International Travel Resources, Guidelines and Policies

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Policy Number:
UW-1023
Responsible Office:
Office of the Provost

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

In support of the international work that is needed to help carry out UW-Madison’s mission in which faculty, staff and students can discover, examine critically, preserve and transmit the knowledge, wisdom and values that will help ensure the survival of this and future generations and improve the quality of life for all, the safety and security of UW-Madison employees and students abroad is of utmost importance. In order to help protect our employees and students, the following policy was adopted to ensure a consistent set of standards are followed to address concerns about the health and safety of UW-Madison employees and students during university-affiliated international travel.

It is not the intention of this policy, either explicitly or implicitly, to intrude upon or otherwise restrict the academic freedom of any member of the university community. It is the sole intention to provide a framework for safeguarding the university community with respect to university-affiliated international travel.

The first section of this policy discusses resources for international travel available to university employees and students. The second section addresses employee travel. The third section of the document addresses student travel.

Definitions:
Employees
Includes all persons employed by the university as Faculty, Academic Staff, Classified Staff, Student Assistants, Employees-in-Training, and Limited Unclassified Staff Appointments as defined by applicable university policies and as applicable to the particular travel experience. For a student who is also an employee, in order to be considered an "employee" for the purposes of this policy, the university-affiliated travel must fall fully within the scope of his/her employment at the university, otherwise s/he will be considered a "student" for the purposes of this policy.
Travel Warning locations
Locations under a U.S. Department of State Level 3 or Level 4 advisory, a CDC Travel Health Notice Level 3, and/or a CDC COVID-19 Travel Health Notice Level 4 or "unknown" characterization; or locations additionally identified by the Provost, upon recommendation by the University International Travel Committee (UITC), as representing significant health or safety risks for the university's travelers. See links to the appropriate agency web pages below. The term “Travel Warning” will be used throughout this policy as defined in this paragraph.
University-affiliated travel
Includes but is not limited to: travel funded by or disbursed through a university account; travel organized, endorsed and/or sponsored by an employee; or travel that involves academic credit granted by the university.
Scope:

UW-Madison employees and students. 

Policy:

  1. Resources

    1. International Safety & Security Director (Director) shall serve as the university’s responsible official for promoting the health, safety, and security of the university’s employees and students abroad in coordination with the Vice Provost and Dean of the International Division and associated campus units.

    2. Prior to and during travel, UW-Madison students, staff, and faculty are expected to monitor the U.S. Department of State travel information including Country Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerts and notices, including the CDC COVID-19 specific notices. To receive the latest travel updates and country information, university employees and students are encouraged to register online with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler’s Enrollment Program (STEP).

      Important websites include:

    3. University-affiliated travelers should address any health and safety concerns prior to departure. Recommended steps include consultation with personal medical and/or mental health providers to develop plans for ongoing healthcare needs, a visit to a specialized travel medicine provider for required or recommended preventive immunizations and medications, a dental check-up, and education about health and safety in the travel destination.

    4. Locations within countries may be characterized with different State Department travel advisories than the country itself. Travel to locations that are characterized by a Level 3 or Level 4 within a country that is characterized as a Level 1 or Level 2 are also considered under a Travel Warning for the purposes of this document. 

    5. For additional resources related to international travel, visit UW-Madison's International Travel website. 
    6. This policy was developed by the 2013-14 University International Travel Committee and approved by the Provost. Revisions to this document may be implemented by the UITC with approval by the Dean and Vice Provost of the International Division. Questions about this policy should be directed to the International Safety & Security Director.

  2. Employees

    1. The department chair or organizational leader will review the specific circumstances relevant to an individual’s travel and determine the capacity of that travel abroad as being in either student or employee status. The spirit and intent of this policy should guide that determination.
    2. Documentation regarding international travel:
      1. To ensure coverage by the Wisconsin State Liability and Worker’s Compensation programs, employees are advised to confirm with their Dean (or designee), Chair, Director or employment supervisor, in writing, the individual’s university-affiliated international travel plans before commencing travel. This written documentation serves to confirm the university-affiliated travel is deemed to be related to the mission of the university and that the employee will be acting within the scope of employment while traveling.
      2. Undocumented travel and personal side trips unrelated to university business may not be covered under the State’s Liability or Worker’s Compensation programs. Employees are encouraged to obtain supplementary medical and repatriation coverage independently for such activities.
    3. While traveling abroad, employees on university-affiliated travel are required to enroll in the University of Wisconsin System’s Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) policy for international health and medical benefits. For more information, see International Health Insurance.  
    4. Employees are covered by worker’s compensation if injured in the course of employment regardless of work location.
    5. The university strongly recommends against, but does not prohibit, employee travel to locations where the U.S. Department of State or CDC has issued an official Travel Warning or where there is other reliable information of significant health or safety risks. The final decision regarding travel to such areas lies with the employee and their respective employment supervisor.
      1. No employee will be required to travel to a location under a Travel Warning to fulfill their employment duties.
      2. The university reserves the right to require the execution of an appropriate assumption of risk form and/or release before authorizing any arrangement of and/or funding for travel to locations where the U.S. Department of State has issued an official Travel Warning, or where there is other reliable information of significant health or safety risks.
      3. Employees who are in a location at the time a Travel Warning for the location is issued are advised to contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to obtain all relevant information and guidance and  leave the area by the most expeditious and secure means available. They are further advised to contact their sponsoring university department or unit at the earliest opportunity with information about their whereabouts and plans.
    6. It is the responsibility of all employees who intend to take equipment, technology or software abroad to confirm they are in compliance with U.S. export control laws. Information regarding the University Export Control Program can be found online.  

  3. Students

    1. Students participating in university-affiliated international travel are required to notify in writing the appropriate university faculty and/or staff member associated with the affiliated activity. Participating students will follow all activity or program-specific requirements, if applicable, for university-affiliated travel. These may include, but are not limited to, completing travel documentation forms and providing copies of their passports’ information pages, airline or other travel tickets, in-country contact information and itineraries.
    2. Students on university-affiliated travel are required to have comprehensive health insurance that provides coverage for medical care while abroad, including medical evacuation and repatriation. Students studying/traveling abroad under a university-affiliated program must enroll in CISI insurance through the UW System policy. For more information, see International Health Insurance. 
    3. Student Travel to Locations under a Travel Warning:
      1. The university will not operate a program in or send a student to any Travel Warning location unless an exemption to do so is specifically granted by the Vice Provost and Dean of the International Division. 
      2. Students will not be required to study or do research in a location under a Travel Warning in order to satisfy a course or degree requirement. Any participant who wishes to decline participation in a program or activity in a location under a Travel Warning should be accommodated.
      3. Faculty or staff accompanying students abroad in violation of this policy will not be considered as acting within the scope of their employment during the unapproved travel and may not receive the legal protections provided to state agency employees under the Wisconsin State Liability and Worker’s Compensation Program; they therefore risk personal liability.
      4. Students, either as individual travelers or as part of a group, who have a compelling educational reason to participate in university-affiliated travel to a location(s) under a Travel Warning may submit a Travel Warning Waiver Request for consideration for an individual or group exemption to this policy prior to making travel arrangements to such location(s).
        1. The Travel Warning Waiver Request Form must be submitted to the Director for the UITC’s consideration by the university student, or in the case of travel through an organized program, by the sponsoring unit.
        2. A Travel Warning Waiver Request may be granted when: there are academic or research objectives which can only be achieved through travel to the proposed locations; and the safety and security risks posed by the travel can be adequately mitigated.
        3. The Travel Warning Waiver Request forms, application process and procedures can be found here.  
      5. When a student and/or program is currently in progress and a Travel Warning for the location is issued:
        1. The UITC will review the Travel Warning to determine if the circumstances pose a threat to the health or safety of individuals participating in university-affiliated travel to that destination and/or if the language of the Travel Warning is directive in nature. The Director and the UITC will consider whether the individual travelers and/or programs should continue and whether any restrictions must be implemented (e.g., limiting travel within a location under a Travel Warning). All participants’ requests to leave a program in a location under a Travel Warning should be accommodated as soon as possible.
        2. In the case of an immediate threat to student or student group’s health, safety or welfare, the Director or other designated university official may immediately suspend a program or a student’s travel and begin evacuation proceedings. Such action will be immediately communicated to the Chancellor, the Provost, UITC, and the Office of Strategic Communication.
        3. When the U.S. Department of State or CDC issues a Travel Warning recommending that U.S. citizens depart a location immediately, all students (or their program coordinator, if applicable) who are in the location must contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to obtain all relevant information and guidance and must leave the location by the most expeditious and secure means available in coordination with CISI and the university. Students (or their program coordinator, if applicable) are required to contact their sponsoring university department or program at the earliest opportunity with information about their whereabouts and plans. The university will not continue to support students who choose to remain in or travel to a location for which a recommendation of immediate departure has been issued by the U.S. Department of State or the CDC. This may include the withdrawal of financial, material or intellectual support; negate any prior approval for the transfer or granting of academic credit for coursework or experiences in the location; may jeopardize international health insurance coverage and repatriation insurance purchased through the university; and may jeopardize coverage via the State Worker’s Compensation and Liability programs that might have otherwise been applicable.
  4. This policy is in addition to, and does not replace, any other policies, most notably:

A PDF version of this policy can be found here.

Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:
External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Policy Manager:
International Safety and Security Director
Contact:
International Safety and Security Director -- Ron Machoian, ronald.machoian@wisc.edu, (608) 890-2446
Effective Date:
02-11-2015
Revised Dates:

01-09-2018, 01-22-2021, 06-07-2022, 09-12-2022 

Retrieved:
01-22-2025 02:47:21