Suspending Education Abroad Opportunities

Role of Committee

The Education Abroad Suspension Committee is responsible for deciding whether to suspend an education abroad opportunity sponsored by the University when a significant health or safety concern is raised regarding the opportunity. This health or safety concern may arise from a number of sources, including U.S. State Department travel warnings, travel warnings from governmental health organizations, natural disasters, on-site staff officials or other indicators of potential health or safety threats. The committee has University-wide jurisdiction and its decisions apply uniformly to all campuses. The committee may decide to suspend an education abroad opportunity before a program starts or while it is in process. Prior approval of the Committee is required for any education abroad opportunity involving travel by University of Minnesota students to a location subject to a travel warning from the State Department.

Committee Composition

The Education Abroad Suspension Committee is comprised of the Associate Vice President for International Programs, the General Counsel, the Senior Vice President for System Administration and the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences. These officials may delegate their responsibilities to others within their areas of authority. The Assistant Vice President for Public Health will serve on the committee whenever a decision is being considered to cancel or suspend an education abroad opportunity for public health reasons.

Criteria

In deciding whether to suspend a University-sponsored education abroad opportunity, the Committee will consider the following factors:

• The academic purpose of the opportunity;
• Whether the opportunity is for undergraduate, graduate, or professional training;
• The educational, research, or professional training importance of the opportunity in relation to the students' academic program;
• The political and physical conditions in the site country;
• The level of risk to students' health and safety;
• Travel conditions and the ability to evacuate students, if necessary;
• The manageability of legal risk to the University.

Non-University Sponsored Education Abroad Opportunities

The Committee also has authority to decide whether the University will register students and allow them financial aid to participate in non-University-sponsored education abroad opportunities in countries, regions or areas where there is a significant health or safety risk as discussed in this policy.

Emergencies

In emergency situations where it is impractical for the Education Abroad Suspension Committee to meet, the Associate Vice President for International Programs may take immediate steps to have students removed from a country, region or area. Individual University sponsored program staff also may take immediate steps to remove students from a country, region or area in emergency circumstances without prior action by the committee. The individual program director or designee will notify the Committee within 24 hours of any such emergency action.