Colciencias Grantee Guide

When we are applying to academic programs on your behalf, your main contact at LASPAU will be your placement or program coordinator. He or she will be available to answer any questions you have regarding your academic admission. Please see the Placement Staff section of the LASPAU website for your coordinator's contact details.

After You Arrive at Your University

Your main contact at LASPAU during your academic program will be your program advisor, who is available to help you with academic and personal matters, finances, immigration status, and return to your country. Your LASPAU program advisor will monitor your progress and provide counseling as necessary to ensure that you plan and complete your academic program. This program should meet both your needs and the expectations of your sponsors. Please see the Advising Staff section of the LASPAU website for your advisor's contact details.

Program advisors have responsibilities for specific countries and programs. We encourage you to consult with them early on, as this will help facilitate your academic program as well as your stay in your host country. Program advisors will also be in touch with you on a regular basis, to check on your progress and ask you to report on your work.

To ensure the most effective assistance, please inform us of changes in the following areas:

Email: This is the most effective way to communicate with LASPAU staff when you have questions on policies and procedures. Please send LASPAU your email address as soon as possible, preferably by email. If you handwrite your email address on your information sheet or another form, use lowercase letters and indicate the difference between potentially confusing characters, such as "-" (a hyphen) and "_" (an underscore), "o" (the letter) and "Ø" (the number), and "l" (the letter) and "1" (the number).

Phone calls: Please dial direct, rather than collect or person-to-person. If the staff member you need is not available, leave a voicemail message including your telephone number and area code and the hours when you can be reached. LASPAU staff members listen to their messages throughout the day and will call you back as soon as possible. Remember that most public telephones do not receive incoming calls, so if you want your call to be returned, be sure to find a phone where we can reach you.

Fax: LASPAU's fax number is 1-617-495-8990. Please be sure to add the international direct dialing prefix (for example, 00 or 01 in many countries) if you are sending us a fax from outside the United States. LASPAU has one fax number for the entire office, so it is important to include the name of the person you wish to contact on the front page of your fax.

University communities provide a wide variety of useful services. Resources provided specifically for students often complement rather than duplicate those offered by the community at large. It is to your benefit to take advantage of all the available resources, seeking out those that best meet your needs.

Most universities employ professionals who handle the specific concerns of international students. International or foreign student advisors, also known as overseas student counselors, are acquainted with government regulations affecting international students and with their special concerns. They are key people in addressing the personal and academic issues of international students. Through the international student office, you may also learn about other international students with whom you can share experiences and information; get advice on settling into your community and accessing university services; and seek counseling related to legal, academic, or personal concerns. LASPAU staff members communicate regularly with international student offices and will work with them to solve any problem you may encounter.

Inform the international student office of changes in your department or degree objective, address, and personal or financial status. When you finish your program, notify the international student office of your departure.

Academic Advisors

University departments usually assign each degree candidate an academic advisor, who assists with program planning. Interaction with your academic advisor can be one of the most rewarding parts of your program. Advisors are an excellent resource and can direct you to publications, conferences, and colleagues in your field. If you find that another professor's academic interests more closely relate to the objectives of your graduate program, you may wish to change advisors, but first consult with your LASPAU program advisor.

Your academic advisor will help you plan your program within the first few weeks of your studies. Should you need to request a major program change, you should seek your academic advisor's assistance, in consultation with your LASPAU program advisor.

Meeting with Your Academic Advisor

Academic advisors are of immeasurable help to international students; do not hesitate to consult yours throughout the course of your studies. However, professors have many obligations besides advising students, so it is important to respect their time constraints and availability. Remember, the quality can be as important as the quantity of time spent with your advisor. You may want to keep these points in mind:

Professors often have specific hours for meetings (office hours). If you can't make these scheduled periods, try to arrange a mutually convenient time.
Prepare your questions ahead of time.
If you require assistance with a LASPAU form or letter, fill out as much of the form as possible and perhaps even draft the letter for your professor.

If your advisor is unavailable or away for an extended period of time, another member of your department may be able to assist you. If your academic advisor changes during your program, please inform your program advisor at LASPAU as soon as possible.

You are in a unique position to accomplish two important academic goals while in your host country: you will expand and enhance your personal academic experience and expertise, and you will formulate a program of study that will benefit your home institution upon your return. Therefore, it is important that you develop a plan for communicating regularly with a contact at your home institution so that you can share information about your progress and the institution's needs and developments.

By keeping in touch with your home institution, you will be certain to fulfill their needs as expressed in your academic statement of purpose and their statement of support for your studies (the basis for your selection as a grantee). Your correspondence with faculty or administrators will help show them how your achievements can further their institutional development plans. It will also provide you with a source of current information for research you may conduct in your host country relating to your home institution or country. At the same time, you may be able to facilitate your institution's quest for academic or research information that is not readily available at home. When you return, you will be fully aware of your institution's growth and development during your absence and more readily able to adapt and relate your study abroad experience to your institutional responsibilities.

It is your responsibility to follow any special procedures or requirements for the renewal of your leave of absence. You will likely have a contract with your home institution that outlines your responsibilities during your program and indicates the position and terms of employment you can expect upon completion of your studies and your return home. Be sure to notify your home institution of all major academic and program-related issues, as well as the date by which you expect to return. As you near the end of your studies, we will ask you to write to your institution to confirm their reincorporation plans for you.

Before you leave for your exchange program, individuals at Colciencias can help you with questions and concerns, especially those regarding your funding contract. During your program you are required to provide reports on your academic progress in order to maintain your good status with Colciencias. They will also be interested in hearing about any articles you publish, conferences you attend, and other accomplishments.