CAUT has issued an informative guide for academic staff working overseas.

The new handbook is a free publication that features general advice on both short-term visits and longer-term secondments and provides an overview of the main employment, professional, equality and personal issues that Canada-based academic and academic-related staff may confront in the delivery of “offshore” programs.

Canadian universities and colleges are increasingly involved in this process, through the development of partnerships and franchising agreements with foreign institutions, or through the establishment of offshore campuses.

“The proliferation of cross-border education has created opportunities for academic staff to gain experience in a diverse range of international research, teaching, and training contexts, but overseas work should be held up to the same standards as academic staff expect in Canada,” said CAUT president Penni Stewart.

“Educational work abroad can be beneficial, but the decision to participate must be voluntary and the process adequately supported,” she added.

“There is a whole host of employment-related issues that CAUT’s guide addresses for international assignments and we hope our members find it a useful resource.”