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Memorial University of Newfoundland

  Memorial University of Newfoundland

Travel Outside of Canada

Approval Date: 2021-12-02

Effective Date: 2015-03-12

Review Date: 2025-12-02

Authority:

Vice-President (Administration and Finance)

Purpose

To outline responsibilities and procedures that serve to mitigate the risks associated with travel outside of Canada.

Scope

All employees, students, and persons affiliated with the University who are participating in University-related activities outside of Canada.

Definitions

Activity Coordinator: The employee or other designated individual, who is traveling with a group that includes students, and is responsible for coordinating the University- related Activities. The Activity Coordinator may also be the Travel Coordinator. This is a functional description not a position title.

Destination(s): The countries, regions, and/or areas to which, and within which, the Traveler(s) will be traveling.

Emergency: An event/threat or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could affect the health, safety, and well-being of individuals; cause damage to infrastructure and/or could impact teaching, research activities, and the reputation of the university.

GAC: Government of Canada’s Department of Global Affairs Canada. Global Affairs has four levels of travel risk. Travel to levels 1 and 2 destinations does not require special authorization, while requests to levels 3 and 4 require authorization by the Provost and VP Academic (or delegate).

High Risk Destinations: Destinations deemed high risk according to GAC are those with an advisory level 3 or 4

MOBI 1000: A set of pre-departure modules for students to support their preparation for study, work or research for Travel Outside of Canada. All student travelers must register individually and complete the modules.

Personal Safety Plan: 
A plan developed by the traveler which outlines step by step the risks of their travel to a high risk zone, and their plans to mitigate each risk.

Travel Authorization: Authorization for university related travel normally falls under the scope of the Travel (General) Policy. There may be further steps to authorize travel, for example, if the travel is for research purposes, or to high risk locations.

Travel Coordinator:
The employee, or other designated individual responsible for coordinating administrative aspects of the travel, including bookings, reservations, and completion of necessary documents, etc., for a group of Travelers. The Travel Coordinator may also be the Activity Coordinator. This is a functional description not a position title.

Travel Outside of Canada: Travel from Canada to international destinations, or travel between international destinations.

Travel Outside of Canada (TOC) committee: An advisory group that reviews Safety Plans to high risk locations. The role of the committee is to ensure travelers are adequately prepared to undertake the proposed travel. The committee provides advice to the Provost and VP Academic (or delegate) on requests to travel to high risk destinations. The committee role is not to authorize travel, but to support mitigation of risk to Memorial and to the Traveler.

Traveler(s): Employees, students, or other affiliated persons who travel outside of Canada for University-related Activities.

Unit: Academic or administrative unit as defined in the University Calendar.

Unit Head: Deans, Department Heads, Division Heads, Heads of Schools, Directors, Executive Directors, University Librarian, University Registrar, and other senior administrators at a comparable level; Associate Vice-Presidents and Vice- Presidents, as applicable.

University: Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador.

University-related Activity: Any activity that is directly related to or arises out of the operations of the University at any location.

Definitions

Activity Coordinator: The employee or other designated individual, who is traveling with a group that includes students, and is responsible for coordinating the University- related Activities. The Activity Coordinator may also be the Travel Coordinator. This is a functional description not a position title.

Destination(s): The countries, regions, and/or areas to which, and within which, the Traveler(s) will be traveling.

Emergency: An event/threat or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could affect the health, safety, and well-being of individuals; cause damage to infrastructure and/or could impact teaching, research activities, and the reputation of the university.

GAC: Government of Canada’s Department of Global Affairs Canada. Global Affairs has four levels of travel risk. Travel to levels 1 and 2 destinations does not require special authorization, while requests to levels 3 and 4 require authorization by the Provost and VP Academic (or delegate).

High Risk Destinations: Destinations deemed high risk according to GAC are those with an advisory level 3 or 4

MOBI 1000: A set of pre-departure modules for students to support their preparation for study, work or research for Travel Outside of Canada. All student travelers must register individually and complete the modules.

Personal Safety Plan: 
A plan developed by the traveler which outlines step by step the risks of their travel to a high risk zone, and their plans to mitigate each risk.

Travel Authorization: Authorization for university related travel normally falls under the scope of the Travel (General) Policy. There may be further steps to authorize travel, for example, if the travel is for research purposes, or to high risk locations.

Travel Coordinator:
The employee, or other designated individual responsible for coordinating administrative aspects of the travel, including bookings, reservations, and completion of necessary documents, etc., for a group of Travelers. The Travel Coordinator may also be the Activity Coordinator. This is a functional description not a position title.

Travel Outside of Canada: Travel from Canada to international destinations, or travel between international destinations.

Travel Outside of Canada (TOC) committee: An advisory group that reviews Safety Plans to high risk locations. The role of the committee is to ensure travelers are adequately prepared to undertake the proposed travel. The committee provides advice to the Provost and VP Academic (or delegate) on requests to travel to high risk destinations. The committee role is not to authorize travel, but to support mitigation of risk to Memorial and to the Traveler.

Traveler(s): Employees, students, or other affiliated persons who travel outside of Canada for University-related Activities.

Unit: Academic or administrative unit as defined in the University Calendar.

Unit Head: Deans, Department Heads, Division Heads, Heads of Schools, Directors, Executive Directors, University Librarian, University Registrar, and other senior administrators at a comparable level; Associate Vice-Presidents and Vice- Presidents, as applicable.

University: Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador.

University-related Activity: Any activity that is directly related to or arises out of the operations of the University at any location.

Policy

The University recognizes there are risks associated with all travel, and unique risks when travelling to, and within, international destinations. The personal safety of Travelers is a priority for the University, but the responsibility for assessing and managing the risk of international travel is shared. All members of the University community must appropriately manage risk while planning, and during Travel Outside of Canada for University - related Activities. The University provides current information, guidance, and support for travel outside of Canada. Travelers are responsible for availing of this information while planning, and during travel outside of Canada for University-related Activities

1. Risk Assessment

When planning travel outside of Canada, Travelers are required to assess the risks associated with the University-related activities and the specific destination(s).

For the purposes of assessing the risk associated with the University-related Activities, the Traveler/Activity Coordinator completes the appropriate risk assessments provided by their unit.

For the purposes of assessing the risk associated with the specific destination(s), the Traveler/Activity Coordinator refers to the Government of Canada’s Department of Global Affairs Canada (GAC) travel advisories and may also review alternative travel risk advisory services. GAC provides regularly updated travel reports and warnings for most international destinations. For the purposes of this Policy, the GAC travel advisories are considered to be the official advice concerning travel to specific destinations. See the Procedure for Assessing Risk for Travel Outside of Canada.

Travelers are required to monitor the GAC (or alternate) travel advisories for their destination(s) until their departure and while travelling for University-related activities. While at the destination, if conditions change to become an Emergency, follow the Procedure for Responding to an Emergency While Travelling Outside Canada.

2. Review of Planned Travel Outside of Canada to High Risk Destinations

For the purposes of this Policy, destinations that are assigned a GAC or alternate travel advisory of “Avoid Non-Essential Travel” are considered a high risk destination. Travel to high risk destination(s) requires review by the University’s Travel Outside of Canada (TOC) Committee.

The role of the TOC committee is to review authorized travel to high risk destinations and provide guidance to the traveler:

It is the responsibility of the Traveler/Activity Coordinator to request this review:

1.  prior to commitment of costs in accordance with the Procedure for Travel to High Risk Areas, and

2.  after completing a Personal Safety Plan.

Travelers engaged in Travel Outside of Canada for university-related activities may partake in additional travel, and to change location from the previously specified destination(s), for University-related activities. Travelling to additional, previously unspecified destinations may require review by the TOC Committee once authorization has been received from the appropriate unit head. See the Procedure for a Change of Location While Outside of Canada.

Additional personal travel does not require review by the TOC Committee.

Travel to destination(s) that are assigned a GAC travel advisory of “Avoid All Travel ”normally are not authorized. Requests for authorization of planned travel to “Avoid All Travel” destinations must be made in writing to the Traveler’s respective Vice- President.

No University resources can be used for university-related travel which is not authorized. In the event the University becomes aware of such travel, the Unit Head, with the support of the respective Vice-President may, at his or her discretion, take any of the following measures:

3. Personal Safety Plan

Travel to destinations outside of Canada presents inherent risks to the safety of individual Travelers and groups. Planning and risk management serve to mitigate some risks. Regardless of planning, unforeseeable events can occur. Travelers should develop a Personal Safety Plan that addresses identified risks and includes appropriate responses for unexpected situations.

Travelers should familiarize themselves with the contact information for the emergency services (e.g. police, fire, ambulance, etc.), Canadian government offices (if available), and University contacts located within their destination(s).

Travelers wishing to travel to destination(s) with a GAC travel advisory of “Avoid Non- Essential Travel”, besides complying with Memorial travel policies, must also develop a Personal Safety Plan for Travel to High Risk Areas. This Plan should be forwarded to the TOC committee for review to ensure the traveler is adequately prepared to undertake the travel. The TOC committee will advise whether the traveler is adequately prepared to undertake the travel, or if further steps are required. See the Procedure for Assessing Risk for Travel Outside of Canada.

Travelers must familiarize themselves and comply with the Procedure for Responding to Emergencies while Travelling Outside Canada.

Travelers are not compelled to travel to any destination(s) in which they feel their personal safety may be compromised. Opting out of such travel must be done prior to any commitment of costs.

If travel to a specific destination(s) is a requirement of a student’s academic program, and the student feels that travel to, or within, that destination(s) may compromise his/her personal safety, the student may request to opt out of the travel. Requests for opting out of travel outside Canada are made in writing to the appropriate Unit Head for authorization by the respective Vice-President.

4.       Pre-departure Preparation

Travelers are required to complete a Pre-departure preparation in accordance with the Procedure for Pre-departure Preparation for Travel Outside of Canada.

5.       Student Travel

All students who are traveling outside Canada for university-related activities (study, work or research) are required to register for and complete MOBI 1000, which is the pre-departure course designed to support students going abroad, regardless of country destination.

A group which includes students that is travelling outside Canada for university-related activities, must include a designated Activity Coordinator.

The Activity Coordinator(s) is responsible for providing adequate preparation for the students, including ensuring the students register in MOBI 1000, assisting with the completion of the risk assessment and travel planning, and providing destination- specific information such as culturally sensitive behavior, personal health and safety, relevant emergency procedures and contacts, etc.

6.       Emergencies

The University’s St. John’s Emergency Management plan guides the University’s response to Emergencies including those experienced by Travelers outside of Canada.  This particular emergency management plan is used, regardless of the originating campus of the Traveler.

Travelers who experience an Emergency while travelling outside Canada should contact the University by telephoning Campus Enforcement and Patrol on the St. John’s campus using 709-864-4100, as soon as possible. This telephone number is used regardless of the originating campus of the Traveler.

Related Documents

Related Policies

Procedures

For inquiries related to this policy:

Travel Outside of Canada Committee

Sponsor: Vice-President (Administration & Finance)

Category: Operations

Previous Versions:

There is at least one previous version of this policy. Contact the Policy Office to view earlier version(s)

Approval Date 2015-03-12   Effective Date 2015-03-12
Approval Date 2015-03-12   Effective Date 2015-03-12

Policy Amendment History

Action: PUBLISHED
Date: 2021-12-23 16:52:19

This policy was published as a replacement of a previous version with an ID of 440. Comment provided: Revised Policy (Approved Dec 2 2021)


Action: REPLACED
Date: 2021-12-23 17:03:55

This policy was replaced with a new version. Comment provided: Links updated


Action: REPLACED
Date: 2022-08-31 08:23:18

This policy was replaced with a new version. Comment provided: 8/31/22 fixed links



Procedure for Assessing Risk for Travel Outside of Canada

Approval Date: 2021-12-02

Responsible Unit: Office of the Chief Risk Officer

When planning travel outside of Canada, Travelers are required to assess the risks associated with the specific destination(s) to which they are travelling.

Travelers are also required to monitor the GAC travel advisories or alternate advisories provided by Memorial for their destination(s) until their departure and while travelling for University-related activities.

When assessing the risk of travel outside of Canada, the Traveler/Activity Coordinator will:

1. Determine the GAC travel advisories for their destination(s).


2. If applicable, contact the Travel Outside of Canada (TOC) Committee, no later than eight weeks before departure with a Personal Safety Plan, if the specific destination has a GAC travel advisory of “Avoid Non-Essential Travel”. Refer to the Travel Outside of Canada for University-related Activities table included in this procedure:

 Travel Outside of Canada for University-related Activities
 
DFATD Travel Advisory
For Destination
TOC Committee
Review Required
Exercise Normal Security Precautions
No
Exercise a High Degree of Caution
No
Avoid Non-Essential Travel
Yes
Avoid All Travel
Not Applicable


Destinations assigned a GAC travel advisory of “Avoid Non-Essential Travel” are deemed high risk. Travel to high risk destinations, for University-related activities, requires additional risk assessment and a Personal Safety Plan.

Travelers developing a Personal Safety Plan should first visit the Global Affairs Travel Advisory for the country to which they are travelling.

They should review each risk highlighted in the Safety and Security section, and consider how they will avoid or mitigate the outlined risks.

A. When requesting review of travel outside of Canada to destination(s) with a GAC travel advisory of “Avoid Non-Essential Travel”, the Traveler/Activity

Coordinator will develop a Personal Safety Plan which includes the following components:

1. An explanation of the essential nature of the proposed travel.


2. A description of the risks faced by the traveler (based on the GAC advisory).


3. An explanation of how each risk will be mitigated.

Once complete, the traveler should send the Personal Safety Plan to the Travel Outside of Canada Committee.

The Committee may request further edits and additions to the plan.

B. Upon receiving the Personal Safety Plan, the Chair of the TOC Committee, or delegate, will:

1. Provide the Traveler/Activity Coordinator with an acknowledgement of receipt.


2. Activate a TOC Committee review and response.


3. Provide a copy of the TOC Committee’s written response to the Traveler, Activity Coordinator (if applicable), the Traveler/Activity Coordinator’s Unit Head, and the Provost and Vice-President Academic (or delegate).


4.Support the Traveler to ensure they are adequately prepared to undertake the proposed travel.


Procedure for Change of Location while Outside of Canada

Approval Date: 2021-12-02

Responsible Unit: Office of the Chief Risk Officer

Travelers already outside of Canada for University-related activities are permitted to partake in additional travel and can change location from the previously specified destination(s) for University-related activities.

Travelers who add a new destination for personal travel do not have to follow this procedure, however, if the new destination is high risk, travelers are welcome to seek advice from the TOC committee.

When changing location to a previously unspecified destination(s), the Traveler/Activity Coordinator will:

1. Determine the GAC (or alternate) travel advisories for the new destination(s). The GAC travel advisories are available here: travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories.

2. Follow the Procedure for Assessing Risk for Travel Outside of Canada for the new destination(s).


Procedure for Pre-departure Preparation for Travel Outside of Canada

Approval Date: 2021-12-02

Responsible Unit: Office of the Chief Risk Officer

Pre-departure preparation serves to mitigate some risks and better prepare the Traveler for unforeseen and emergent situations. The University makes available current information, guidance, and support of Travel Outside of Canada. Travelers should avail of this information and support while planning, and during, their travel.

A. In preparation for travel outside of Canada, Travelers must:


1. Register their travel. Canadian citizens and permanent residents are advised to register with the Government of Canada prior to travelling outside of Canada. The travel registration is available here: travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration. Travelers who hold citizenship in other countries are advised to register their travel with the foreign office of their country of citizenship.


2. Ensure they have the appropriate travel documents (i.e. visa, entry documents, etc.) for their destination(s).


3. Ensure they have appropriate travel insurance coverage, including coverage for personal property. Loss of personal property is not covered by the University’s insurance policies. Some Travelers, depending on the specific destination(s), may be required to obtain travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and interruption coverage.


4. Familiarize themselves with the health risks and preventive measures associated with their specific destination(s).


5. Ensure they have an appropriate pre-departure health assessment, which includes appropriate vaccinations, necessary medication, etc. for their travel and destination(s).


6.
Ensure they have adequate travel health insurance coverage.

B. In addition to the steps in section A, Travelers, who are students, and Activity Coordinators, must:

1. Complete the Survey available on Self-Service.

2. Register for MOBI 1000 on my.mun.ca. The MOBI 1000 modules provide pre-departure orientation modules with basic information for travel outside Canada, as well as specific information on travel, safety, and cultural customs for the specific destination(s).

 


Procedure for Responding to an Emergency While Travelling Outside Canada

Approval Date: 2021-12-02

Responsible Unit: Office of the Chief Risk Officer

The University’s Emergency Management plan guides the University’s response to Emergencies including those experienced by Travelers outside of Canada. This procedure is not intended to guide the role of a first responder. In the event of an Emergency, as defined in the Travel Outside of Canada policy, Travelers should:

1. Act to protect their own safety and in the case of Activity Coordinators, the safety of other members of the group.

2. Contact the appropriate local emergency services (i.e. medical, police, and fire) immediately

3. Contact local/regional University supports, if available.

4. Contact Campus Enforcement and Patrol at the St. John’s campus, as soon as possible, using 709-864-4100. This is a single point of emergency contact, regardless of the Traveler’s originating University campus.

5. Follow any instructions given by the University.

Upon receiving a call from a Traveler/Activity Coordinator Campus Enforcement and Patrol will:

1. Collect relevant information from the Traveler/Activity Coordinator including:

a. Name of individual reporting the event
b. Contact information of individual reporting the event
c. Nature of the event
d. Location of the event (e.g. country, region, city, town, etc.)
e. Date and time of the event
f. Status of response by local authorities
g. Names of individuals involved
h. Contact information of individuals involved
i. Current safety, security, and health status of the individuals involved
j. Memorial University program and the name of the administrative head
k. Names of other individuals who have been notified

2. Conduct an initial assessment to determine the emergency level and based on that assessment, invoke the University-wide Emergency Activation Flowchart, if appropriate, or refer the matter to the relevant Unit Head.

3. Where applicable provide specific instructions to the caller.

After the Emergency is resolved, the TOC Committee will meet at least once to discuss and document lessons learned from the event and the University’s and TOC Committee’s decisions, action(s) taken, relevant response(s), and final outcomes.