Students traveling on college-sponsored trips* in countries that have significant political unrest, a natural disaster, or other country or region-specific disturbance should carefully consider the risks with their families and in consultation with official sources of travel information such as the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The highest travel warning for the U.S. Department of State is "Level 4: Do Not Travel" and the highest travel health notice for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is "Level 3: Avoid Nonessential Travel."
In instances where the college sponsors travel to areas with a Level 3 or Level 4 State Department travel advisory and/or Level 3 CDC travel health notice, the college may require students to take additional steps (in addition to completing the college’s international travel waiver) before receiving funds to study or travel or before being enrolled in Study Away Placeholder Course for a semester abroad. For example:
- For students receiving sponsorship (e.g., funding and/or credit) to areas where there is a Level 3 travel advisory by the U.S. State Department and/or a Level 3 travel health notice by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the college requires an additional special waiver to be signed by both the student and the student’s parents/guardians.
- Travel to countries or regions under a Level 4 travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department is presumptively ineligible for college sponsorship. Sponsorship to travel to areas where there is a Level 4 travel advisory is permitted only if an exception is granted by the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty.
- Students interested in traveling to countries with an overall Level 1 or Level 2 advisory that have a region within the country at Levels 3 or 4 travel advisory and/or Level 3 travel health notice must follow the protocol for travel to Levels 3 or 4 travel advisories and/or Level 3 travel health notice only if they wish to travel to those higher risk regions.
The responsibility to assess the safety of a student’s proposed trip remains with the student -- in consultation with the student’s family -- at all times. The college may, in its sole discretion, sponsor programs to areas with Level 3 or Level 4** U.S. State Department travel advisories and/or Level 3 travel health notices by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The college’s decision to sponsor travel to areas with Level 3 or Level 4 travel advisories and/or Level 3 travel health notices is not an endorsement of the safety of the area or of a student’s specific plans.
The college may decline to allow a student to study abroad for credit (and financial aid) transfer and/or may prohibit a student from receiving funds to study or travel on a college-sponsored trip in a particular country. Students who nonetheless choose to study abroad or travel to that country or region may not transfer credit or financial aid or other college funds and would need to take a personal leave from the college or travel independently in order to participate in the program.
*College-sponsored trips are either funded (in full or in part), arranged by, and/or awarded credit by the college.
** The travel policy and petitions are reviewed by the international risk management group. Members are: Provost and Dean of Faculty Catherine Epstein, Chief of Staff in the President's Office Kathleen Pertzborn, Associate Provost and Associate Dean of Faculty Pawan Dhingra, Director of Emergency Management Matt Hart, Director of Media Communications Caroline Hanna, Director of Immigration Services Hanna Bliss, Director of Global Education Janna Behrens, Assistant Director of Global Education Chelsi Colleton.