Policy Limiting Travel Abroad

University of Puget Sound Policy Governing Faculty, Student, and Staff Travel Abroad to High-Risk Areas

The University of Puget Sound has both a legal and community interest in protecting its students, faculty, and staff traveling abroad. Accordingly, when conditions in a foreign country make travel to or in that country unsafe, the university reserves the right to:

• cancel its own study abroad programs (PacRim, Dijon, Archaeology Abroad);
• withdraw approval of participation in an externally-sponsored study abroad program;
• limit the use of university funds for travel abroad;
• set conditions for student, faculty, and staff traveling to and returning from travel in high-risk areas;
• take other actions deemed appropriate to protect the safety of students, faculty, or staff traveling or intending to travel abroad under any form of university sponsorship.

The university will adhere to the specific guidelines outlined below in taking action regarding travel to high-risk areas. In any specific situation, however, concern for student, faculty, and staff health and safety will always be paramount and may override any particular guideline.

1. Guidelines for travel to areas of high health-risk areas:

   With regard to student, faculty, or staff travel to areas of high health risk, the university's decisions and actions will be guided by information and recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and other appropriate health organizations. The university may recommend or require that students, faculty, and staff take certain precautions when traveling to or returning from high health-risk areas. In some instances, the university may choose to withdraw altogether its sponsorship of travel in high-risk areas.

   For decisions affecting study abroad programs and other university-sponsored travel to health-risk areas, the university will use the following classifications developed by the Centers for Disease Control

   "Travel Alert: notification by CDC that an outbreak of a disease is occurring in a geographic area. The purpose of an alert is to provide accurate information to travelers and resident expatriates about the status of the outbreak, how they can reduce their risk for infection, and what to do if they should become ill while in the area. The risk for the individual traveler is felt to be definable and limited; transmission has occurred in defined settings or is associated with specific risk factors (e.g., transmission in a health-care or hospital setting where ill patients are being cared for). CDC does not recommend against nonessential travel to the area."

   "Travel Advisory: notification by CDC that an outbreak of a disease is occurring in a geographic area. The purpose of an advisory is to provide accurate information to travelers and resident expatriates about the status of the outbreak and how they can reduce their risk for infection. It also serves to reduce the volume of traffic to the affected areas which in turn can reduce the risk of spreading the disease to previously unaffected sites. CDC recommends against nonessential travel to the area because the risk for the traveler is considered to be much higher (e.g., the risk is increased because of evidence of community transmission and/or inadequate containment)."

   1. Study Abroad:

      The university will cancel its own study abroad programs (PacRim, Dijon, Archaeology Abroad) that involve travel to "Alert" or "Advisory" areas. Should an area be placed on the CDC "Alert" or "Advisory" list during the semester, the university will review the specific conditions and, if it is deemed in the interest of student health and safety, will immediately cancel its study abroad programs within that area. If students choose to remain in the area after such action, they will be asked to sign a waiver stating that the university is not responsible for their decision to remain in the "Alert" or "Advisory" area. The Study Abroad Refund Policy will apply.

      (NB: When the university cancels one of its own programs during the semester, the university will do its best to assist students in completing the semester of academic work on the home campus.)

      The university will withdraw approval of participation in an externally-sponsored study abroad program that involves travel to "Alert" or "Advisory" areas if the sponsoring organization or institution itself does not cancel the program. Should an area be placed on the CDC "Alert" or "Advisory" list during the semester, the university will review the specific conditions and, if it is deemed in the interest of student health and safety, will immediately withdraw approval of participation in the program if the sponsoring organization itself does not cancel the program. If, after such action, students choose to participate in a study abroad program to which they have already been admitted or in which they are already participating, they will be asked to sign a waiver stating that the university is not responsible for their decision to travel to or remain in the "Alert" or "Advisory" area. The Study Abroad Refund Policy will apply.

      (NB: When the university withdraws approval of participation in a study abroad program during the semester, the university will do its best to assist students in completing the semester of academic work on the home campus.)

      Puget Sound discourages its employees from providing formal or informal support, such as letters of recommendation, to student efforts to study abroad in an "Alert" or "Advisory" area.

      Students traveling on a university-sponsored program (PacRim, Archaeology Abroad, Dijon) will not be permitted to return to the program if they visit an "Alert" or "Advisory" area during the program.

   2. Travel to and return from "Alert" and "Advisory" areas:

      Students, faculty, and staff may not normally use university funds for travel to an area for which there is a CDC travel "Alert" or "Advisory."

      All students returning from either an "Alert" or an "Advisory" area are required to contact Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services for a phone interview. The purpose of the interview will be to assess both the health risk to the student of exposure while in the "Alert" or "Advisory" area and the health risk to the campus community upon the student's return. CHWS may recommend follow-up action if necessary (for example, scheduled check-ins/check-ups with CHWS or a recommendation to contact a primary care physician). All faculty and staff returning from an "Alert" or "Advisory" area are asked to self-report to the academic dean in the case of faculty or to their supervisor in the case of staff.

2. Guidelines for travel to high security-risk areas:

   With regard to student, faculty, or staff travel to areas of high security-risk, the university's decisions and actions will be guided by information and recommendations provided by the United States State Department. The university may recommend or require that students, faculty, and staff take certain precautions when traveling to or returning from high security-risk areas. In some instances, the university may choose to withdraw altogether its sponsorship of travel in such high-risk areas.

   For decisions affecting study abroad programs and other university-sponsored travel to security-risk areas, the university will use the following classification developed by the US State Department.

   Travel Warnings: Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country.

   1. Study Abroad:

      The university will cancel its own study abroad programs (PacRim, Dijon, Archaeology Abroad) that involve travel to "Travel Warning" areas. Should an area be placed on the State Department's "Travel Warning" list during the semester, the university will review the specific conditions and, if it is deemed in the interest of student health and safety, will immediately cancel its study abroad programs within that area. If students choose to remain in the area after such action, they will be asked to sign a waiver stating that the university is not responsible for their decision to remain in the "Travel Warning" area. The cancellation policy for study abroad programs will apply. The Study Abroad Refund Policy will apply.

      (NB: When the university cancels one of its own programs during the semester , the university will do its best to assist students in completing the semester of academic work on the home campus.)

      The university will withdraw approval of participation in an externally-sponsored study abroad program that involves travel to an area on the "Travel Warning" list if the sponsoring organization or institution itself does not cancel the program. Should an area be placed on the "Travel Warning" list during the semester, the university will review the specific conditions and, if it is deemed in the interest of student health and safety, will immediately withdraw approval of participation in the program if the sponsoring organization itself does not cancel the program. If, after such action, students choose to participate in a study abroad program to which they have already been admitted or in which they are already participating , they will be asked to sign a waiver stating that the university is not responsible for their decision to travel to or remain in the "Travel Warning" area. The Study Abroad Refund Policy will apply.

      (NB: When the university withdraws approval of participation in a study abroad program during the semester, the university will do its best to assist students in completing the semester of academic work on the home campus.)

      Puget Sound discourages its employees from providing formal or informal support, such as letters of recommendation, to student efforts to study abroad in a "Travel Warning" area.

   2. Travel to State Department "Travel Warning" areas:

      Students, faculty, and staff may not normally use university funds for travel to an area for which there is a State Department "Travel Warning."

(Document approved in principle Fall 2003. Document approved in its entirety Fall 2004.)