International Travel Policy Committee

The International Travel Policy Committee (ITPC), appointed by the provost, was established to develop guidelines and policies to maintain the health and safety of Ohio State students, faculty and staff studying abroad or conducting research or business in another country. The committee meets occasionally as required to review and discuss policies. The committee is also responsible for reviewing petitions by students planning to study in risk designated countries and to recommend a prudent course of action to the provost.

Assessment of Travel to Risk Designated Countries

Traveling abroad contains inherent risks, and some destinations pose heightened risks to health, safety or security. Ohio State categorizes risk using a five-tier scale. The scale puts in place a tiered risk level for countries and regions and defines parameters for travel. The system is based on guidance from numerous resources: U.S. Department of State, Drum Cussac, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control.

In order to mitigate those risks, the university requires all students traveling abroad, as well as faculty and staff traveling abroad with students, to a country that has an Ohio State risk designation of Tier 2 or higher to complete an International Travel Policy Committee (ITPC) assessment.

The purpose of the ITPC review process is to:

• Promote awareness of all travelers to specific risks for their destination cited in government and insurance resources.
• Assist program leaders and individual travelers in planning travel that takes situational awareness, risk mitigation and emergency preparedness into account.
• Encourage travel that is well organized and has considered appropriate safety measures including access to medical and emergency response resources.