Participants earning Academic Credit for the ISV program

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I apply for academic credit?
Print out the course syllabusfrom http://www.isvonline.com/academiccredit.html and take this to your course supervisor at your university and confirm with them you are able to accept credits from RMIT. Then contact Robyne Drysdale at RMIT - robyne.drysdale@rmit.com.au or (03) 9925 3950 and ask her for an enrolment pack. This needs to be completed and returned to Robyne directly. Once you receive confirmation of your enrolment, email isvaustralia@isvonline.com to confirm with us that you have enrolled for academic credit with RMIT.

How will I know if the credits are transferable to my home university?
All participants wishing to register for the Academic Credit option are responsible for determining whether the credits are transferable to their home university (e.g. get permission for the transfer of credits). This must be done BEFORE registering for credit. Participants should take a copy of the relevant program syllabus (Natural Resources Management OR Community Development) to their academic advisor as early as possible to determine transferability.

Where do the credits transfer from?
ISV works in conjunction with universities in different countries in order to optimise the opportunities for all students internationally. University students in Australia and New Zealand are eligible to earn academic credit from RMIT in Melbourne.

How will I know the course requirements?
All participants registered for academic credit for their participation in the ISV program can access the course syllabus for their chosen program (the Natural Resources Management Program or the Community Development Program) at any time via the ISV website at http://www.isvonline.com/academiccredit.html.  The course requirements are clearly indicated in each syllabus, so participants should read through this carefully before departing for their program. Participants must also bring along a copy of the syllabus to their host country for reference.

Which syllabus should I use for my program?
There are two syllabi posted for the two areas upon which the volunteer projects are focused: Natural Resources Management (NRM), and; Community Development (CD). Presently, for all programs offered in New Zealand, the NRM syllabus is the appropriate one. For programs in the Dominican Republic, students must use the CD syllabus. Both focus areas are applicable in Costa Rica and Thailand. If you are travelling to one of these countries and are unsure which syllabus applies to your specific volunteer project, please contact us ASAP at isvaustralia@isvonline.com.

Who can I contact if I have any questions about the academic credit program?
There are several answers to this depending on the nature of the question. If participants have a question regarding Academic Credit only, such as enrolment, fees, deadline, transfers, transcript, and refunds, they should contact Robyne Drysdale at RMIT at robyne.drysdale@rmit.com.au.  If the question is related to the volunteer project, the course requirements, essay due dates, etc., then participants should contact ISV by email to isvaustralia@isvonline.com and their question will be forwarded to the correct person. In addition, the ISV Project Leader (Instructor) will contact each participant via email a few weeks prior to departure, to introduce her/himself. Participants are encouraged to ask her/him questions about the course requirements for the volunteer portion of the program. Participants are also required to submit a group discussion outline to their Project Leader at least one week prior to departure to their host country.

Will registering for Academic Credit determine which volunteer project I can participate in?
While all ISV volunteer projects have an educational component, participants receiving credit for their participation will be allocated to projects which have the greatest educational merit, with specially chosen instructors who have the necessary qualifications to assess the work. It is possible that this could result in a participant not being allocated to their first/specific project preference.

How does my home university receive a transcript of my grade?
All participants registered for Academic Credit will receive a transcript at the end of their course from RMIT University (not ISV). Participants then take this to their home university.

Will I receive an alphabetical or numerical grade?
ISV participants will receive both a numerical and alphabetical grade. The alphabetical grade is in the form of high distinction, distinction, credit, pass, fail.

How/Where/When do I submit my essay?
The essay must be sent via email as an attachment in MS Word format to the following address: isvaustralia@isvonline.com.  Participants should NOT send their essays to the University. All essays are due no later than 42 days after the completion of the two week ISV volunteer project, regardless of the date the participant returns home.

How will I know if my essay was received once I have submitted it?
If the participant does not get a confirmation email that the essay was received within a week of submitting it, they should notify ISV and resend the essay from the original email so that ISV has the correct date that the essay was sent. Participants are responsible for making sure that the essay was received by the due date, and must ensure that they receive an email confirmation of receipt from ISV.

Who will grade my course work?
The Project Leader/Instructor will be responsible for assessing the participant’s work for the duration of the volunteer project (daily field journal, discussions and evaluation of participation). Grading of all essays falls under the responsibility of the ISV Instructor of Record. Participants should note that all course work will be assessed by the same standards as employed in any upper division university course. Evidence of plagiarism will result in a zero grade for the essay and failure of the course.

What if I do not have Microsoft Word on my computer for writing my essay?
Participants must make every effort to use a school or other computer with access to MS Word, as this is the most widely used program for electronic documents. If there are no other options, participants should paste the essay into the actual text of the email or save it and submit it in TEXT format (.txt). However, this should only be a last resort, as all formatting will be lost. Any essay that ISV cannot open will be retuned to the participant, along with a request to re-submit it in a different format.

How important is it to have a Bibliography in my essay, since most of the information will be from my own experience?
It is essential to have citations within the essay as well as a Bibliography of supporting references at the end of the essay. Conducting independent research in the primary literature and using supporting references in the essay is a requirement (participants should consult the course syllabus for details on minimum reference requirements, as well as formatting guidelines) and any essays submitted without references or a Bibliography will not receive a good grade.

What happens if my essay is late?
ISV is under no obligation to accept later essay submissions. However, if an essay will be late, participants must contact ISV PRIOR to the due date with an explanation. Late essays MAY be accepted on a case-by-case basis, but will be subject to late penalties. Participants are strongly encouraged to back-up their essay as it is being written, and to save a copy once it has been submitted. Loss of the essay due to carelessness is not a sufficient excuse for late submissions.

Who assigns my final grade?
Final grades will be determined by the ISV Instructor of Record (not the Project Leader/Instructor) based upon the compilation of the individual program component assessments (participants are directed to the course syllabus for a breakdown of the final grade). Final grades will be communicated to individual participants and their home university by RMIT. ISV is not involved in sending or requesting transcripts and final grades will not be available from ISV directly.