International Travel Dean’s Designee

It is important that U-M academic units are aware of student travel plans abroad – either as organized groups or as individuals traveling to higher risk destinations for U-M Related Travel.

To facilitate information sharing, the Provost’s Office maintains a list of International Travel Dean’s designees. The International Travel Dean’s Designee serves as the U-M Ann Arbor Provost Office’s primary point of contact for verifying unit-level financial and academic approval for U-M related group travel abroad and determining “essential travel” if necessary. The Provost Office will verify an International Travel Dean’s Designee’s approval for group travel during the Safety Plan review process for higher risk travel to a U-M Travel Warning or U-M Travel Restriction destination and will contact the International Travel Dean’s Designee when questions related to the essential nature of travel arise.

Here is the current list of International Travel Dean’s Designees.

Each Dean or executive officer for Athletics and Student Life may nominate one Dean’s designee for student travel abroad. Designees are often members of the Council on Global Engagement. Deans or CGE members must notify the Chair of the International Travel Oversight Committee of any changes to the Dean’s designee listing. For the Ann Arbor campus, each academic unit must have one Dean’s designee. U-M Flint and U-M Dearborn may elect to have one Provost’s designee for their campus.

Emergency Support for U-M Travelers Abroad

• In the event there is an incident abroad involving a U-M traveler, The Global Engagement Team travel safety members will notify the International Travel Dean’s Designee for that traveler. In some instances, the incident may require emergency funding, cause issues with the traveler’s academic progress, or other assistance that the International Travel Dean’s Designee or their unit can provide.
• The Global Engagement Team travel safety members monitor world events and check the U-M Travel Registry to see if U-M travelers are in that location. If there is a high likelihood that a U-M faculty, staff, or student is affected by an event that has caused multiple deaths or injuries, GET will send a “wellness check” to verify travelers’ status. GET will copy the International Travel Dean’s Designee during communications with their traveler/s.

University of Michigan Related Travel Abroad for Student Groups

• A Dean’s Designee verifies that there is unit-level approval for University of Michigan Related student group travel to any destination outside the United States. Designees may follow any unit-level approval processes that may be in place to document this approval in accordance with the International Travel SPG 601.31.
  • Instructions are also embedded in the Safety Plan for Group Travel, instructing group leaders to seek the approval of the appropriate Dean’s designee before submitting a Safety Plan to ITOC. The Safety Plan review process can be seen on the U-M Travel Health Plan and Safety Plan Process Flowchart.
• For student group travel to U-M Warning or Restriction locations, ITOC will verify that the group leader self-identifies that they have their Dean’s Designee approval within the Safety Plan for Group Travel.
• ITOC will include the Dean’s designee in ITOC review communications. Though ITOC reviews and approves plans based on the merits of their travel health, safety, and security preparation, Schools / Colleges / Units always reserve the right to deny travel.

University of Michigan Related Travel for Individual Students

• The Dean’s designee will be informed of all individual student safety plans submitted for travel to a U-M Travel Warning and U-M Travel Restriction destinations so units are aware of such activity. Though ITOC reviews and approves plans based on the merits of their travel health, safety, and security preparation, Schools / Colleges / Units always reserve the right to deny travel.
• The Dean’s designee will be informed of any non-compliance of the International Travel Policy SPG 601.31 since units sponsoring University of Michigan Related Travel are responsible for informing travelers of this international travel policy and for facilitating compliance for individuals where appropriate.

Unit-level approval includes supporting the educational purpose of the proposed international travel experience. Unit-level approval may consider unit-specific travel health and safety review, though the unit may delegate the health and safety aspects of approval to ITOC via the safety plan review process. Please note that all travel to U-M Travel Warning or Restriction destinations must undergo ITOC review, even after receiving the support of the International Travel Dean’s Designee.

ITOC will verify Dean’s designee approval for all student group travel to U-M Travel Warning or Restriction destinations, will inform the Dean’s designee of approval for all individual student travel to U-M Travel Restriction destinations and to U-M Travel Warning locations during the safety plan review process.

ITOC members are available to consult with a Dean’s designee at any time to discuss the health, safety, and security concerns for travel to any destination, including travel to a U-M Travel Warning or Restriction destination. For questions, contact the Chair of ITOC or global.safety@umich.edu