New Form and Procedures
Social Sciences Division

The Provost’s Office has announced changes in how to bring someone to the University as a Visiting Scholar. Most significantly, there is a standard agreement for these relationships with the University. The new form “Agreement For Visiting Scholars” (PDF) can be found at the University of Chicago AdmiNet Forms. The new form has changed how to request and process Visiting Scholars.  

The new process took effect March 1, 2008 in the Social Sciences Division.

Processing steps for Visiting Scholars:

1.) Person who wants to become Visiting Scholar contacts faculty member (Sponsor) in the department to request his or her sponsorship.

2.) If she or he agrees, Sponsor writes a memo to Department Chair requesting approval of the visit.  The memo should explain the benefit of the association, state the begin and end dates of the visit, include a copy of the prospective visiting scholar’s letter and a current cv, and if applicable, the type and amount of allowable expenses to be reimbursed and the source of funding.  Visiting Scholars are not paid stipends or salary.

3.) Department Assistant uploads and completes the “Agreement For Visiting Scholars” and fills in the required information about the visit as provided by Sponsor in the letter to Department Chair.

4.) Department Assistant obtains Sponsor and Department Chair’s signatures on the form.

5.) Department Assistant forwards the form and cv to SSD Dean’s Office for Dean’s signature.

6.) Dean’s Assistant tracks and logs prospective Visiting Scholar into SSD’s appointment tracking system.

7.) Dean signs the form.

8.) Dean’s Assistant forwards the form and supporting documents to Provost’s Office for signature.

9.) Associate Provost signs the form and returns the approved form to SSD Dean’s Office.

10.) Dean’s Assistant tracks and logs the approval, generates a letter from the tracking system, sends the letter and original “Agreement For Visiting Scholars” to Department Assistant. (At this point the form has the signatures of the Sponsor, Chair, Dean and Provost only.)

11.) Chair notifies Visiting Scholar in writing that the request to visit has been approved by University Administration and asks Visiting Scholar to confirm acceptance in writing.  Chair informs Visiting Scholar that he or she must sign an “Agreement for Visiting Scholars” upon arrival at the University.  Chair provides a link to the new “Agreement for Visiting Scholars” form for Visiting Scholar to review.  (The visit will not be formalized until the “Agreement of Visiting Scholars” form has been signed by all parties.)  If the visit is longer than one month, Chair informs Visiting Scholar that the University requires proof of medical insurance and that he or she is eligible, at his or her own expense, for the University’s “Postdoctoral Research Benefit Program (PRBP)”. 

12.) If Visiting Scholar requires a J1 visa, the Department Assistant initiates the J1 application. Department Assistant generates the OIA form 26-A, obtains Department Chair’s signature, obtains SSD Associate Dean for Administration’s signature, and forwards the form to Office of International Affairs.

13.) When Visiting Scholar arrives on campus, theDepartment Assistant makes sure Visiting Scholar has signed the “Agreement for Visiting Scholars” and obtains his or her proof of medical insurance if the visit is more than one month and Visiting Scholar will not enroll in PRBP. Department Assistant completes all the personnel information at the bottom of page two.

14.) Department Assistant sends the signed and completed “Agreement For Visiting Scholars” and proof of medical insurance to Debrah Morgan in LBC.

15.) Debrah Morgan sends the signed and completed “Agreement for Visiting Scholars” to Provost’s Office as the final step of the process.