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Faculty Resources for Travel with Students

Traveling with students requires much planning, preparation, and paperwork. This page explains requirements for international and domestic travel and offers tips on setting course and enrollment minimums and budget. An initial consult, program approval, and budget approval should be completed with your unit’s executive officer and budget office.

Faculty Resources for Travel with Students

International Travel

Please visit International Safety and Security policies on short-term travel with students.

Planning and coordinating new, short-term faculty-led programs with undergraduate students requires the support of and approval from FAA International Programs due to the logistics, risk/safety, and financial review required. There are limitations for the number of new programs that can be supported each year. For international programs with undergraduate students, we will accept proposals from faculty who are willing to partner with Customized Education Programs Abroad (CEPA), Academic Experiences Abroad (AEA), or Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA). To be considered:

Step 1: Discuss the academic content and structure, as well as the location and general itinerary, with your UEO.

Step 2: Consider your position and background for leading an international program with students, which will be reviewed with the trip proposal.

Step 3: (Recommended by June 1 for programs in the upcoming year): Upon UEO approval, contact FAA International Programs/Rebecca Paez-Rodriguez with a draft itinerary and course idea to move forward with the next steps, including the development of the student application. You will also be directed to approved third-party logistics coordination to develop a detailed itinerary.

Step 4: Fill out the required planning and safety forms for trip approval located in Box.

  1. 6 months in advance: Send phase 1 concept forms to faa-abroad@illinois.edu.
    • Complete the abbreviated form if there are no significant changes to the program concept, content, logistics, or staffing and the program was offered June 2023–present.
  2. 3 months in advance: Send phase 2 risk management forms to faa-abroad@illinois.edu.
    • Complete the abbreviated form if there are no significant changes to the program concept, content, logistics, or staffing and the program was offered June 2023–present.
  3. 3 weeks in advance: Send phase 3 communication forms to faa-abroad@illinois.edu and safetyabroad@illinois.edu.

Step 5: Program instructors and leaders must first be approved and then complete the Training for Program Leaders.

Step 6: You should register for your own international insurance through the Illinois International Enrollment and Fees page.

  1. You will receive an email from Gallagher International Insurance (announcement@gallagherstudent.com) with your verification letter and a link to view your documents.
  2. International insurance information can be found at the Illinois International Using Your Insurance page.
  3. Students are automatically registered for international insurance after completing the study abroad application, so they just need to monitor their email for the letter.

Step 7: Work closely with FAA International Programs/Rebecca Paez-Rodriguez and your school/department budget office for next steps.

Last-Minute Travel Tips Prior to International Travel with Students

  1. Watch the Health Abroad, Safety abroad, International Insurance, International Safety and Security videos.
  2. Register with the Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
  3. Save the Illinois International emergency contact information.
  4. Print and take a picture of your passport, international insurance card, and international safety travel card to bring with you.
  5. Call your credit/debit card companies to inform them of your international travel.
  6. Make a plan for cell phone use (eSIM or call your cell provider).
  7. Create a WhatsApp or other group chat to establish a method of communication across the group.
  8. Consider any health or medication needs ahead of time. Visit the Illinois International Physical Health page.
  9. Review country travel advisory and U.S. Embassy contact details.
  10. Follow through with all visa requirements for travel.

Alternative Approval Process for Performance Groups

Groups such as Marching Band Centro Cultural exchange in Costa Rica may not follow the standard processes for short-term, faculty-led study abroad trips but are subject to adhering to campus policies for international travel with students.

Because of when invitations are made and auditions are held, there is usually a quick turnaround time before travel. Email the International Safety and Security Office as soon as you have an invitation and prepare to send a draft itinerary and flight information.

The International Safety and Security Office will work with you to set up the required registration for international travel with students (required risk forms, passport upload, insurance registration).

Overnight Domestic Travel

Approval for these programs lies within the school/department. There is no college or university approval process. Since it is not international, there is no university registration in MyStudyAbroad, insurance, etc.

Most domestic trips with students entail a course fee applied to the course that covers the program fee for the trip. To request a course fee be added to a course, revise the course in the Course Information Management system prior to the course being added to the schedule for the upcoming term. The Fee Description column needs to contain the name of the charge that will appear on the student account, which is the description of the detail code that will be used on the course. An existing or new detail code can be used. A detail code is a code that references a specific financial account that the course fees will be placed into. You will need to have your unit’s office manager/business services create a new detail code, which is an account that will manage these specific funds, and then give it a fee description, which you will type into that section. The detail code should be unique and not used for other trips or courses. Contact the FAA Business Office if you need assistance with this. If the trip is optional to students within the course, create two sections, one section that has the course fee applied for students going on the trip and one section with no course fee. Students will be made aware of course fees prior to registration through the class schedule. Billing and payment of course fees is through the standard university business practices. Collection of course fees in the classroom is not allowed.

Balancing a Plan for Minimum Number of Students, Student Enrollment in the Course, and Budget

  • If you rely on a regular course setup, students can drop the course themselves, which will impact the trip plans.
  • To address both the financial issue and the minimum number of students needed:
    • Students can be asked to sign a confirmation of participation as part of their course registration (the course is restricted and students must sign the form to receive an override to add the course). On this form, there could be a program field trip fee AND/OR there could just be a cancellation/withdrawal fee charged after a certain date. This would function as a domestic field trip—the course fee would go into an account that you would use for the trip.
    • The course has a course fee attached and students have a hold placed on their account so that they cannot drop the course. If they needed to make any schedule changes, they would have to discuss those with their advisor. The use of holds for advising and registration issues is permitted. And then the advisor could also be taking into account the minimum numbers needed for the program when reviewing individual cases for dropping. This is recommended more for graduate students and less so for undergraduate students.
    • Either way, a minimum number of students must be determined for the course to run.

Resources for All Travel with Students

Locations where students travel overnight on university-sponsored business are subject to federal Clery Act mandates. Review the expectations and, if applicable, register the trip on the submission form.

Consider utilizing the Behavioral Expectations for Students on Travel document, approved by University Counsel.

Consider requesting the Food Allergy and Dietary Restriction form from students.

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