All travel, regardless of destination, brings a certain level of inherent risk. To help mitigate risk for our global travelers, Brown University regularly monitors world health, safety and security events using a variety of assessment sources. Taking input from the U.S. Department of State (DOS), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), International SOS, Brown faculty and staff regional experts, among other reputable oversight agencies, the University classifies travel to world destinations into two heightened risk categories: High-Risk Travel and Restricted Travel. Definitions of these categories and international travelers affected are indicated as follows:
High Risk Travel
International destinations that are posted to the U.S. DOS travel as a Travel Advisory Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) and/or that are deemed as posing a significant health, safety or security risk to the traveler through advisories from International SOS or the CDC.
- No undergraduate student will be required to travel to a High-Risk Travel destination as part of a for-credit or noncredit program.
- Any undergraduate student travel to a destination with a High-Risk Travel classification must be approved by the International Travel Risk and Assessment Committee (ITRAC).*
- Travelers will also be required to sign a Supplemental Travel Acknowledgement and provide a completed Safety Plan (submitted via Brown’s online TravelSafe registry system).*
- Students must apply to have their travel approved at least six weeks prior to their anticipated departure.
No travel arrangements should be made until the ITRAC has reviewed the Safety Plan and subsequently approved the travel. *Please note: if you are traveling on a study abroad program that is approved by the OIP, you do not need to complete a separate Safety Plan or get ITRAC approval, as the programs have already been vetted through the OIP.
Restricted Travel
International destinations that are posted to the U.S. DOS as a Travel Advisory Level 4 (Do Not Travel), a CDC Warning Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel) and/or that pose an extreme health, safety and/or security risk. Travel is restricted for undergraduate students and strongly advised against for graduate students, faculty and staff.
- No undergraduate student will be permitted to travel to Restricted Travel destination as part of a for-credit or noncredit program.
- Any travel by a graduate student or medical student to a destination with a Restricted Travel classification must be approved by the ITRAC. Travelers will also be required to sign a Supplemental Travel Acknowledgement and complete a Safety Plan (submitted via Brown’s online TravelSafe registry system).
- No travel arrangements should be made until the ITRAC has reviewed the Safety Plan and subsequently approved the travel.
Due to the extreme security threats of these world destinations, please be aware that Brown’s emergency assistance provider, International SOS, may not be able to provide assistance in the event of an emergency or may have limited resources available.
ITRAC Approval and Safety Plans for Travel to Heightened Risk Destinations
- Safety Plans are required for undergraduate students planning travel to High-Risk Travel destinations* and for graduate and medical students planning travel to Restricted Travel destinations.
- Safety Plans are completed via TravelSafe and empower the traveler to take responsibility for and show evidence of their appropriate risk assessment of the destination to which they are planning travel. Detailed information for a series of questions including but not limited to accommodations, transportation, and other risk areas, are required for completion.
- Undergraduate students planning travel to international High-Risk Travel destinations must first complete a Safety Plan via TravelSafe and submit it to the ITRAC to approve their travel.* The ITRAC will then notify students as to whether they approve or deny the proposed High-Risk Travel.
The ITRAC will consider a number of factors, including academic necessity and appropriateness of the travel, personal traveler preparedness, and sufficiency of the procedures in place to mitigate the specific health and safety risks (evident in the Safety Plan and including the feasibility of International SOS intervention, as needed). *Please note: if you are traveling on a study abroad program that is approved by the OIP, you do not need to complete a separate Safety Plan or get ITRAC approval, as the programs have already been vetted through the OIP.
Summary:
- No undergraduate student will be permitted to travel to any country that is categorized as Restricted Travel. Any undergraduate student wishing to travel to a High-Risk Travel destination and not traveling with a Brown administered group program (e.g. through OIP, Swearer, GELT/Wintersession, etc.) must first get permission from the ITRAC before making travel arrangements and must complete a Safety Plan.
- Graduate students and medical students wishing to travel to a country on the Restricted Travel list must first get permission from the ITRAC before making travel arrangements and must complete a Safety Plan.
- Faculty and staff are not required to complete a Safety Plan but are encouraged to do so if they are traveling to a Restricted Travel destination.
Questions? Please contact TravelSafe@Brown.edu.
