Other International Activity

Other international activities of Purdue-WL students under guidance of Purdue-WL employees

Faculty/staff members are reminded of university expectations regarding international activities of students 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 most recent campus-wide memo issued by the Office of Global Partnerships and Programs, Purdue University, West Lafayette. Expectations are as follows:

[1] Insurance: Obtain insurance for the student(s) through the Form RM23 (scroll down and click on the RM23) at least two weeks in advance.

[2] Reporting: As relevant, tell the Study Abroad Office if the student experience is consistent with the Purdue definition of "study abroad" (for record-keeping and reporting). By default, independent international activities of students are treated as not meeting the Purdue definition unless told otherwise.  For interest, you can see the Purdue Definition of Study Abroad to inform this decision.

[3] Contact information: Please provide a general itinerary and on-site emergency contact information when it is finalized. This should include lodging, telephone, and email.

[4] Evacuation Coverage: Inform the student that their insurance includes emergency travel assistance services (for evacuations related to natural disasters, medical needs, or political uprisings), albeit knowing they should also receive information from Risk Management when insurance is ordered. Instruct students that when they get their insurance card they should keep it with them (and program the emergency number in their cell phones as applicable). For further information, students can view insurance information for details.

[5] Vaccinations and related preventative healthcare: Instruct participants to consult their preferred healthcare professional or other reputable sources (e.g. CDC website, Purdue-PUSH).

[6] Participant Statement of Responsibility forms (including all Companions of employees and students): All participants (except employees) involved in any Purdue University international activity are expected to sign a general "Statement of Responsibility" RM55 (scroll down and click on the RM55). This includes all companions of students and all companions of employees.

[7] Satisfy any necessary OFAC directives: Consult the EVPRP Traveling Internationally website as relevant. If traveling to an "Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)" Country, OFAC may limit travel and financial payment into sanctioned countries. The OFAC website will provide a current list of sanctioned countries, and the sanctions imposed. It is the organizer's responsibility to review these sanctions and ensure all rules and regulations are being followed. Any questions related to OFAC sanctions should be relayed to the Purdue University Export Control Office at exportcontrols@purdue.edu.

[8] Determine whether or not the university you are considering is affected by a US Government restricted party list: The U.S. government restricts certain exports, reexports and transfers of items to certain persons, entities and destinations. These restrictions are maintained by several federal agencies, including but not limited to the State, Treasury and Commerce Departments, on various lists. When a person or entity is on such a list, U.S. entities are expected to do additional due diligence to ensure that any proposed interaction doesn't involve an activity that is prohibited by U.S. law. The federal government maintains a free website which searches against all such lists. The website is found at https://www.export.gov/csl-search. The University reserves the right to restrict additional parties based on emerging US government legislative or administrative guidance, or when it is otherwise in the University’s best interest. Any questions should be relayed to the Purdue University Export Control Office at exportcontrols@purdue.edu.

[9] Security and Risk Assessment Committee (SRAC): If the destination is under a Department of State Travel Advisory of "Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution - Contains Areas With Higher Security Risk" (as inclusive of the geographic location being named in the text) or higher, then the Purdue University Office of the Provost must approve the destination in conjunction with the SRAC. (Note: the strata below this is named "Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution" per the State Department's "World map".)  See more details about the process to pursue an exception by reading the Purdue Policy on Security

[10] Instructions for non-US Citizens: All Purdue-WL international students need to interface with the Office of International Students and Scholars (ISS) before planning any international travel to ensure that travel is allowed to the country/countries that will be visited. Entry visa requirements of the country/countries being visited must be met as well as re-entry visa requirements of the US. This procedure refers to 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.

[11] Travel Documents: Program leaders should remind all participants to check consular information of their home country in regard to visa needs related to travel to the host country; this is in addition to having a valid passport. 

[12] Human Subjects Research: As needed, instruct students to consult the Institutional Review Board (IRB) about Human Subjects Research. 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. Contact IRB for more detailed information about conducting international human subjects research.   

[13] Register Students with U.S. Consulate Overseas: The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service provided by the U.S. Government to U.S. citizens who are traveling to, or living in, a foreign country. Required fields include student name, date of birth, travel itinerary, passport number, and destination. The State Department provides the STEP registration online. You can also Learn About Your Destination.

[14] Advice from FBI: Advise students to be aware of foreign intelligence threats, as referenced by the FBI.

[15] Graduate School: For graduate students, ensure that students are appropriately registered during their time abroad in conjunction with expectations of the Graduate School. This would include but not be limited to terms of an Assistantship, terms of a fellowship, and research registration. The definitive source is the Purdue Graduate School.

[16] Participants who are minors: If a participant will be a minor at the start of the activity overseas, then the Medical Treatment Authorization Form (RM28) should be completed in advance.  

[17] Report participant injuries: If a participant is injured during the activity, then the Report of Personal Injury for Students or Visitors form (RM30) should be completed. An email to Risk Management conveying this same information is acceptable. 

[18] Title IX compliance: Attend to obligations referenced by the Purdue Title IX website. 

[19] Clery Act compliance: Attend to obligations referenced by the Clery Act Purdue website, including swiftly reporting actual or attempted crimes (whether or not perceived to fall under the Clery Act reportable crimes category), by utilizing the Purdue-WL Crime Statistic Report Form.

[20] Allied Health experiences: As relevant, urge students to follow Purdue Best Practices for Engaging in Global Health/Medical Volunteer Experiences.

[21] Contracting: As relevant, remind participants that they may function only as volunteers of a third party in construction projects.  Neither students nor leaders have the authority to contract with any local party on behalf of Purdue regarding the procurement of construction materials, construction services and labor, project supervision and advisory services, or professional engineering services. 


Note that for study abroad programs that are administered through the Office of Programs for Study Abroad, this same office attends to the above tasks. The given communication is about other international activities done by Purdue students which are sanctioned by Purdue-WL.

Adherence to each of these expectations is crucial for the ongoing viability of international activities.  Contact studyabroad@purdue.edu for more details.

The above reflects expectations of Purdue-WL employees who help students travel overseas on university activities. While study abroad programs do not allow non-students to participate, other units may allow this. If yes, expectations for non-students are directed by the office of Purdue Risk Management. Contact Mark Kebert about necessary participant documents and other details.