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Leading a Group Abroad

Planning Ahead

The guidance and protocols below are based on best practices within the field of education abroad including the Standards of Good Practice set by the Forum on Education Abroad and guidelines Responsible Education Abroad: Best Practices for Health, Safety, and Security published by NAFSA: Association of International Educators.  

Start conversations with your department head, college dean and/or the Office of Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses about who will be sponsoring your individual or group travel at least one year in advance of the target term. Some colleges on campus have their own study abroad/international offices and/or designated staff for international experiences, so exploring your options within your college/department first is a good start.   

In these discussions, it is helpful to have an idea of the type of experience you are constructing for the participants and to consider the following questions.  

  • Will the experience award or receive credit?   

  • What are the goals and learning objectives for the experience abroad?   

  • What are the institutional policies and protocols for leading an experience abroad? 

  • Who must I collaborate with on campus to develop/implement this experience?  

The Forum on Education Abroad Implementation Guide provides a broad overview of the program planning process.  

Timelines for Group Travel Development

The following is general guidance on programmatic development for groups traveling internationally.  

Programmatic Timeline

In advance of departure

Discussions and approval within your unit

18 months in advance of program departure

Development process

12-16 months in advance of program departure

Recruitment process

6-12 months in advance of program departure

Logistics (both student and faculty prep)

3-6 months in advance of program departure

Last-minute procedures

1-3 months in advance of program departure

Preparing to Travel Abroad Planning Resources

Preparing to Travel Abroad Planning Resources

Steps to traveling abroad for group administrators

For group programs not facilitated by Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses (EAOC) or a college international office. Risk Management’s Global Health, Safety, and Security (GHSS) team, in collaboration with EAOC, want to provide guidance and best practices to faculty, staff, and/or students organizing international travel for groups, managing programming, and responding to emergencies or crisis abroad.   

An overview of the program development, approval process, and implementation cycle for the 2024-2025 academic year is outlined below.  

Step 1: Consult Temple's Risk Profiles by Country

In alignment with the university's international travel policy and consultation with the High and Extreme Risk (HERC) committee for international travel, GHSS maintains Country Risk Profiles to provide clear guidance on when Temple travelers can proceed with international travel or when additional High and Extreme Risk Committee or GHSS review and approval is needed. The list can be searched by country. Ratings outline the risks involved with traveling to various locations and when student travel is prohibited or if additional HERC or GHSS review and approval is required before travel occurs.  

Step 2: Apply for Approval

Any member of the Temple University community organizing group international travel must apply for approval in advance of making any financial commitments for the program or group. Reviews, assessments, and approvals will be conducted on a rolling basis, however submission for approval should be submitted no later than the deadlines listed below depending upon the dates of travel. 

As part of the application process, group leaders should be prepared to:  

  1. Describe the itinerary, inclusive of intended dates of travel, locations visited, host partners, and planned forms of accommodation and transportation. 
  2. Complete an Emergency Response Plan template.   
  3. Obtain an Approval from Division to Travel form signed Dean or Department Head (template in online application). 

Instructions to guide program leaders through completing the application process are available to download.

Step 3: Receipt of Approval & Pre-Departure Planning

After reviewing the submission, proposers will receive a notification indicating the status of the request within 1-2 weeks. Any programs that are approved will continue to be evaluated periodically prior to departure to confirm that the basic program criteria continue to be met or to determine if adjustments need to be made to the program. 

Upon receiving the electronic approval, program leaders will be required to: 

  1. Verify all participants are registered in the student travel registration system (link created by GHSS). Instructions to guide participants through the registration process and verifying completion are available to download.  
  2. Confirm all participants have completed the general health and safety orientation (enrolled by GHSS).  
  3. Provide participants with program and destination specific pre-departure guidance and orientation session(s). 
  4. Complete the required Health and Safety Orientation for program leaders (enrolled by GHSS)  
  5. Providing enrollment information to register all travelers with TU’s Global Assistance Provider (template provided by GHSS)   
 

Timelines for Planning 2024-2025 Travel

Note: Depending on the dates of travel, Global Health, Safety, and Security highly recommends submitting a proposal at least a semester in advance of your departure, and no later than 60 days prior to the start of your program.

Program Departure Date

Application Due By

Group travel between August 9 - November 20, 2025

May 23, 2025

Group travel between November 23, 2024 - January 12, 2025

September 6, 2024

Group travel between January 13 - May 7, 2025

October 25, 2024

Group travel between May 8 - June 23, 2025

February 28, 2025

Group travel between June 24 - August 8, 2025

March 14, 2025