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Guidelines for Faculty and Students Planning International Travel

University of Michigan, School of Nursing
Office of International Affairs

Guidelines for Faculty and Students Planning International Travel

The following guidelines apply to all School of Nursing faculty and students traveling abroad for programs originating in the School of Nursing, including faculty planning to lead U-M students abroad for any academic purpose and SN students planning an international experience. The action steps described below concern the various areas of preparation that faculty/students need to undertake, following approval of the experience by relevant faculty and academic administrators, and after arrangements have been made with the relevant international setting. These steps must be completed prior to departure.

Both the University of Michigan and the School of Nursing (SN) have guidelines for international travel of students and faculty. Students and faculty should first consult the U-M Travel Guidelines prior to any specific preparations for their trip. For U-M International Travel Guidelines, go to www.umich.edu/~itoc.

1. Students should plan and begin preparation 9-12 months in advance of the international experience. This preparation should include becoming informed about the region of the world to be visited, which may mean taking courses about the region and reading extensively about the country of interest.

2. If indicated, students should take steps to learn the language of the country they plan to visit.

3. If the experience is intended to complete course requirements, the program director must approve the experience.

4. In every instance, there must be a designated preceptor in the international setting.

5. Faculty and students should check the State Department Travel Warnings link on the U-M International Travel Registry website [www.umich.edu/~itoc] before planning their trip. Also, note that international travel plans may need to be revised if the State Department or Centers for Disease Control issues a warning regarding the destination country close to the date of expected travel.

6. Passports. A passport is required of all travelers, and must be valid for at least six months after the planned return date of the trip. A U.S. passport application can be obtained either from a post office or online [http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html]. Currently, it takes approximately six weeks to obtain a U.S. passport; however, it is possible to have the process expedited for a fee.
   
   International students and faculty should consult with a consular office of their home country for information on how to renew passports.

7. Visas. Visas must be obtained, if required for the country to be visited. Visa forms are available online via consular websites. Allow at least six weeks to obtain a visa, as expedited visas are costly.

8. Health clearance for travel. Students must visit the Travel Clinic at the University Health Service [207 Fletcher St.] before their scheduled trip. Students, call 734-764-8304, 2-3 months before date of departure to find out if an appointment is necessary for the specific destination country. Faculty may need to schedule their appointment at University of Michigan’s Overseas Travel Clinic [Room 3852, Taubman Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr.], 734-647-5899 or 763-7329. If an appointment is needed, the purpose will be to determine precautions that need to be taken prior to departure. Students/faculty will go over their travel itinerary with a nurse/physician and get required immunizations specific to their area of travel. Students and faculty will be asked to present evidence that the visit has occurred and that health advice has been followed.

9. Health/travel insurance. Faculty and students must determine whether their existing insurance is applicable while overseas. Insurance must also cover evacuation services in the case of a health emergency. If not, travelers will be required to purchase special health/travel insurance valid only for overseas travel that includes evacuation services. Information can be obtained from the International Center [www.umich.edu/~icenter] or the Office of International Programs [www.lsa.umich.edu/oip]. A copy of the applicable and valid insurance policy must be submitted to the School of Nursing’s Office of International Affairs (OIA).

10. Registering travel with U-M International Travel Registry. Travelers are required to register their travel itineraries on the U-M International Travel Registry website [www.umich.edu/~itoc]. Faculty are required to register group travel information on this site.  

11. OIA travel form. Each traveler must complete the attached form prepared by OIA.  Copies of passport, visas, health clearance for travel and health/travel insurance documentation must be attached to the form to the completed form and submitted to OIA.  [In the event of a group activity, the faculty member responsible for the experience should collect all of the OIA travel forms and documents for a single, group submission to OIA.]
    
    Additional copies of OIA travel form and documents for distribution by traveler.  Each traveler should make three additional sets of copies of the OIA travel form and its required documents. The first set should be by the traveler in carry-on luggage. The second set should be given to a family member. The third set should be given to the overseas preceptor upon arrival.
    
    Documentation distribution by OIA. OIA will prepare and distribute additional copies of the OIA travel form and related documents that it has received to the following offices, where appropriate: Student's program, student’s advisor, and the Office of Student Academic and Multicultural Services (OSAMS). No SN funds will be released until all relevant information has been received [if funding is from SN offices].

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Additional Notes:

a) OSAMS is responsible for overseeing the implementation of international travel policies involving undergraduate students, while the OIA is responsible for oversight of the policies for all others.

b) OIA has been designated by the dean of the School of Nursing as the office responsible for monitoring the implementation of U-M and SN guidelines.

c) These guidelines apply to faculty if they are leading student groups overseas. Individual faculty traveling on university-related business or academic work are strongly encouraged to make use of them as well.

d) Note that the School of Nursing does not have access to any information provided on the U-M International Travel Registry.

e) In the case of university-organized travel, such as GIEU, only the requirements of the organizing office need to be followed.

The OIA travel form is available here.

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University of Michigan School of Nursing
Office of International Affairs
SNB, Room 3216
400 North Ingalls
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482
Contact: Shaké Ketefian, EdD, RN, FAAN,
Professor and Director of OIA
Tel: 734-763-6669
Fax: 734-615-3798
Email: ketefian@umich.edu