Subject Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Personnel

Effective Date [Month Year][Date of creation or revision; review date follows in 3 years]

Review Date [Month Year][Three years following the effective date]

Responsible Official

MSU Billings: [Provide position title of responsible campus party]

MSU at Bozeman: Office of International Programs

Great Falls College MSU: [Provide position title of responsible campus party]

MSU-Northern: [Provide position title of responsible campus party]

 

Scope

This policy applies to the following MSU campuses:

MSU Billings

Great Falls College MSU

MSU at Bozeman

MSU-Northern

100.00 Introduction and Purpose

Montana State University recognizes and supports the international expertise of its faculty, the essential importance of conducting research abroad, and the importance of providing its graduates with global and multicultural understanding. The University must balance the educational value of participation in international activities with the potential risks of those activities to its students, faculty, and staff. This policy is intended to address the risks of international travel in a comprehensive and consistent manner. It seeks to provide resources to assist students, faculty, and staff in preparing for safe and successful international travel and is intended to promote the health, safety, and security of all members of the University community while traveling abroad. The University respects the academic freedom of faculty to pursue their scholarly endeavors through international travel. As such, this policy is designed to support the international engagement of its students, faculty, and staff in a responsible manner.

200.00 Definitions

Affiliated Campuses include all campuses, agencies, departments, centers, or other entities within Montana State University.

Faculty and Staff are all full and part-time members of the faculty, contract professional, and classified staff employed by the University.

Responsible Official is the individual or group responsible for and review of policy and standards of practice and is further defined in Section 301.00.

Standards of Practice are rules, procedures or guidelines developed by campus authorities to permit, restrict, or require actions within the parameters of the enterprise policy.

Student means any undergraduate or graduate student who is enrolled in the University.

Travel Warning Country is a country subject to a current Travel Warning issued by the U.S. Department of State (State Dept.) or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Group Travel is an organized group of International Travelers travelling together led by a Group Leader for the purpose of taking part in an educational activity abroad. These are primarily undergraduate students led by an approved Group Leader, usually a faculty member. Neither graduate students attending conferences or conducting research with their advisors, nor faculty and staff travelling together are considered Group Travel for purpose of this policy.

Univeristy means each of the campuses covered by this policy.

Group Leader is a member of the faculty, staff, or other person who has been approved in accordance with this Policy to lead a student group travelling abroad.

University Contact Person is a University employee designated by the sponsoring unit of a group program abroad who remains on campus but acts as a point of contact for the group leader, faculty or students who are travelling.

University International Travel means travel outside the United States organized, sponsored or supported by the University, or a unit thereof, including travel by International Travelers (as defined above) for research, teaching, sabbaticals, conferences, study abroad, internships, practica, student teaching, community or university service, or Group Travel whether accompanied by a faculty member or not, whether offered for credit or not, and travel by registered student organizations, club sports, or athletic teams. Travel supported, at least in part, by sponsored research grants, contracts, F&A funds or other university administered funds will be considered travel supported by the University.

University Unit a department, center, office, school, or college of the University, including registered student organizations.

300.00 Policy

301.00 University Approval

International Travelers shall comply with all University requirements and approvals as specified herein. Approval requirements vary based on the traveler, the nature of the program, and the destination.

At MSU Bozeman, the Associate Provost for International Programs, with the assistance of the sponsoring University Units, shall be responsible for implementing, administering, and overseeing compliance with this Policy; each of the other Affiliated Campuses shall designate an official responsible for such duties. The MSU Bozeman Associate Provost for International Programs and the designated officials on the other Affiliated Campuses are the "Responsible Officials".

302.00 Travel to Countries Subject to Travel Warnings and Alerts

Any University International Travel by a University Traveler to or through any country for which a U.S State Department or a Center for Disease Control Level 3 Travel Warning is in effect must be reviewed and approved in advance or travel by the Campus International Travel Safety Review Committee. Each Campus shall determine the membership of its committee established to undertake this review, but each committee shall include the Affiliated Campus Responsible Official.

Current information about State Department or CDC warnings and alerts can be obtained at http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings.html and http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices

302.10

In evaluating requests relating to Travel Warning Countries, the University will consider a number of factors, including, but not limited to the:

  • Academic need and appropriateness of the proposed travel,
  • individual's or group's personal preparedness, and,
  • adequacy of plans to avoid the threats to health, safety, and security identified in the warning.

302.20

The University shall not authorize international travel to any country for which the State Department has issued a mandatory evacuation order.

302.30

The University reserves the right to prohibit or suspend University International Travel to any destination by International Travelers at any time if it determines: (1) health, safety, or security concerns pose unacceptable risks; (2) travelers have violated laws, regulation, or University policy (including student conduct codes); or (3) other good cause. If the State Department issues a Travel Warning for a given country, the University may require International Travelers to depart that country. The University is not able to ensure full cost and academic credit recovery to students who comply with a government - or University - mandated withdrawal or evacuation.

302.40

Even in the absence of a formal Travel Warning, the Responsible Official may require any University Traveler or Group to seek approval from the Campus International Travel Safety Review Committee if there appears to be substantial potential risk (e.g. programs involving potentially dangerous physical activities or programs which do not appear to have made adequate preparations to ensure the health and safety of participants, or the country is outside insurance coverage areas).

303.00 International Travel Registry

No less than 30 days before departing, all International Travelers must register their travel plans in the University's International Travel Registry. Information entered into the Travel Registry will be available to University officials in the event of a crisis or emergency. The information entered shall include, at a minimum, names of travelers, contact information abroad and emergency contact information domestically, passport numbers, travel itinerary and information concerning required insurance coverage. The Travel Registry provides the University with the information it needs to locate and communicate with travelers in the event of a crisis or emergency. The University may not be able to assist or arrange evacuation for International Travelers who do not register their travel plans with the University. To enter information in the Travel Registry travelers should follow instructions at [insert link to Travel Registry].

The requirements to register in the Travel Registry will become effective when the Travel Registry software is fully implemented. Until fully implemented, the information will be required and maintained in paper form.

304.00 Group Travel Approvals and Requirements

304.10 Group Leader.

All University Group Travel must have a University-approved Group Leader and an alternate Group Leader, who will act as Group Leader if the primary Group Leader is unable to lead the group for any reason. Students with the appropriate knowledge and experience may be approved to act as Group Leaders and alternate Group Leader.

304.20 Group Travel Approvals and Approval Process.

Proposed Group Travel, including Group Leaders and alternate Group Leaders, must be approved by the cognizant Department Head (if applicable), cognizant Dean or Director, and Responsible Official. Deans, Directors, Vice Presidents, and the Provost proposing Group Travel shall receive approval from the next level of supervision and the Responsible Official. Registered Student Organization Group Travel must also be approved by the Office of Activities and Engagement (or equivalent offices on the respective campus). Proposed Group Leaders must complete a Request to Lead Group Travel from [insert link] and an Out of State Travel Justification [put in link to form] no later than 60 days prior to departure or before non-refundable travel arrangements are made. A proposed Group Leader and alternate Group Leader must be designated in the form and a Communication Plan detailed, as provided in 304.40. The Request form is submitted to the Responsible Official, the appropriate Derpatment Head, Dean or Director, and, when applicable, the Office of Activities and Engagement (or equivalent offices) for approvals. All submissions for Group Travel reimbursements, including submission or PCard statements, must include a copy of the Group Travel approval.

304.30 Travel Registry

Thirty (30) days prior to departure, Group Leaders are responsible for ensuring that all group international Travelers have entered detailed information about the proposed trip in the Travel Registry, including: (1) the full legal names of all group participants; (2) a copy of the identification page from each participant's passport; (3) a detailed itinerary of the group's travel plans, including all contractors, hotels, travel agencies, etc; and (4) contact information (including contact abroad and emergency contact) as detailed in the instructions at [insert link]. Any revisions to the travel plans that occur while on the trip must be updated in the Travel Registry.

304.40 Communication Plan

The Request to Lead an International Travel Group must include a plan for communication that will provide the ability to communicate with the University throughout the program, including designating a University Contact Person. Contact numbers at all locations must be entered into the Travel Registry and submitted to the designated University Contact Person at least 30 days prior to departure. For travel in remote locations, the travelers will consult with the Responsible Official to determine appropriate communication plans (e.g. satellite phone) if cell phone services will not be available.

304.50 Group Travel Leader Orientation

All Group Leaders and alternate Group Leaders must attend an orientation session to be trained on the health, risk, safety and secuirty aspects of traveling as a Group Leader responsible for the well-being of the participants as provided in Section 312.00