Update on university travel

*Published on June 17, 2020*

To all members of the Northeastern University community:

On March 12, we announced the suspension of all non-essential university travel, both domestic and international. Today, we write to announce that this suspension has been lifted and to outline the procedures for engaging in university travel. Please understand that much of the world remains under travel restrictions and the resumption of travel will be slow and uneven across the country and the globe.

University travel refers to academic or business travel undertaken by Northeastern staff, administrators, and students that is authorized, funded, coordinated, or administered by Northeastern University. This includes, but is not limited to, teaching, research, consulting, co-op, study abroad or study away, service, administrative work, field studies, volunteer work, performances, and athletic contests.

Effective July 1, all faculty, staff, administrators, and students who wish to undertake university travel must adhere to the following requirements:

For travel within the U.S. or within their home countries, travelers must adhere to the following:

  1. Faculty and staff must obtain approval of their Dean or their designee or unit Vice President/Senior Vice Provost/Senior Vice Chancellor
  2. Students must obtain the approval of the office overseeing the university-sponsored program (GEO, co-op, etc.)
  3. All travelers must agree to abide by local, state, regional, and university restrictions
  4. All travelers must register their travel with the university
  5. All travelers must complete an Acknowledgement of Risk form:

For travel across international borders, travelers must adhere to the following:

  1. Faculty and staff must obtain approval of their Dean or their designee or unit Vice President/Senior Vice Provost/Senior Vice Chancellor
  2. Students must obtain the approval of the office overseeing the university-sponsored program (GEO, co-op, etc.)
  3. All travelers must agree to abide by local, state, regional, and university restrictions
  4. All travelers must register their travel with the university
  5. Faculty, staff, and administrators must complete an Acknowledgment of Risk Form
  6. Student travelers must complete the Individual Petition for Student International Travel, which includes both the acknowledgement of risk form and a petition, which must be approved by the Global Safety and Security Assessment Committee

These enhanced procedures are designed to promote the safety and well-being of our university travelers. During this global pandemic, all international travel is essentially “high-risk,” and travelers must present a compelling reason to travel to a specific location at this time.

Traveling to many areas inside the US also presents risks. Though approval by the Global Safety and Security Assessment Committee is not required for domestic travel, it remains imperative that all travelers understand the risks of travel, take measures to mitigate those risks, and receive timely information and support from the university when needed. We ask supervisors and program office staff to consider carefully the significance and impact of proposed travel in light of the potential health and safety risks.

As the COVID-19 situation evolves, we will continually reevaluate the enhanced procedures. We will make an announcement by August 15 regarding whether they will be continued, adjusted, or discontinued.

We urge all travelers, even those on personal trips, to register their travel and to contact mytravelplans@northeastern.edu with any safety-related travel questions.

Please continue to monitor the university’s dedicated website for frequent updates: news-northeastern-edu.go-vip.net/coronavirus.

Sincerely,

 

Kenneth W. Henderson

Chancellor and Senior Vice President for Learning

 

David Madigan

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs