.png)
Travel Advisories
The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff are our highest priority. A program may be cancelled by the Office of Study Abroad, in cooperation with the Faculty Director, if safety and security conditions in the host country are not suitable for university-sponsored travel. The Office of Study Abroad monitors Travel Advisories through the Department of State’s website: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings.html and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices.
USM normally operates programs in countries with Travel Advisories at Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) and Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution). Additional approval by members of USM’s International Emergency Response Team is required for study abroad programs in countries where the Department of State Travel Advisory and/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travel Warning is Level 3.
University-sponsored travel will not be approved for countries with a Level 4 Travel Advisory due to terrorism, civil unrest, or other security risks. Approval may be granted for travel to a country with a Level 4 alert if it is solely due to COVID-19 and certain criteria are met. If, prior to departure, a Travel Advisory is raised to Level 4 due to security risks, university officials would decide whether the best course of action is to postpone the program, change location, or suspend the program.
If a program is already in progress and the Travel Advisory is raised to Level 3, university officials would decide, based on the situation and risks, whether the best course of action is to remain in place and monitor the situation, move participants to a safer location, or evacuate participants and have them return home. If a program is already in progress and the Travel Advisory is raised to Level 4, university officials would decide whether to move the program to a different location or have participants return home.
USM normally operates programs in countries with Travel Advisories at Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) and Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution). Additional approval by members of USM’s International Emergency Response Team is required for study abroad programs in countries where the Department of State Travel Advisory and/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travel Warning is Level 3.
University-sponsored travel will not be approved for countries with a Level 4 Travel Advisory due to terrorism, civil unrest, or other security risks. Approval may be granted for travel to a country with a Level 4 alert if it is solely due to COVID-19 and certain criteria are met. If, prior to departure, a Travel Advisory is raised to Level 4 due to security risks, university officials would decide whether the best course of action is to postpone the program, change location, or suspend the program.
If a program is already in progress and the Travel Advisory is raised to Level 3, university officials would decide, based on the situation and risks, whether the best course of action is to remain in place and monitor the situation, move participants to a safer location, or evacuate participants and have them return home. If a program is already in progress and the Travel Advisory is raised to Level 4, university officials would decide whether to move the program to a different location or have participants return home.