Conclusions

There were many areas of concern that had to be researched in order for a project center to be established. The major issues that had to be addressed were health and legal concerns, housing, and IQP sponsors. A travel guide was also needed so that students and faculty can make the transition from the US to Australia as easy as possible.

Health care procedures in Australia are much the same as that in the US. Health care for students and faculty can be obtained at hospitals by first paying the bill up front and then getting reimbursed by your insurance company back in the US. Checking with your insurance company about the procedure involved with oversees coverage before you leave is a good idea. The legal system in Australia is also very similar to that of the US. Certain rights such as the right to an attorney are the same. For serious offenses, the US embassy would be called in and you can be deported. After researching these two areas, we concluded that the health care and legal procedures in Australia are more than adequate for the establishment of a project center in Melbourne.

Housing was the next major issue we had to deal with. To narrow the search down, we came up with some guidelines that we felt the housing needed to have:

• Housing for D term (March 15 - May 10 approximately 7 weeks)
• Located near public transportation
• All students housed in the same building or area
• House 15-20 male and female students
• House one or two faculty and their families
• Furnished
• Kitchen facilities
• Ability to secure housing on contract when faculty arrives in June
• Utilities included in rent preferable

After talking to representatives of university housing and apartment housing, we went with apartment housing. Apartment housing is less expensive than university housing and is more flexible. Our realtor said that finding an apartment complex that can meet these requirements would not be a problem. The only disadvantage of apartment housing is the security deposit. Although you get the money back, it might be hard for some students to pay the first month's rent and security deposit in advance. In conclusion, housing in Melbourne would not be a problem for the establishment of a project center.

IQP sponsors are probably the most important part of this project. Without a sufficient number of sponsors, a project center cannot be established. The soliciting procedure we used was very important to our success in obtaining sponsors. This procedure included obtaining knowledge about the company being solicited, calling the right person at that company, setting up a meeting, giving an oral presentation, and establishing contact between the company and WPI. With this procedure, we solicited enough companies and organizations to get a project center up and running.

The travel guide was written in order to facilitate the transition from life in the US to life in Melbourne. This guide has everything you need to know about getting to Australia such as customs, visa and passport information, staying in Australia such as banking, currency and transportation and places of interest such as sightseeing and night-life. We tried not to include everything since part of the IQP experience involves going out and experiencing life in another country for yourself.

With the issues of health care, legal procedures, housing, and IQP sponsors resolved along with the implementation of a travel guide, the establishment of a project center in Melbourne is not only advisable but also highly recommended.