low-incomes students at the UMCS shall have the right, based on rules binding at the UMCS, to receive a social benefit under the Programme PO WER for each month of the stay abroad accepted by the university.
14. Students with special needs may apply, through the Erasmus Programme Office at the UMCS (Biuro ds. Obsługi Studiów i Studentów Zagranicznych Centrum Kształcenia i Obsługi Studiów, hereinafter referred to as the „Office”), for additional funding of the mobility due to their special needs based on rules binding in the Erasmus+ Programme. Funding of the mobility shall be made under the PO WER Programme.
§ 2. RECRUITMENT
1. Recruitment of students for studies under the Erasmus+ Programme is made at specific Faculties or Institutes of particular Faculties. Recruitment is announced and carried out by faculty coordinators to international cooperation or contact persons to the programme in institutes.
2. Information about recruitment is usually announced in February or March on notice boards of particular Faculties/Institutes and on the Office website (www.umcs.pl -> strefa: Student -> Student exchange programme -> Erasmus -> SMS student mobility -> Current offer).
3. Information about recruitment includes names and Internet addresses of universities that have signed cooperation agreements, and detailed information about conditions, terms and place of submission of applications for mobility for studies.
4. Candidates should submit applications to the Faculty (or Institute) Committee of the Erasmus+ Programme, including:
a) name of university, where a candidate would like to carry out studies, and the term of studies abroad,
b) a candidate’s motivation letter with presentation of subjects which the student wants to study abroad,
c) a calculated average mark in student record book for the whole period at the current cycle of studies; students of the 1st year of the 2nd and 3rd cycle of studies provide information about the average mark from the previous cycle of studies,
d) a certificate about a good command of a foreign language, in which the student will carry out studies abroad issued by a recognised certifying center (e.g. Cambridge, Goethe Institut, Centrum Nauczania i Certyfikacji Języków Obcych UMCS). The command of a relevant foreign language of students who fail to provide such a certificate shall be assessed based on an interview in a foreign language, or in the case of students of foreign departments based on a mark in practical knowledge of a relevant foreign language.
5. Faculty/institute committees shall carry out recruitment of students for studies abroad taking into account the provisions included in appropriate exchange agreements. The Committees may introduce additional recruitment criteria, the same for all candidates.
6. Faculty/institute committees shall make reports of the accomplished recruitment of students for studies and transfer them to the Office.
7. Candidates admitted to recruitment have the right to appeal the decision of the Recruitment Committee to Dean of the Faculty within 7 days after announcement of recruitment results.
8. § 3. CARRYING OUT THE MOBILITY AND ITS FUNDING
1. Students recruited by the faculty/institute committees should promptly contact the Office to take up further steps connected with application documents and funding of the mobility.
2. A student recruited for studies under the Erasmus+ Programme, before departure, needs to agree in consultation with the Faculty/Institute coordinator for the Erasmus+ Programme the individual programme of studies to be carried out in the form of a document „Learning Agreement” and prepare and send a set of application documents to the receiving university in due term and according to procedures required by the university concerned.
3. A student recruited for studies under the Erasmus+ Programme shall be obliged to complete an on-line language assessment test in a foreign language: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Danish, Greek, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, or other, specified by the National Agency of the Erasmus+ Programme), in which the student will carry out studies at the receiving university. A student completes the test before and after the end of the mobility period. Participants being native speakers of the abovementioned languages shall be exempted from this obligation.
4. Funds received from the National Agency shall be allocated for payment of individual support (funding) for students going for studies based on an agreement between the UMCS beneficiary-student and Rector or Deputy Rector competent for Erasmus+ Programme.
The UMCS may decide to pay the student a part of due funding of a half of the rate for the last month of mobility only after student’s return from abroad and an appropriate settlement by the student of the required contractual documents concerning the mobility.
5. The UMCS may agree to extend a student’s stay abroad under the Erasmus+ Programme. The student should present a new individual Learning Agreement to be carried out in the period of extension for acceptance by both receiving and home universities and receive a consent of the Dean/Deputy Rector of the Faculty at the UMCS for extension of his/her stay abroad without the need to return to the UMCS in order to have the 1st semester of studies credited of the academic year concerned. All documents connected with extension should be submitted at the Office at least one month before the end of the originally planned mobility period. Additional funding for the period of extension of stay at a foreign university is not ensured.
6. Individuals who have not settled appropriately the mobility carried out earlier under the Erasmus+ Programme, i.e. according to the financial agreement for the mobility and the rules of settlement of mobility specified in §5 shall not be able to receive funding from the Programme for a next mobility.
7. Mobility of a student abroad is possible only when the semester directly preceding the semester of the planned mobility has been fully credited for the student, or if the student has received a Dean’s consent to individual organisation of studies for the period of the mobility.
8. A student shall be obliged to immediately notify the Office about any events that may have an impact on carrying out of the mobility and in particular about his/her resignation from studies, being granted a leave, a removal from the list of the UMCS students or from the list of students of the receiving university.
§ 4. INSURANCE, ACCOMODATION AND TRAVELLING
1. A student shall be obliged to procure insurance for the mobility on his/her own (medical expenses insurance, accident insurance, civil liability insurance). The Office shall provide the student with any necessary assistance in selection of appropriate insurance.
2. A student shall decide individually about his/her accommodation abroad. The Office shall provide the student with any possible information concerning a selection of accommodation.
3. A student shall arrange and pay for his/her travel on his/her own. The Office shall provide the student with any possible information concerning travel arrangements to the location where the studies are carried out.
4. A student having Polish citizenship shall be obliged to register his/her mobility abroad in the Odyseusz service operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (https://odyseusz.msz.gov.pl).
§ 5. SETTLEMENT OF MOBILITY
1. A student shall be obliged to settle the scholarship mobility at the Office and at his/her Faculty in compliance with the agreement signed and the by-laws of the Faculty/Institute.
2. A student should submit at the Office within the time limits specified in the mobility agreement:
a. a copy of a certificate about received credits and examination passed at the receiving university (Transcript of Records); the original document should be transferred to the Dean’s Office;
b. a certificate about a stay at the receiving University, including precise dates of the start and end of the studies;
c. a Learning Agreement signed (after possible changes in the programme of studies) by a competent Deputy Dean of the Faculty concerned at the UMCS and coordinators of the home and receiving universities; and
d. complete a language test (if applicable);
e. complete the on-line EU Survey of a participant in the Erasmus+ Programme.
3. Failure to complete or an insufficient to a considerable degree completion, due to student’s fault, of the accepted plan of studies included in the document Learning Agreement may result in a cancellation of the agreement and the obligation of the student to return the full or part of the amount of the funds paid to him/her from the Erasmus+ Programme.
4. Failure to settle or incomplete settlement of mobility due to student’s fault results in the need to return full or a part of the funds paid within 14 days of the receipt of a call for return.
5. Based on the documentation submitted by the student the Office shall make the financial settlement of the individual support (funding) due to the student in compliance with the valid principles of the Erasmus+ Programme.
