Education Abroad at Indiana University regularly monitors information relevant to the safety of all IU students abroad, from official sources as well as from our domestic and international partners and colleagues. The safety and security of IU students abroad is of the utmost importance to us. We work to ensure that students can make informed and wise decisions regarding program selection as well as their behavior abroad.
In addition to other sources of evidence of potential risk to students, we give primary consideration to Travel Advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State which are at four levels --- 1) exercise normal precautions; 2) exercise increased caution; 3) reconsider travel; and 4) do not travel.
Indiana University will not offer or support study abroad programs in, nor approve transit through, countries given Level 4 Travel Advisories, countries given Level 3 Travel Advisories (unless exempted), nor any section of a country given a Do Not Travel Advisory under Level 1, 2 or 3.
Through a process established by the Safety and Responsibility Committee of the system-wide Overseas Study Advisory Council (OSAC), requests for exemptions based on special circumstances are evaluated on a program-by-program basis for countries or sections of countries under a Level 3 Travel Advisory. The Committee has the authority to make the final decision on such requests from program organizers. No exemptions will be considered for any location under Level 4.
Decisions for exemptions will be based on the nature of the Travel Advisory, including the locations most impacted by the Advisory, the experience and training of program organizers and local support staff, the importance and academic relevance of student involvement, what the program will do to minimize the risk to students, the extent of the safety and security orientation provided and the program's willingness to get the students' informed consent regarding participation, despite the Travel Advisory.
Exemption requests must be submitted to OSAC via Education Abroad at least two months prior to anticipated departure, or as soon as a Level 3 Reconsider Travel notice has been issued for the country or region in question if departure is less than two months away.
This policy applies to graduate and undergraduate students on programs offered on all campuses of Indiana University, whether they are system-administered or co-sponsored programs through Education Abroad or unit-based programs that have been arranged by a campus, a school or a department.