Obtain approval/confirmation that your international travel is Temple affiliated and you should plan for travel during the 2020-2021 academic year: 

• We recommend starting conversations regarding a potential program as soon as possible. From the initial concept phase to executing a program can take anywhere from 12 to 24 months. When you start your planning, we recommend reviewing the Forum on Education Abroad's guidelines on leading education abroad programs. 
• Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Temple University will be treating all travel involving students as high/elevated risk travel for the remainder of the 2020-2021 academic year.
  • Due to the pandemic, the planning process has become more vital for program leaders. See the timelines below for an overview of the approval process.
• Through Summer II of 2021, Temple faculty/administrators are required to complete and submit a Preliminary Program Proposal online.  Please Note: The Preliminary Program Proposal is used to determine if your program meets the baseline criteria for running. This includes:
  • Review of the travel advisory notices for the destination, per the Center for Disease Control, Department of State, and International SOS guidelines.
  • U.S. citizens/non-U.S. citizens are allowed into the host country
  • Academic continuity can be guaranteed
  • Flexibility on program start/end dates
  • Ability to accommodate quarantine & isolation period(s)
  • Program infrastructure/student support
  • Conditions on the ground are stable/reflect the new norm
  • Program is following Temple's 4 Pillars of Public Health
  • Medical systems in the country has capacity for routine medical appointments/procedures
  • Program has access to financial resources to deal with contingencies and additional expenses related to COVID
• All Preliminary Program Proposals are reviewed by Education Abroad & Risk Management to verify they meet the above criteria.
• Program leaders will be provided with feedback, recommendations, as well as dates/times for a required meeting to review the next steps in the process.

• Due to the challenges posed by traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic, all programs that are recommended to move forward in the planning process will undergo a two-part evaluation.
  • This evaluation assumes that the basic program criteria is still met at all points during this review process.
• The two parts of the program review are broken down as follows:
  • Location assessment, to include the following:
    • Travel advice/entry restrictions
    • Health care infrastructure/overview
    • Testing availability/strategy of host location
    • Contact tracing
    • Treatment of severe COVID-19 cases
    • Health measures to take in advance for the host location
    • Extending stay within the host location due to unforeseen circumstances
  • Programmatic assessment, to include the following:
    • Program meets minimum requirements outlined on the University's Known Risk Matrix
    • Details of the person submitting the form and program leader contact information
    • Preliminary program details, including dates of travel, academic description, logistical information, emergency contacts and funding source
    • Approval from Department Chair and/or Budget Unit Head. 
  • The two components of programmatic review are due at least 30 days prior to any financial commitments being made on behalf of the program (either by the program administrators or by the program participants). Individual due dates for each program will be shared after a review of the Preliminary Program Proposal. 
    • The programmatic review will be conducted by both Risk Management and Education Abroad. A recommendation for the program to proceed or to postpone will be made to the Provost, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Vice President for International Affairs.

Instructions with screenshots to guide you through the approval process are available to download.

1. After reviewing your submission, you will receive a notification indicating the status of your request. Any programs that are approved to move forward 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.
2. Upon receiving the electronic approval, you will be required to submit additional documentation to Risk Management and Education Abroad. Submissions should be uploaded to your online application one month prior to your departure. Instructions to guide you through completing your registration process are available to download. Submissions include the following:
   1. Group Emergency Response Plan
   2. Finalized Group Travel Itinerary
   3. Registering your group with International SOS
   4. Temple Group Leader On Site Contact Informatio.
3. Group leaders will also receive a unique URL for their group to complete the registration process. Participants will need to submit the following through the unique URL:
   1. Emergency Contact information
   2. Health form
   3. Flight information (both departing and returning itineraries)
   4. Passport information
   5. Risk and Release Form
      1. Group leaders will be able to access and review these forms through the online system. Review health forms and disability accommodation letters for each participant. Discuss their concerns with them or encourage them to consult International SOS, as outlined above​
4. Program Leaders are required to attend the Health, Safety, and Crisis Response training overseen by Risk Management. Details regarding this training will be sent to all program leaders in their approval notification.
5. In addition to the training, Program Leaders are expected to:
   1. Provide students with worldwide cautions in effect by the U.S. Department of State, as well as country-specific information sheets.
      1. Consult International SOS for country-specific reports. Distribute/share reports with program/group participants.
   2. Hold a pre-departure orientation for students to review programmatic, academic, and logistical information with students, in particular:
      1. Passport/visa requirements
      2. Necessary immunizations
      3. Safety and security information, including local laws
      4. Location and contact information for U.S. embassies and consulates
   3. Distribute International SOS member cards to each participant.
   4. Distribute the  International SOS & Aetna Summary of Benefits to all participants.
   5. Encourage group participants to consult International SOS via email (philadelphia@internationalsos.com) or phone at 215-942-8478 for information on immunizations, medical concerns while traveling, security information, and other specific concerns you or group members may have about traveling prior to departure.
   6. During the COVID pandemic, all Temple approved group travel will be registered with the U.S. Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Non-U.S. citizens should register with the Embassy of their home country in their destination.

1. Confirm safe arrival of all program participants with your Temple Main Campus point of contact.

2. Conduct an on-site orientation.
   1. Review accommodations, modes of travel, logistics, and cultural information with the participants.
   2. Share emergency contact information with group participants.
   3. Review logistics in the event of an emergency.
   4. Review policies/procedures related to independent travel away from the formal program.
3. Be in contact with International SOS regarding any medical questions or concerns that arise.
4. Be in contact with Risk Management regarding any questions or concerns around health and safety of the program and its participants.