§ 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 traineeships under the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility Programme between Programme countries, hereinafter referred to as the Erasmus+ Programme.
2. Mobility for traineeships under Erasmus+ Programme is not possible for students of postgraduate studies.
3. Mobility traineeships under the Erasmus+ Programme may be carried out also by University graduates. Graduate mobility for traineeships may be carried out within one year after the completion of studies, yet not longer than by the end of life of the relevant financial agreement of the Erasmus+ Programme in a given academic year. Duration of traineeships stay shall be included in the total the mobility duration in a cycle of studies concerned, when a student is recruited for the mobility. Recruitment is made in the last year of studies.
4. In the1st, 2nd and 3rd cycles of studies, the student/graduate has a right to use mobility or mobilities comprising for studies and traineeships jointly of up to 12 months within one cycle of studies (the Erasmus/Erasmus+ Programme).
5. A student/graduate of uniform Master’s studies has a right to mobility or mobilities lasting jointly for studies and traineeships up to 24 months (the Erasmus/Erasmus+ Programme), with reservation of clause 3.
6. Traineeships may be carried out only in the countries formally authorised to participate in the Erasmus+ Programme among the Programme countries.
7. Traineeships may be carried out in foreign institutions, e.g. companies/firms, research and development centers, non-profit organisations and other. Traineeship under the Erasmus+ Programme may not be carried out in institutions of the European Union or in institutions responsible for management of Union programmes, or Polish diplomatic posts abroad. If traineeships are carried out at another university, such university needs to possess a valid Erasmus Charter (Erasmus Charter of Higher Education - ECHE), granted by the European Commission.
8. The minimum time of mobility for traineeships abroad is 2 months, i.e. at least 60 subsequent calendar days.
9. A participant accepted for mobility for traineeships under Erasmus+ Programme needs to fulfil the following formal criteria:
a) throughout the stay at the institution receiving for traineeships 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, or to be a graduate immediately after completion of a certain cycle of studies (up to 12 months after the date of completion studies);
b) at the time of the start of mobility the student needs to have at least the first year of studies of the 1st cycle credited (not applicable to graduates);
c) during the mobility he/she may not be on a dean’s leave or any other leave (not applicable to graduates).
10. The entire period of mobility for traineeship needs to be carried out within one type of a status of the mobility participant, i.e. the status of a student or the status of a graduate of the University.
11. 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 traineeships abroad. Possible exemptions from such payments shall be decided by relevant UMCS authorities.
12. Participants of the Erasmus+ Programme cover costs of travel to, local transport, boarding and accommodation, insurance and other personal costs during the period of traineeships 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 every year by the European Commission.
13. 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 traineeships abroad.
14. 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 financial support from the budget of the Erasmus+ Programme or financial support from the budget of the PO WER Programme for each month of stay abroad accepted by the university.
15. 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. In the case of graduates with special needs, funding of mobility shall be made under the Erasmus+ Programme.
§ 2. RECRUITMENT
1. Recruitment for traineeships under Erasmus+ Programme is carried out (individuals are accepted for mobility, regardless of its character, i.e. mobility of students or graduates, who at the time of submitting documents possess the status of a student in of given cycle of studies):
a. At the Faculty/Institute of the Faculty – if the Faculty/Institute at the Faculty of the UMCS has signed agreements concerning organisation of foreign traineeships. The term of recruitment is determined and announced and carried out by Faculty Coordinators on notice boards of a Faculty or by the University Coordinator of the Erasmus Programme at the UMCS on the Internet website (www.umcs.pl -> zone: Student -> Student exchange programme -> Erasmus -> SMP -traineeships). The conditions of recruitment are defined by particular Faculties and Institutes at specific Faculties in compliance with general conditions of participation in the Programme. Application documents to be submitted by the student to the recruitment committee shall include:
• a motivation letter, including the name of the institution where the student would like to carry out traineeship, planned term of stay and information concerning conformity of the traineeship subject-matter with the field of study;
• a document or a certificate about the command of a foreign language (not applicable to students of foreign departments); in the event of a lack of a certificate about knowledge of a foreign language, the Recruitment Committee may assess the command of a foreign language in an interview;
• a certificate about an average mark for all completed semesters in a given cycle of studies.
The conditions may include additional requirements provided by a given institution receiving for traineeships in a letter of intent or in a suitable agreement.
b. At the Office of the Erasmus Programme students may search for institutions, where they might carry out traineeships individually or with the Office assistance. Employees of the Office shall give the student any information concerning the possessed offers for traineeships in foreign institutions. In such a case a student submits within the term by 30 April each year a set of documents concerning the mobility in the following calendar year:
• a letter of intent signed by the receiving institution;
• a motivation letter with a consent to the mobility by the Faculty Coordinator and Dean;
• a certificate about the average mark for all completed semesters in a given cycle of studies;
• a document or a certificate about the command of a foreign language (not applicable to students of foreign departments); in the event of a lack of a certificate about knowledge of a foreign language, the Recruitment Committee may assess the command of a foreign language in an interview;
Applications for mobility for traineeships may be submitted after completion of the recruitment, referred to in clause 1. Documents of the candidates shall be examined on a first come first served basis and only when the UMCS has free funds of the Erasmus+ Programme designed for mobility for traineeships.
2. Faculty/Institute Committees shall make reports of the accomplished recruitment of students/graduates for foreign traineeships and transfer them to the Office.
3. In the event when funds allocated by the UMCS for funding mobilities for traineeships are insufficient, the precedence in allocation of funds for mobilities shall be given to candidates selected by the Faculty/Institute Committees based on relevant agreements or contracts.
4. 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.
5. Candidates admitted to recruitment at the Office of the Erasmus+ Programme at the UMCS have the right to appeal the decision of the Recruitment Committee to Deputy Rector competent to the Erasmus+ Programme (hereinafter referred to as Deputy Rector) within 7 days after announcement of recruitment results through the electronic mail.
§ 3. CARRYING OUT THE MOBILITY AND ITS FUNDING
1. Students accepted 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 accepted for traineeship under the Erasmus+ Programme, before departure, needs to agree the individual programme of traineeship in the form of a document „Learning Agreement for Traineeships”.
3. A student accepted for traineeship 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 included in the on-line language support, in which the student will carry out traineeship at the receiving institution. 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 of the Erasmus+ Programme (hereinafter referred to as the NA) shall be allocated for payment of the individual support for students/graduates going to traineeships abroad based on an agreement between a participant – student or graduate of the UMCS and Rector or Deputy Rector.
5. The UMCS may decide to pay the student/graduate 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/graduate of the required contractual documents concerning the mobility. Details in the principles of funding.
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 the requested mobility.
7. Mobility of a student 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. Mobility for traineeship under the Erasmus+ Programme may not be carried out if the term of the planned traineeship hinders obtainment of credits for the semester of studies in the term provided by the Study Regulations.
8. A student/graduate 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 termination of the Learning Agreement for Traineeships by the receiving institution.
§ 4. INSURANCE, ACCOMODATION AND TRAVELLING
1. A student/graduate shall be obliged to buy 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/graduate 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/graduate 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 traineeship is carried out.
4. A student/graduate 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/graduate shall be obliged to settle the mobility at the Office and at his/her Faculty in compliance with the principles defined by the Office and with the procedures binding at the Faculty/Institute.
2. A student/graduate should place at the Office within time limits specified in the mobility agreement for traineeships:
• a certificate about the accomplishment of the programme assumptions of the traineeship along with its assessment issued by the traineeship supervisor at the receiving institution (Learning Agreement for Traineeships/ Traineeship Certificate);
• a certificate including precise dates of the start and end of the traineeships at the receiving institution;
• complete a language test (if applicable);
• 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/graduate’s fault, of the accepted plan of traineeships included in the document Learning Agreement for Traineeships may result in a cancellation of the agreement and the obligation of the student/graduate to return the full or part of the funds paid to him/her from the Programme.
4. Failure to settle or incomplete settlement of mobility due to student’s/graduate’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/graduate the Office shall make the financial settlement of the financial support due to the student/graduate in compliance with the valid principles of the Erasmus+ Programme.
