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. 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.

To-Do

Upon UEO approval, contact FAA International Programs / Rebecca Paez-Rodriguez for planning support and to create the application page for students
Fill out the required planning and safety forms for trip approval located in Box.
- 6 months in advance: Phase 1 Concept Forms send 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 months in advance: Phase 2 Risk Management forms send 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 weeks in advance: Phase 3 Communication forms send to faa-abroad@illinois.edu and safetyabroad@illinois.edu
Complete the Training for Program Leaders
You should register for your own international insurance through the Illinois International Enrollment and Fees page.
- You will receive an email from Gallagher International Insurance (announcement@gallagherstudent.com) with your Verification Letter and a link to view your documents.
- International insurance information can be found at Illinois International Using Your Insurance page.
- Students are automatically registered for international insurance after completing the study abroad application, so they just need to monitor their email for the letter.
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

Watch the Health Abroad, Safety abroad, International Insurance, International Safety and Security videos.
Register with the Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
Save the Illinois International emergency contact information.
Print and take a picture of your passport, international insurance card, and international safety travel card to bring with you.
Call your credit/debit card companies to inform them of your international travel.
Make a plan for cell phone use (eSIM or call your cell provider).
Create a WhatsApp or other group chat to establish a method of communication across the group.
Consider any health or medication needs ahead of time. Visit the Illinois International Physical Health page.
- Before going abroad, travelers should visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Destinations page for country-specific immunization and medication information.
- McKinley Health Center offers an Immunization, Allergy, & Travel Clinic where students can make appointments to have a pre-travel health consultation. Consultations are by appointment only. For more information, visit the McKinley Travel Consults and Service page or call 217-333-2701.
Review country travel advisory and U.S. Embassy contact details.
Follow through with all visa requirements for travel.

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 which 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 which 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 set up, 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 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.