Faculty and Staff International Travel Policy
UT Travel CourseS AND UT EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION ABROAD
For Faculty Directors, Program Directors and Program Assistants
Prior
to any international travel and the actual incurring of expenses, all
University-sponsored travel requires written approval by the appropriate
designated authority (i.e. senior staff members, academic deans and
associate deans). The approved travel report form must also be forwarded
to the International Programs Office in order to monitor any travel
advisories.
The International Programs Office monitors country
travel warnings, advisories and/or public announcements set forth by the
U.S. Department of State (or other agencies, e.g. the World Health
Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
If a travel warning, advisory or public announcement is in effect for
the date of intended University-sponsored travel, the International
Programs Office will forward information to the provost for further
review, including potential recommendations for trip cancellation if
there is found to be substantial risk to the traveler.
UT Travel Courses
for academic credit and UT Experiential Education Abroad (e.g. community
service-learning, athletics abroad and student research abroad) are unique
opportunities for students to internationalize their plan of study and develop
intercultural skills. Nearly 400 Spartans went abroad last year with over
half choosing a UT academic experience. The International Programs Office is
committed to making this process as streamlined and organized as possible,
while maintaining a high level of quality and enhanced safety and security
measures.
If you are interested in contributing to UT's internationalization efforts by
leading your own UT Travel Course or UT Experiential Education Abroad during
fall 2013, or spring and summer 2014, please submit a UT Education Abroad proposal
form by March 1, 2013.
UT Travel Courses (for academic credit)
A UT Travel Course Proposal form is required by the International
Programs Committee and the International Programs Office regardless if you
have led the same course in the past. As part of your submission, please
include the following items:
- The
UT Travel Course Proposal Form (Fall or Winter Programs) or the UT Travel Course Proposal Form (Spring or Summer Programs) with all requisite signatures for all new and recurring travel
courses by Nov. 1 for fall or winter Programs and Feb. 15 for spring or summer programs. Please submit
both a hard copy to the International Programs Office in Plant Hall 302 and
complete the online application form.
AND
- The Curriculum
Committee Course Form is
required for all new travel courses.
If the International Programs Committee approves your proposal, it will then
pass on your completed course proposal form to the Curriculum Committee for
review.
OR
- A Destination
Change Memo is required for
recurring travel courses that plan to change destination. Please submit the memo (see attached example)
detailing the destination change when you submit the UT Travel Course Proposal
Form.
UT Experiential Education
(community
service-learning abroad, athletics and other programs not for academic credit)
A UT Experiential Education Abroad Form is required by the
International Programs Committee and the International Programs Office
regardless if you have led the same experience in the past. As part of
your submission, please include the following items:
Helpful
Guidelines for Preparing Your Proposal
UT Travel Courses Abroad
For your
reference and to aid you in developing a UT Travel Course Proposal, below are
some of the factors that the International Programs Committee considers when
reviewing and approving proposals:
- Inclusion
of all required materials, including a syllabus for the course, and all
relevant signatures
- A clear
curricular rationale for destination and each activity on the itinerary
- A
clear and complete budget breakdown including airfare, faculty director and
program assistant costs, and all costs associated with student and faculty
travel. (Tuition is billed separately by the Bursar's Office)
- An
overall program cost that is priced competitively for location and duration of
the trip
- Pricing
based on a reasonable estimate of student participation (average travel course
enrollment is 12-14 students)
- Impact
on other UT Travel courses or experiences that travel to similar regions and/or
target similar groups of students (e.g. specific majors)
- Consideration
of possible student pool and eligible population to register for course. For
example, will the course meet a Baccalaureate requirement and thereby be applicable
to a large number of students?
- Potential
conflicts of interest if proposal includes teaching non-UT students at site
locations
- An
understanding that summer teaching cannot be in-load
- Housing
and accommodations for students and faculty/staff abroad must be licensed,
insured and vetted
- An
understanding that faculty and staff cannot use personal credit cards to book
any part of the program (including airfare); all payments must go through a UT
agency account approved by International Programs Office.
UT Experiential Education Abroad
For your
reference and to aid you in developing a travel proposal, below are some of the
factors that the International Programs Committee considers when reviewing and
approving proposals:
- Inclusion
of all required materials and all
relevant signatures
- Approval
of the UT Faculty/Staff Advisor, International Programs Office, the Dean of Students or the Athletic
Director
- A
clear rationale for destination and each activity on the itinerary as it
relates to student development/leadership
- A
clear and complete budget breakdown including airfare, program director and
program assistant costs, and all costs associated with student and faculty
travel
- An
overall program cost that is priced competitively for location and duration of
the trip
- Pricing
based on a reasonable estimate of student participation (average travel course
enrollment is 12-14 students)
- Impact
on other UT Travel courses or experiences that travel to similar regions and/or
target similar groups of students (e.g. specific majors)
- An
understanding that a student cannot be a Program Director or Program Assistant
- Housing
and accommodations for students and faculty /staff abroad must be licensed,
insured and vetted
- An
understanding that faculty and staff cannot use personal credit cards to book
any part of the program (including airfare); all payments must go through a UT
agency account approved by the International Programs Office.
Registration Policy For All Staff and Faculty Traveling Abroad
The University supports a broad range of international
research, teaching and activities ranging from international travel by
individual faculty and/or staff to travel by groups of faculty and/or staff organized
by academic departments or programs. The
risks and considerations associated with traveling to various international
destinations vary depending on the destination, activity and travelers
involved. This policy provides guidance
in the following areas: (a) general safety and security considerations to be
taken into account in programming involving international travel; and (b)
situations in which the University arranges and/or sponsors a program involving
travel to a destination subject to a crisis or emergency, whether caused by
political or military circumstances, public health crises, natural disasters,
or other circumstances or events.
Prior Approval
Prior to any international travel and the actual incurrence
of expenses, all University-sponsored travel requires written approval by the
appropriate designated authority (i.e. senior staff members, academic deans,
and associate deans). The approved
travel report form must also be forwarded to the International Programs Office
in order to monitor any travel advisories.
The International Programs Office monitors country travel
warnings, advisories and/or public announcements set forth by the U.S.
Department of State (or other agencies, e.g. The World Health Organization and
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). If a travel warning, advisory or public
announcement is in effect for the date of intended University-sponsored travel,
the International Programs Office will forward information to the Provost for
further review, including potential recommendations for trip cancellation if
there is found to be substantial risk to the traveler.
Faculty/Staff with U.S. Passports
In planning for international travel, faculty and staff members with U.S.
passports need to be diligent in checking the expiration date on their
passport. Travel can be denied if the
passport will expire within six months of the date of return from travel. Also, it is the responsibility of faculty and staff members holding U.S. passports
to arrange for all necessary travel visas, travel immunizations, re-entry
documentation and/or other essential documentation prior to travel. It is the
responsibility of each faculty/staff to officially register with the U.S. embassy or
consulate in the country or countries he or she is visiting at www.travel.state.gov.
Confirmation and proof of the registration process must be forwarded by the
traveler to the International Programs Office.
Faculty and Staff with Non-U.S. Passports
Faculty
and staff members holding non-U.S. passports need to be diligent in
checking the expiration date on their passport and make sure their U.S.
visa or permanent resident documents are valid for re-entry into the
U.S. Travel can be denied if immigration documents are not in order or
if the passport will expire within six months of the date of return to
the U.S. from travel. Also, it is the responsibility of faculty and
staff members holding non-U.S. passports to arrange for all necessary
travel visas, travel immunizations and/or other essential documentation
necessary for entry into other countries prior to travel. It is the
responsibility of each faculty or staff member to officially register
with his or her home country embassy or consulate in the country or
countries he or she is visiting.
Supplemental International Travel Insurance
For All Staff and Faculty Traveling Abroad