Resources and requirements Faculty members are reminded of the necessary conditions to fulfill university policies regarding any international activities (i.e. whether or not it is study abroad) taking place outside the territory of the United States under their sponsorship or guidance (i.e. not being administered through the Office of Programs for Study Abroad or International Programs in Agriculture). This charge is associated with the campus-wide memo issued by Dr. Riall Nolan, Dean of International Programs.

a.  Provision of appropriate health insurance coverage: The sponsoring faculty member or department will ensure that outgoing students have insurance.  For students, sponsoring professors must enroll their students for supplemental overseas health insurance through the Office of Risk Management (form RM 23).  http://www.purdue.edu/risk_mgmt/pdf/rm23.pdf  For non-student participants, leaders shall obtain international health insurance (i.e. injury, illness, medical evacuation and repatriation) through MEDEX (http://www.medexassist.com/ ; 800-537-2029; 410-453-6300). 

Contact Rochelle Hines, Risk Management, at 765-494-7695 with any questions.

b.  Inclusion of students into study abroad enrollment database for reporting to the Provost by School: To ensure that all graduate and undergraduate students involved in any form of international activity (e.g. travel, study, research, service learning) taking place outside the United States are accounted for, the Study Abroad Office has created an online database for tracking, both to give assistance as needed but also for periodic reporting to the Office of the Provost. All Purdue Professors (as well as staff and graduate students) leading or sponsoring related study abroad activities need to have their students included before departure. As a minimum, leaders will provide information about student names, travel dates, and other relevant information. If the activity is to be considered a recognized study abroad program, then more information and instructions are provided on the departmental program website. Contact studyabroad@purdue.edu with any questions.
Note: Non-credit non-study abroad international trip leaders contact the Study Abroad Office for this procedure.

c.  Compliance with Travel Warnings and Advisories from the U.S. Department of State: Per the Purdue University Policy on Security, no officially sanctioned student will be permitted to travel overseas when the host country is under a Travel Warning issued by the U.S. Department of State. Travel Advisories will be considered on a case-by-case basis, a discussion which will involve the school's study abroad coordinator. Any non-recoverable costs lost due to voluntary or involuntary cancellation or postponement of a program will be the responsibility of the sponsoring department. (Note: the complete policy is listed on the Purdue website with a link to the U.S. Department of State.)

d.  Remind Participants Who are Non-US Citizens to Check with the International Students and Scholars Office: All Purdue international students need to interface with the Office of International Students and Scholars (ISS) before planning any international travel. This includes any international activities related to study, research, conferences, or other educational purposes. For all matters related to the legal status of international students the authoritative source is ISS. For more information, visit their website at http://www.iss.purdue.edu.

e.  Consult Institutional Review Board (IRB) about Human Subjects Research (as needed): All Purdue University investigators (including students) who are engaged in human subjects research while abroad remain accountable to the Purdue Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Purdue's Human Research Participant Program, Office of Research Administration. It is advised that all forms be completed before departure since email signatures are not legally acceptable. Click here for more detailed information about conducting international human subjects research. For more information visit the IRB website at http://www.irb.purdue.edu/.

a.  Administrative Approval: The faculty member will oversee the administrative approval process of any international activity abroad which originates from and is carried out within the School/College. Excerpting the April 27, 2001 memo from George van Scoyoc, the faculty or staff member must complete the Departmentally-Sponsored International Program Administrative Form (see Appendix A). Along with this form the faculty or staff member organizing the international experience should submit a written description of the program to his/her department head for approval including location, duration, on-site collaborators, program costs, and description of proactive attention to any health and safety concerns.

b.  Participant Risk and Responsibility Forms: All participants involved in any Purdue University international activity are expected to sign a Statement of Responsibility and Assumption of Risk. The Purdue Office of Risk Management has provided two different official forms. First, in cases where students are participating in activities consistent with the Purdue definition of study abroad (whether for credit or not), the study abroad version of this form shall be used. Second, in cases where participants are involved in international activities not consistent with the Purdue definition of study abroad, the non-credit form shall be used.

c.  Provide Study Abroad office with itinerary and group emergency contact information.

3.  RECOMMENDED

a.  Register Students with U.S. Consulate Overseas: Required fields include student name, date of birth, travel itinerary, passport number, and destination. The State Department provides this service online.

b.  Provide Student Participants with an Emergency Contact Information Wallet Card: These are available through the Office of Programs for Study Abroad. Telephone information is also available online.

Adherence to each of the policies is crucial for the ongoing viability of international activities. Faculty members involved with abroad activities not fitting in the above categories (e.g. as a consultant, without program approval, or without a university invoice to students) must still complete necessary permission to travel and other forms both for themselves and their students; contact studyabroad@purdue.edu for more details.

Appendix A: Departmental International Program Administrative Form

Appendix B: Definition of Study Abroad