Student International Travel Policy

• International Travel Procedures for Students Sponsored by CMC
  Effective December 16, 2019
• CMC Petition Process for Travel to a Level 3 Travel Advisory Destination
  Effective January 2, 2019

International Travel Procedures for Students Sponsored by CMC
Effective December 16, 2019

This is to remind and update all CMC faculty and staff of CMC procedures for CMC-sponsored international study and travel. With the proliferation of international trips, courses, and programs, this memo serves as a review of the college’s safety policies and guidelines for international study and travel. These policies apply to all sponsoring departments, faculty, institutes, and offices that oversee student travel.

This document refers specifically to international travel. For information and guidelines for domestic travel (within the United States), please contact the Dean of Students Office.

As used in this memo, the term “CMC-sponsored” refers to the following activities that are organized, funded, and/or hosted by CMC departments, faculty, institutes, and/or offices: group or class trips, summer internships or experiences, study tours, off-campus courses and programs, athletic events, academic events, extracurricular events, and conferences.

The following procedures and policies for CMC-sponsored international study and travel have been approved by the offices of the Dean of Faculty, the Dean of Students, and the General Counsel. These regulations only apply to student travel, and do not apply to faculty or staff travel unless accompanying students on a trip.

The sponsoring department, faculty, institute, or office is responsible for ensuring that sponsored travel meets CMC’s policies. Additionally, the faculty-led Global Education Committee (formerly the Off-Campus Study Committee) will give final approval for international travel destinations based upon the approved travel policy (above). Please remember that CMC does not authorize student travel to destinations with a current U.S. DOS Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4.

It is the sponsoring department, faculty, institute, or office’s responsibility to identify an individual within the department to serve as the primary point of contact for sponsored students abroad. The sponsoring organization at CMC is also responsible for distributing and collecting all required forms for students participating in sponsored travel and providing copies to the Center for Global Education.

Please follow these procedures:

1. The sponsoring or approving department, faculty, institute or office must send the following information to Kristen Mallory (kmallory@cmc.edu), Director of Global Education and Off-Campus Study, and Dianna Graves (dgraves@cmc.edu), Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students:

• Name of sponsoring department, faculty, institute or office.

• Name(s) of participant(s) and destination(s).

• Date(s) of travel.

• Primary international contact information for this student/group/event, including name, email, and telephone number.

• Contact information (daytime and after-hours; name and telephone numbers) for the faculty or administrator of the sponsoring CMC center/department/institute/office who would serve as CMC’s point of contact and coordinator in case of an emergency (including evacuation, medical, or other) for student(s) on proposed funded program.

• Alternate after-hours emergency contact information including name and telephone number.

The Dean of Students Office will notify the sponsoring organization of any relevant DOS issues as they may relate to individual students.

2. The CMC-sponsoring organization must ensure that each student is entered in CMC’s online Travel Registration database at https://www.cmc.edu/surveys/travel/ prior to departure. The sponsoring organization should also ensure that all students have registered their travel with the U.S. Department of State (or with the student’s home country embassy, for international students): https://step.state.gov/step/.

3. In addition to any forms required by the sponsoring department, faculty, institute, or office, sponsors must have students complete the following forms. Sponsors should keep the originals and submit one copy to the Center for Global Education prior to departure:

   1. Assumption of Risk, General Release, and Indemnity Agreement      [PDF]  (releasing CMC from liability) 

   2. Student Health Insurance Form  [PDF]  (to be completed by policyholder, usually the parent)

   3. Emergency Contact Information Form [PDF]

   4. iNext Student International Travel Insurance  [PDF]: Effective November 1, 2019
      Note: iNext insurance is purchased and coverage is provided on a per trip basis.  Every new trip will require a new iNext form and purchased policy.

      • Students sponsored for international travel lasting less than four (4) weeks are required to purchase the Basic policy. Students may upgrade as they wish.
      • Students sponsored for international travel lasting four (4) weeks or more are required to purchase the Premium policy. 

   5. Self Disclosure Health Report   [PDF] 

   6. Print Screen of the Travel Registration database information input (https://www.cmc.edu/surveys/travel/)

4. Funds may not be disbursed and credit will not be approved until the Center for Global Education receives items a-e. Upon receipt, a staff member of the Center for Global Education will notify the sponsoring department, faculty, institute, or office and the Business Office and/or the Registrar that funds can be disbursed and/or that credit can be approved.

The Center for Global Education provides pre-departure, cross-culture, and safety meetings, and training for CMC staff and organization regarding independent international travel. Please contact the Center for Global Education at (909) 621-8267 for more information.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

CMC Petition Process for Travel to a Level 3 Travel Advisory Destination
Effective January 2, 2019

Per the Claremont McKenna College International Travel Advisory Policy effective September 24, 2018, CMC will not fund, award credit for, or otherwise sponsor or support an international academic or extracurricular project to countries with a Level 4 as determined by the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory (https://travel.state.gov).  Travel to countries with a Level 3 Advisory or to a location within a country whereby a region designated as a level 3 or 4 is within 100 miles will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis through a petition process. 

To petition for an exception to the Claremont McKenna College International Travel Advisory Policy effective September 24, 2018, a student, the Center representative, or the representative of an individual office offering funding, must send the following information to the Center for Global Education (kmallory@cmc.edu) for review by the faculty-led Global Education Committee (GEC), formerly the Off-Campus Study Committee:

1. Statement addressing the security environment in the country and areas where the internship office, housing, and outside activities will take place and how relevant dangers or concerns mentioned in the Travel Advisory will be taken into account by the internship/experience infrastructure and expertise of the organization and on-site supervisor/contact
2. Rationale for the necessity and feasibility of programming to the specific destination as it relates to the CMC mission and relationship with the CMC sponsoring office
3. Compelling rationale as to why professional or academic goals cannot be met in other locations that do not have a Travel Advisory Level 3
4. Details on precautions the student has taken to remain safe based upon the travel advisory concerns
5. Agenda/program information (intended dates, expected itinerary, etc.)
6. Documentation of any study abroad programming in the country by peer institutions of higher education (for informational purposes)
7. Documentation of whether or not the US government conducts programming in the country (for example, the Peace Corps, Fulbright, etc. for informational purposes)
8. A plan for evacuation and/or re-location should it be necessary
9. Willingness of the Director of the sponsoring CMC center or office, the student receiving the funding, and the parent(s) to sign additional liability waivers, if exemption is approved
10. Contact information for the Director of the sponsoring CMC center or office who would serve as CMC’s Emergency Point of Contact in case of an emergency (including evacuation, medical, or other) for student(s) on proposed sponsored program 

The GEC will examine both the travel advisory and the above information and determine the appropriateness for an exception to the CMC Travel Advisory Level Policy.  Decisions are generally made within two weeks of petition submission.

Should the petition be approved by the GEC, the following waivers must be signed by the student and both parents prior to funding:

1. Acknowledgment and Assumption of Risks, Waiver, and Release Agreement  [PDF] for Students electing to study in countries with a U.S. Travel Advisory Level 3

2. Parent 1: Parent/Guardian Acknowledgement and Release for Travel  [PDF]: to countries with a U.S. Travel Advisory Level 3

3. Parent 2: Parent/Guardian Acknowledgement and Release for Travel  [PDF]: to countries with a U.S. Travel Advisory Level 3