VTRAC

A travel recommendation of approval is provide after VTRAC has reviewed the health, safety, and security risks associated with the proposed travel, determined the travel plan is sufficient, and recommend travel be approved by the appropriate leadership team

A travel recommendation of postpone may be issued if VTRAC has reviewed the health, safety, and security risks associated with the proposed travel, have identified a temporary risk to the traveler’s wellbeing, and feel the in-country situation will stabilize over a short period of time.

A travel recommendation of postpone may be issued under the following circumstances (please note this list not exhaustive):

• The proposed travel location is currently experiencing civil and/or social unrest that is believed to dissipate over a short period of time.
• The proposed travel location is currently experiencing or has recently experienced a widespread disaster or delay in emergency services which has temporarily destabilized the region.
• The proposed travel location is currently experiencing or has recently experienced an increase in political tension with another country which may result in or has resulted in an escalation in non-armed conflict between the two nations.

Denials are issued when VTRAC has reviewed the health, safety, and security risks associated with the proposed travel, feels the travel represents a significant risk to the traveler’s wellbeing, and recommends travel be denied by the appropriate leadership team.

A recommendation to deny travel may be issued based on one or more of the following factors:

• Declaration of war between the US and the proposed host country or an adjacent neighbor
• Declaration of war involving a third country and the proposed host country
• Widespread long-term disruption of public utilities and/or services in the host city or country
• Declaration of martial law in the host city or country
• Significant terrorist activity in the host city or country
• Widespread civil unrest, violence, criminal activity and/or rioting
• Specific directive by the US State Department and/or US Embassy
• Recommended evacuation by local officials
• Widespread disease or epidemic that is uncontrolled

The decision to deny travel will be based on information from:

• The in-country program staff (when applicable)
  • In the case of students studying with a partner organization, Vanderbilt University will generally follow our partner’s procedures but reserves the right to make an independent decision.
• US Embassy officials in the host country
• Vanderbilt’s international security provider and international health insurance provider
• Other officials from US agencies and/or NGOs, as well as the appropriate US State Department Country Desk Officer(s)

VTRAC is responsible for deciding whether to suspend or cancel an educational opportunity away from campus when health, safety, or security concerns emerge shortly before a program begins or while it is in progress. The Committee is expected to balance the educational and/or research merits of the travel opportunity with its associated risk, with an emphasis on risk mitigation.

Suspension/cancellation of a program will be considered if on or more of the following events occur:

• Declaration of war between the US against the host country or an adjacent neighbor
• Declaration of war involving a third country and the country of the program’s location
• Protracted or indefinite closure of the university where the program is located
• Inability of the local staff to organize and carry out an academic program outside of the university
• Disruption of public utilities and/or services
• Declaration of martial law in the program city or country
• Significant terrorist activity in the program city or country
• Wide-spread civil unrest, violence, criminal activity and/or rioting
• Recommendation for suspension/cancellation by the institution program staff in the host country
• Specific directive by the US State Department and/or US Embassy
• Recommended evacuation by local officials
• Widespread disease or epidemic that is uncontrolled
• Severe weather advisory such as hurricane warnings

The decision to suspend/cancel a program or trip will be based on information from:

• The in-country program staff
  • In the case of students studying with a partner organization, Vanderbilt University will generally follow our partner’s procedures but reserves the right to make an independent decision.
• University officials at the overseas partner university
• US Embassy officials in the host country
• Vanderbilt’s international security provider and international health insurance provider
• Other officials from US agencies and/or NGOs, as well as the appropriate US State Department Country Desk Officer(s)