University-Sponsored International Travel to High-Risk Destinations Policy

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This policy establishes Adelphi University’s standards and procedures for University-sponsored travel to international destinations, including risk assessment protocols and participation requirements.

Policy Statement

This policy defines restrictions on University-Sponsored travel to International Destinations categorized as High-Risk Destinations, outlines requirements for petitioning to participate in Adelphi University (“Adelphi”)-sponsored travel to such locations, and establishes protocols for recategorization to High-Risk Destinations.

Reason for Policy

The purpose of this policy is to provide information regarding the Adelphi’s support for student and employee travel to International Destinations categorized as High-Risk Destinations.

Who is Governed by This Policy

This policy applies to any student or employee participating in Adelphi-Sponsored travel to an International Destination, including those that:

have administrative support or a purpose that is under the supervision, direction, and/or advisement of a department or unit at Adelphi and/or,
receive funding from the University that directly supports international travel.

Policy

The mission of Adelphi is to transform the lives of all students by creating a distinctive environment of intellectual rigor, research, creativity, and deep community engagement. The University recognizes the important role of international travel in achieving this mission, in addition to the inherent risks.

Adelphi does not support participation in University-Sponsored travel to International Destinations categorized as High-Risk Destinations. Adelphi defines High-Risk Destinations as locations categorized by the:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Health Notices as
- Level 3: Reconsider Nonessential Travel, or
- Level 4: Avoid All Travel
U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories as
- Level 3: Reconsider Travel, or
- Level 4: Do Not Travel

Students and employees who travel to High-Risk Destinations may be at risk of losing University sponsorship —including but not limited to credit for academic programs, financial aid and scholarships, funding for research, and/or endorsement of co-curricular and extracurricular activities.

The categorization applied to each country can be accessed at the U.S. Department of State and CDC websites.

Petition Process

Students and employees who wish to travel to locations categorized by the CDC or U.S. Department of State as Level 3 may petition for an exception to this policy as follows:

Undergraduate students traveling to International Destinations:
- Should request in writing to the sponsoring department whether a petition might be considered.
- If granted the right to petition, students should complete and submit the Petition for International Travel: Risk Assessment Form to the sponsoring department.
Graduate Students and Employees:
- Should complete and submit the Petition for International Travel: Risk Assessment Form to the sponsoring department.
Employees leading group programs to International Educations
- Should request in writing to the sponsoring department whether a petition might be considered.
- If granted the right to petition, the leader should complete and submit the Petition for International Travel: Risk Assessment Form to the sponsoring department.

All persons who travel under an exception to this policy will be required to sign an Informed Consent, Assumption of Risk, and Release of Liability for Travel Abroad to High Risk Locations as a condition of their travel.

The executive leader of the sponsoring department adjudicates all petition requests.

Recategorization to High-Risk Destination

In the event the CDC or the U.S. Department of State re-categorizes an International Destination as a High-Risk Destination, any upcoming travel may be canceled and any students or employees at the destination may be subject to mandatory departure. The executive leader of the sponsoring department will determine next steps. Individuals who choose to remain in-country against the recommendations of Adelphi must sign the Informed Consent, Assumption of Risk, and Release of Liability for Travel Abroad to High Risk Locations.

Definitions

High-Risk Destination: Locations categorized by the:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travel Health Notices (CDC) as
- Level 3: Reconsider Nonessential Travel, or
- Level 4: Avoid All Travel
U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories as
- Level 3: Reconsider Travel, or
- Level 4: Do Not Travel

International Destination: A location outside the 50 states of the United States of America. International Destinations do include U.S. territories such as American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

University-Sponsored programs include credit and non-credit bearing programs that:

have administrative support or an academic purpose under the supervision, direction, and/or advisement of a department or unit at Adelphi and/or,
receive funding from Adelphi that directly supports international travel.