Travel to Risk Designated Countries

Travel is highly discouraged and may be restricted to countries with a Tier 6 extreme risk rating. Some of the factors taken into consideration include a Level 4 travel advisory (do not travel) issued by the U.S. Department of State; a Level 3 warning (avoid nonessential travel) issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; risk rating above 4.25 assigned by Drum Cussac.

Implications for student travel:

• Ohio State does not administer undergraduate education abroad programs in Tier 6 extreme risk countries

Individual undergraduate student travel:

• Restricted

Individual graduate student travel:

• Individual graduate student travel requires submission of ITPC Risk Assessment and review and consensus by the ITPC Committee
• The assessment would require a strong academic rationale and assume the individual has prior experience in the country or region; significant language skills or native fluency; connection to a strong local partner (Government, NGO, university) and a significant security plan. Likely requirements will be established for logistics including transportation and accommodation. A routine check-in protocol with international risk management is required.

Travel is highly discouraged and may be restricted to countries with a Tier 5 signifiant risk rating. Some of the factors taken into consideration include a Level 4 travel advisory (do not travel) issued by the U.S. Department of State; a Level 3 warning (avoid nonessential travel) issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; risk rating above 4.0 assigned by Drum Cussac.

Implications for student travel:

• Ohio State does not administer undergraduate education abroad programs in Tier 5 significant risk destinations

Faculty-led or Group Programs:

• Graduate student education abroad programs in Tier 5: Significant Risk destinations require submission of an ITPC Risk Assessment. The sponsoring College would need a strong academic rationale for travel and support from the Dean or their designee.
• The assessment would assume faculty/staff leadership have prior experience in country; significant language skills, native fluency or access to full-time translators; and a connection to a strong local partner (government, NGO, university). Travel must be site specific and only to locations critical to the academic program. Likely requirements will be established for logistics including transportation and accommodation.

Individual undergraduate student travel:

• Restricted

Individual graduate student travel:

• Requires submission of ITPC Risk Assessment and review and consensus by the ITPC Committee.
• The assessment would require a strong academic rationale and assume the individual has prior experience in the country or region; significant language skills or native fluency; connection to a strong local partner (government, NGO, university) and a significant security plan. Likely recommendations will be established for logistics including transportation and accommodation. A routine check-in protocol with international risk management is required.

Travel may be restricted or confined to specific locations and there will be substantial requirements for the safety and security of students, faculty and staff. Some of the factors taken into consideration include countries issued a Level 2 (exercise increased caution) or Level 3 (reconsider travel) or regions issued a Level 4 (do not travel travel advisory by the U.S. Department of State; risk rating of 3.5 - 4 .0 assigned by Drum Cussac.

Faculty-led or Group Programs:

• Education abroad programming in Tier 4 High Risk countries requires completion of an ITPC Risk Assessment.
• The assessment would assume the academic rationale for the program cannot be accomplished in a location with a lower risk tier rating. Assessment would also assume that faculty/staff leadership would have significant language skills or native fluency, and a connection to a strong local partner (government, NGO, university). Travel must be site specific and only to locations critical to the academic program.

Exchange, Third-Party and Customized programs:

• Participation in Ohio State International Exchange (IEP), Third-Party Programs (TPP), or a Customized Experiential Educational Agreement may be limited to those students with a specific academic rationale and preparation (e.g. significant language experience).

Individual undergraduate student travel:

• Individual undergraduate student (e.g. university supported research, internship) travel is restricted.
• Individual undergraduate travel for select government sponsored programs (e.g. Boren, CLS, Project Go) is subject to ITPC review and approval.
• Extracurricular travel (away from an approved education abroad program site) is restricted.

Individual graduate student travel:

• Individual graduate student travel requires submission of an ITPC Risk Assessment and review and consensus of the ITPC committee.

Travel may be limited in country; certain forms of travel and programming may be restricted; some locations may require a higher level of in-country support, accommodations, transportation and logistics for the safety and security of students, faculty and staff. Some of the factors taken into consideration included countries issued a Level 2 (exercise increased caution) or Level 3 (reconsider travel) or regions issued a Level 4 (do not travel) travel advisory by the U.S. Department of State; comprehensive sanctions assigned by the OFAC; risk rating of 3.5 or less assigned by Drum Cussac.

Implications for student travel:

Faculty-led or Group Programs:

• Education abroad programming in Tier 3: Moderate Risk destinations requires completion of an ITPC Risk Assessment and adherence to ITPC guidelines for the country.
• Travel may entail significant safety arrangements including specific on-site support, limitations on travel to specific regions and requirements on accommodations, transportation and other logistics.

Undergraduate student travel:

• Individual undergraduate student travel is limited and requires submission of an ITPC Risk Assessment for review and consensus of the ITPC committee.
• The risk assessment must include a statement of purpose and articulate relevancy of travel to the country to specific academic objectives. The Assessment assumes the individual student has prior experience in the country or region; significant language skills or native fluency; academic background in the location.
• Due to the diversity of the security profiles of countries in this category, there may be significant variation in approved opportunities between locations.

Graduate travel:

• Individual graduate student travel requires submission of an ITPC Risk Assessment and review by international risk management. Approval may entail significant safety arrangements including specific on-site support, limitations on travel to specific regions and requirements on accommodations, transportation and other logistics.

Travel to specific geographic locations may be restricted or require significant vetting. Some locations may require a higher level of in-country support, accommodations, transportation and logistics for the safety and security of students, faculty and staff. For areas that demonstrate inadequate healthcare resources, travelers may need to identify competent medical facilities in the area. Some of the factors taken into consideration include countries issued a Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) or Level 2 (exercise increased caution) or regions issued a Level 3 (reconsider travel) or Level 4 (do not travel) travel advisory by the U.S. Department of State; risk rating of 3.5 or higher assigned by Drum Cussac.

Implications for student travel:

• Education abroad programming and on-site faculty-led research to Tier 2 Specific Risk countries requires an initial International Risk Management Itinerary Review
• Objections to the risk management evaluation will require completion of an ITPC Risk Assessment and is subject to review and consensus of the ITPC committee

Undergraduate student travel:

• Individual undergraduate travel requires submission of an International Risk Management Itinerary Review listing all travel destinations in the country
• May restrict or limit travel to specific regions
• Objections to the risk management evaluation will require completion of an ITPC Risk Assessment and is subject to review and consensus of the ITPC committee

Graduate student travel:

• Individual graduate student travel requires submission of an International Risk Management Itinerary Review listing all travel destinations in the country
• May restrict or limit travel to specific regions
• Objections to the risk management evaluation will require completion of an ITPC Risk Assessment and is subject to review and consensus of the ITPC committee

Travelers should not assume that travel to Tier 1 destinations is devoid of risk. Hazards such as inadequate medical facilities, ongoing demonstrations and exposure to tropical diseases do not necessarily result in a country being assigned to a higher tier. Travelers to these countries are still advised to read the country specific information at the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory and CDC destination profile prior to travel.