22.2 Travel for Students

(President 8/5/21; 8/24/22)
  1. Definition. University-sponsored student travel is defined as university students who are traveling as part of their university education. Personal travel is excluded.
  2. Authorization. University-sponsored student travel to international locations requires authorization from International Programs through enrollment in an approved Study Abroad program or approval of a student travel registry. International Programs facilitates trip creation in ProTrav for students approved for international travel.

    The university provides travel insurance for university-sponsored student travel to international locations only if the ProTrav trip request is approved in advance of the departure date.
  3. Safety restrictions. The university and/or the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, may prohibit or restrict university-sponsored travel when the health, safety, or well-being of the traveler may be endangered. Requests for exceptions may be submitted to International Programs.
  4.  International travel.
    1.  Self-register. Students traveling internationally on university-sponsored student travel with a passport issued by the United States must self-register with the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at https://step.state.gov/step/

      Students traveling internationally on university-sponsored student travel with a passport issued by a country other than the United States are strongly encouraged to inquire about similar travel enrollment services with the embassy of their country of citizenship.
    2. Monitor travel Information. Student international travelers on university-sponsored student travel must monitor U.S. Department of State travel advisory information for all destinations outside the United States.

      ProTrav university travel registry will issue automated notification of the U.S. DOS advisory level for the countries that are originally entered into ProTrav when the trip is created.   
    3.  International insurance card. Student travelers on international university-sponsored student travel must check their assigned uiowa email account regularly before international travel for receipt of the Iowa Regents’ international travel, health, and security insurance card. Student travelers must continue monitoring their uiowa email account before and during international travel for U.S. Department of State notifications generated by the STEP registry.
    4. Resources for student international travelers:
      1. IT travel checklist: https://itsecurity.uiowa.edu/resources/faculty-staff/check-your-security. This information will help prepare individuals leaving on university-related business, with personal or university-owned equipment and reminds the traveler of their security responsibilities/best practices for protection of both physical assets and data.
      2. International Programs: Health, safety, and security abroad: https://international.uiowa.edu/study-abroad/study-abroad-resources/health
      3. Export control:  Export controls can arise due to the location of the travel, the people with whom you interact while traveling, the items you take with you or ship for use while abroad, and the nature of the information you take with you, even if you do not intend to share it while abroad. Contact export-control@uiowa.edu in advance of travel with questions about what, if any, export control regulations apply to your travel. 
      4. Those on university-sponsored travel may also check with safety-abroad@uiowa.edu for risk assessment and mitigation guidance related to their destination.
    5. Contact information. Student travelers must keep the Associate Director for International Health, Safety, and Security apprised of any changes to their address and contact information while abroad. Changes should be submitted as soon as possible to safety-abroad@uiowa.edu at a minimum within 24 hours of any deviation from the original travel itinerary submitted to International Programs prior to departure.
    6.  University Travel Advisory Committee: The University Travel Advisory Committee is comprised of representatives from the Offices of International Programs,  Risk Management, Accounts Payable and Travel, Shared Governance, and General Counsel. The committee advises the appropriate administrator on university-sponsored student travel.
    7. Travel in progress.  International Programs, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, will review university-sponsored international student travel in progress while a significant health or safety concern arises regarding that travel, including new and renewed U.S. DOS travel advisories and alerts, advisories from the Centers for Disease Control or World Health Organization, natural disasters, wars, political disturbances or other indicators of potential health or safety threats to travelers. International Programs, in consultation with the Provost, will make decisions based solely on health, safety, and security risks, with no consideration of the financial consequences to the administering unit in the decision-making process. International Programs and the Office of the Provost may request input from the University Travel Advisory Committee in this process.
    8. U.S. Department of State Advisory Level 4. The university prohibits university-sponsored student travel to high-risk areas where U.S. DOS has issued a level 4 risk rating and advised “Do not travel.”  University-sponsored student travel is also prohibited to places where the U.S. DOS restricts U.S. Embassy personnel travel. The University Travel Advisory Committee will review requests for exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
    9. U.S. Department of State Advisory Level 3.  The university discourages university-sponsored student travel to high-risk areas where U.S. DOS has issued a level 3 risk rating and advised “Reconsider travel.”  Any student planning university-sponsored student travel to a location with a U.S. DOS high-risk designation of level 3 must obtain advance approval from the University Travel Advisory Committee.
    10. University of Iowa policies apply. University policies apply to university-sponsored student international travel. For example, students are subject to the University of Iowa Code of Student Life while abroad on university-sponsored student travel in addition to any additional codes of conduct from the sponsoring unit, University of Iowa Study Abroad, affiliate, or host.
    11. Excluded activities. Students who engage in activities excluded from coverage under the international insurance policy for university-sponsored student travel will be personally responsible for any personal injury, property loss, or damage resulting to themselves and/or others as the result of their engaging in such activity. Activities excluded from coverage under the policy for university-sponsored student travel include mountaineering where ropes or guides are normally used; hang gliding; parachuting; bungee jumping; racing by horse, motor vehicle, or motorcycle; and parasailing.
    12. Motor vehicles. Students are not permitted to drive motor vehicles (including but not limited to scooters, motorbikes, motorcycles, and cars) or ride with faculty or staff while participating in university-sponsored student travel abroad. Public transportation or locally hired drivers and vehicles may be used for student transportation in international locations, in accordance with transportation recommendations in the country advisory from U.S. DOS.
    13. Travel in violation of this policy. Students who travel in violation of this policy may be subject to discipline as well as financial and academic consequences. For students, if the travel is occurring during a required term of study, the student must take a leave of absence from the university, whenever possible. Students on leave of absence from the university are not eligible for Iowa Regents’ international insurance, financial aid, scholarship, travel stipends, and other university resources, including granting of credit or facilitation of credit transfer. If a leave of absence is not an option, students who travel in violation of this policy will not be eligible for issuance or transfer of credit to the university from activities undertaken in the prohibited travel destination and also risk losing their student status. In addition to being ineligible for credit and risking their university student status, students who remain abroad after travel is suspended and departure is directed, risk losing their Iowa Regents’ international insurance coverage. When health or safety considerations require a suspension of university-sponsored international student travel, the university will determine an end date for international insurance coverage. A student who remains in a restricted destination after being directed to depart is in violation of this travel policy even if international insurance coverage remains in effect past the requested departure date.