On-Site Faculty/Staff Leader and On-Campus Responsible Officer Roles and Responsibilities

The safety and security of U of R students, faculty, and staff abroad is of the utmost importance to the University. U of R On-Site Faculty/Staff Leaders and On-Campus Responsible Officers are required to fulfill their responsibilities for University-sponsored travel and activities before, during and after the program abroad.

The On-Site Faculty/Staff and On-Campus Responsible Officer's Roles:

 The distinctions between the roles of an On-Site Faculty/Staff Leader and On-Campus Responsible Officer are:

The On-Site Faculty/Staff and On-Campus Responsible Officer's Responsibilities include:

Proposal process:

1. On-Campus Responsible Officer/On-Site Faculty/Staff Leader serves as the single point of contact during the international travel proposal process.
2. The On-Campus Responsible Officer/On-Site Faculty/Staff Leader’s department/area assumes responsibility for the international travel/activity, including financial responsibility, and the On-Campus Responsible Officer/On-Site Faculty/Staff Leader are responsible for submitting proposed travel/activity updates to the International Travel and Activities Committee in the event of significant changes to the travel/activity or itinerary.

Understands:

1. University approval is contingent upon the current state of affairs in the country/region and the University reserves the right to change program approval at any time based on changing conditions.
2. If an exception to the University International Travel and Activities Policy is approved by the International Travel and Activities Committee it is a one-time exception and does not apply to possible future programs.
3. Institutional responsibility for programs abroad may be greater when programs include non-U of R participants, and institutional responsibility may be greater on programs that include Undergraduate students than Graduate students. This may place increased responsibility on the On-Campus Responsible Officer/On-Site Faculty/Staff Leader.
4. The Office of Global Education can serve as an additional support resource in the pre-departure preparation for a successful program abroad.

Health, Safety and Legal Participant Preparation:

1. Will monitor the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) and other relevant new sources, such as radio and newspapers, on a daily basis prior to and for the duration of the overseas program, taking action, as needed.  This can be done by signing up for the OSAC email newsletter.
2. Will maintain responsibility for 24/7 emergency contact during the program.
3. Will disseminate required university forms and materials to all participants in a timely manner to ensure student participants enough time to work with ASA on any possible U of R registered academic, transportation and housing accommodations and for program coordinator/on-site leader to assist with this process, if necessary.
4. Will organize a pre-departure orientation for program participants that includes full disclosure of the potential risks and dangers of travel in the country in keeping with U of R required travel preparation. Will advise undergraduate or graduate student participants about issues of diversity and identity abroadas they relate to the program location including: race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, ability, socio-economic status. U of R resources on diversity and identity and international travel can be found here and the institution is also a member of Diversity Abroad, which also has additional resources
5. Will provide essential health and safety information to all program participants including:
   1. Department of State Country Specific Information
   2. Centers for Disease Control Traveler’s Health
   3. U of R Travel Health Preparation Guide 
   4. Any other relevant advisories
6. Will advise participants of immunizations and medications required or recommended for international travel/activity, including any local laws governing whether medications may be transported to the location abroad. Will inform participants of CDC required immunizations and medications in a timely fashion to enable all participants to obtain necessary immunizations prior to departure.
7. Will distribute the CAS U of R Code of Community Standards to all U of R CAS undergraduate student participants and the relevant graduate student code of community standards to all U or R graduate student participants.
8. Will inform all participants that University approval is subject to continual monitoring of the current situation in-country and a program may be canceled at any time in consideration of changing on-site circumstances.
9. Will verify that all US citizen participants have registered with the US Embassy abroad via the US Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and participants of other nationalities with the equivalent entity (if there is one) for their home country. 
10. Will advise participants about safe and appropriate practices within the local circumstances abroad.
11. Will verify that all participants’ passports are valid for six months following the end date of the program.
12. Will advise participants of visa requirements for the destination in a timely fashion and provide materials to support participants in obtaining appropriate documentation required for the visa, if relevant. Will support non-US citizens participating on University-sponsored travel who may have different requirements for obtaining a visa.
13. Will connect DACA students with university resources very early in the advising process.
14. Will advise all participants that they will be enrolled in required international health insurance for duration of their time abroad. Participants will be enrolled in iNext insurance, unless a program offers a policy with an equivalent amount of coverage as the iNext policy and then participants will be enrolled in that coverage.
15. Will make formal arrangements with on-site service providers to assure compliance with insurance, health and safety codes of hotels and local transport.
16. Will arrange for emergency telephone/text/WhatsApp communication with all participants during the program.
17. Will serve as the 24/7 emergency contact during the program.  As such departments will find that the responsibilities of a On-Campus Responsible Officer are generally not able to be fulfilled by non-exempt employees.

On-Site Faculty/Staff Leaders may be required to attend 2 to 3 mandatory workshops facilitated by the Office of Global Education in conjunction with Student Affairs, Business Office, Academic Success and Accessibility Office and more. Workshop topics have included risk management, student accommodations and budget management.

On-Campus Responsible Officer and On-site Faculty/Staff Leaders should be aware that they may need to respond to incidents such as the following:

• Hospitalization
• Sexual assault
• Non-violent crime
• Violent crime
• Hate crime
• Drink spiking/drugging
• Vandalism of local housing/program facilities by participants
• Participant disciplinary issues
• Mental health critical situations
• Pandemic/health outbreak
• Participants missing from the program
• Jail/legal detention
• Terrorist incident
• Coup
• Death

Pre-departure document management:

1. Will collect from all participants:
   1. U of R participant waivers and program agreements
   2. A copy photo page of the inside of the passport for each participant and will verify that all participants’ passports are valid for six months following anticipated return to the US.
   3. Emergency Contact Information
2. Four weeks before program start date, will complete and send to Office of Global Education the following documents:
   1. Group International Emergency Contacts for Public Safety. Each course/trip must have designated emergency contacts, in case an emergency occurs on the program. List should include contact information for one or more of the following On-Campus Responsible Officer/On-Site Faculty/Staff Leader/Dean/Supervisor/Coach, etc. People listed on the emergency contact list must be aware that they are on the list and be available for Public Safety to contact during program course dates.
   2. Participants List: first name, last name, U of R ID#, U of R email, Participant is faculty/staff/undergraduate student, graduate student, other ____ (please specify)