executive summary - uky.edu  · web viewthis person works with campus faculty, senior...

49
International Travel Risk Management Report December 19, 2013 Co-Chair, Susan Carvalho, UK International Center Co-Chair, James Frazier, Process Improvement and Risk Analysis Todd Adkins, Risk Management Patty Brophy, Travel Management Services Shannan Carroll, Legal Counsel Lou Drapeau, Risk Management CaSey Henson, UK Police Tom Matlock, UK Police Bart Miller, Human Resources Anthony Ogden, Education Abroad Thalethia Routt, Legal Counsel Lisa Wilson, Finance and Operations International Travel Risk Management Report Page 1

Upload: others

Post on 19-Sep-2019

0 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

International Travel Risk Management Report

December 19, 2013

Co-Chair, Susan Carvalho, UK International CenterCo-Chair, James Frazier, Process Improvement and Risk Analysis

Todd Adkins, Risk ManagementPatty Brophy, Travel Management Services

Shannan Carroll, Legal CounselLou Drapeau, Risk Management

CaSey Henson, UK PoliceTom Matlock, UK Police

Bart Miller, Human ResourcesAnthony Ogden, Education Abroad

Thalethia Routt, Legal CounselLisa Wilson, Finance and Operations

International Travel Risk Management Report Page 1

Executive Summary

The Task Force assessed the current situation of travel protocols for safety and security, in four areas:

Students participating in for-credit Education Abroad programming Students participating in not-for-credit international travel UK employees traveling on university business, not accompanied by students Community members (non-UK) traveling under UK auspices

For each of these groups, the Task Force reviewed benchmark and best-in-class models, regarding such issues as tracking of participants, proactive policies (such as training, insurance, warnings), reactive plans (such as crisis response and crisis communication protocols), and contingency planning, in order to arrive at recommendations and preliminary estimates of budgetary impact for those recommendations.

The Task Force observed that UK’s international risk management policies are more comprehensive in the area of international travel by students for academic credit than they are in the area of international travel by UK employees (faculty and staff):

The Task Force recommends that the management of UK employee international travel be broadened to include all aspects of risk management (health/safety/security insurance, export control, tracking). For the management of this work as well as closer management of risk for non-credit student travel and non-UK participants under UK auspices, the Task Force recommends the creation of an International Risk Analyst position, Level 44/45. UK’s Director of Travel will advise the Risk Analyst of any UK employees whose safety is at risk due to airline flight interruptions (current or potential), or due to states of emergency at traveler’s destination. UK’s Director of Travel will also disclose any or all information regarding employee flight records to the International Risk Analyst as requested.

In addition, the Task Force recommends refinement of policies related to student insurance enrollment, Clery Act compliance, Worker’s Compensation and other international claims, non-employees traveling with student or employee groups, and contingency fund planning. A summary of recommendations and budget considerations can be found at the conclusion of the report; the

International Travel Risk Management Report Page 2

responsible party for review and implementation is indicated in parentheses accompanying each recommendation.

International Travel Risk Management Report Page 3

I. Students participating in for-credit Education Abroad programming.

A. Current UK situation

1. Tracking: Per Administrative Regulation (AR) 4:9, all participants that are enrolled in credit-bearing Education Abroad programs are tracked through UK International Center’s StudioAbroad software program. This includes students on UK-sponsored or third-party programs, as well as UK faculty/staff or others traveling with them under UK auspices. StudioAbroad software, designed for this purpose, has a robust locator function that can be accessed from anyplace with an internet connection.

2. Clery Compliance – CSA Training: Per AR 6:7, all faculty/staff that lead or participate in international travel with students are required to complete online CSA training, within UK’s SAP system, prior to their travel. The Division of Crisis Management and Preparedness coordinates this process, with names supplied by Education Abroad. However, compliance is dependent on the traveling faculty/staff member to complete CSA training prior to travel. During 2013, a total of 75 UKIC individuals were notified of the required CSA training; 69% initially completed the training, another 4% logged into the training, but failed to complete it even after subsequent reminders, and the remaining 27% did not initiate the training until their deans had been notified. Improvements to the notification process were made during this first year of implementation, and compliance and process improvements will continue to be evaluated on a regular basis.

RECOMMENDATION: Greater awareness of the requirement to complete CSA training should be built into the faculty/staff orientation process within Education Abroad. (EA/UKPD)

RECOMMENDATION: Annual reminders should be sent to deans and/or department chairs, so that the CSA training becomes standard practice for domestic as well as international travel associated with students. (UKPD)

3. Clery Act statistical tracking and reporting: UK currently does not have a procedure for collecting specific locations (addresses) and dates for credit-bearing travel. In order to obtain travel dates and locations for crime statistics and reporting, UKIC relies heavily on self-reporting from the program faculty. A recent UK Internal Audit finding noted that the lack of this specific information led to a discrepancy in the University’s compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. It should be noted that reporting of Clery Act information as related to student international travel is a still-new area of discussion nationally, with institutions following widely varied methodologies for tracking and reporting.

International Travel Risk Management Report Page 4

RECOMMENDATION: To the extent possible, dates and addresses for lodging, and space rented or leased for instruction, to include floors/rooms, should be gathered from program leaders before and/or after their travel. (UKPD/UKIC)

RECOMMENDATION: As national best practices continue to be refined for Clery Act compliance related to international travel, UK should annually collect benchmark information and review its own processes as appropriate. (UKPD/Legal/UKIC)

4. Travel to Department of State Warning Sites: Per AR 4:9, UK does not sponsor or approve international travel for educational purposes in a country for which a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning is in effect. However, the University considers exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions are based upon petitions submitted by each student, faculty, or staff employee proposing the travel, and are reviewed by the Education Abroad Advisory Committee. A review of the security issues in the region forms part of the appeal process. The UK International Center monitors international security situations through the Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), through professional listserves, and through insurance providers. However, the UK International Center does not have a full-time or trained International Risk Analyst on staff. Increasing numbers of benchmark universities are establishing full-time International Risk Analyst positions, to address this issue (see Appendix B for sample position descriptions).

RECOMMENDATION: The University should establish a full-time position for International Risk Analyst, to monitor global safety/security issues. This individual would not replace the staff person in EA currently charged with health, safety, and security issues for Education Abroad-enrolled students (20% of staff DOE, Level 41), but would liaise with that individual and would coordinate campus-wide policies regarding international risk management. (Provost/EVPFA)

5. Crisis Response: Currently there are protocols in place for an emergency response team to be assembled at UK, consistent with the nature of the emergency. The Response Team will be chaired by Susan Carvalho, associate provost for international programs. Education Abroad will maintain contact with the student(s) or group abroad, as well as providers in the region; Risk Management will maintain contact with insurance providers as appropriate; other campus bodies will be brought in as appropriate. Crisis response protocols for UK-sponsored programs include access to a pool of contingency funds, assessed to all students on UK-sponsored programs as 5%-10% of total program cost. These funds are managed by UK International Center, and the current balance is approximately $140,000.

RECOMMENDATION: UK should increase contingency fund balance to the SEC benchmark amount of approximately $300,000, and maintain appropriate balance as EA enrollment increases. (EA)

6. Crisis Communications: Currently there are crisis communications protocols in place for travelers to contact the University (see Appendix A, Education Abroad Crisis Management documents). There are also protocols in place for

International Travel Risk Management Report Page 5

communication to be maintained across all UK constituencies, in the event of an emergency situation involving students abroad.

7. Insurance: Student participants on UK-sponsored EA programs are enrolled in health, safety, and security coverage (including medical and security evacuation) via our contract with HTH/DRUM, prior to their departure. The cost of the insurance ($10.50/week) is billed to the students via the UK Billing Office. This generates a premium of approximately $50,000 annually. No waivers are granted for these students. For programs sponsored by third parties, UK participants are enrolled in and billed for HTH/DRUM coverage prior to their departure, unless they have existing coverage equal to or in excess of UK’s minimum travel medical insurance requirements. The insurance contract is managed by UK Risk Management.

Policy highlights include: $250,000 Medical Expense Emergency Medical Evacuation Emergency Evacuation and Relocation for Natural Disaster and Political Unrest $10,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment

RECOMMENDATION: UK Risk Management, in coordination with EA, should negotiate blanket coverage for all UK students (and others as appropriate) traveling under UK’s auspices, under the conditions outlined above. This blanket coverage, reconciled at yearend, would eliminate the contingency of enrolling students prior to their departure. (See also Section II.A.7 and III.A.4 of this report.)(RM/UKIC)

B. Benchmark Information

Education Abroad programming generally operates in accordance with industry best practices, and endeavors to adhere to the Forum on Education Abroad’s Standards of Good Practice for health, safety, and security. Numerous national conferences and listserves offer continuous training and advice about the evolving standards for management of students abroad.

Increasingly, large higher education institutions are establishing full-time staff positions for an International Risk Analyst or Coordinator of Health, Safety, and Security. Such positions exist within Education Abroad offices when charged primarily with oversight of students, and within other central offices (International Center, Risk Management, etc.) when charged with a broader portfolio.

Best-in-class institutions with large numbers of institutionally sponsored Education Abroad programs maintain contingency funds, which have been collected from student program balances or other sources. Big 10 institutions typically maintain balances of approximately $500.000. SEC benchmark balances are closer to $300,000.

Big 10 and SEC institutions maintain insurance coverage similar to that held currently by UK (see attached survey for details). Best-in-class insurance protocols

International Travel Risk Management Report Page 6

involve blanket coverage for all designated populations while abroad, with reconciliation performed at year end, to eliminate contingencies of unenrolled participants.

II. Students participating in not-for-credit international travel

This category includes, for example, athletic groups, performing groups, or student-organization groups, with or without accompanying UK employees.

A. Current UK situation

1. Tracking: As with for-credit students, per AR 4:9, all participants enrolled in UK-sponsored or -approved international education travel experiences, including non-credit-bearing programs, are enrolled and tracked through UK International Center’s StudioAbroad software program. However, the Education Abroad module of StudioAbroad (designed by vendor TerraDotta) was not designed for non-credit risk management tracking, and presents some obstacles for employees and student users. In addition, compliance and monitoring is more difficult with this group. Responsibility for overseeing this process has recently been reassigned to UK Risk Management, but this change has yet to be fully implemented. The Task Force reviewed the TerraDotta Risk Management module, designed to track non-credit travel by students as well as by employees and community members, and found it to be a better fit for the needs of this group. The advantage would be smoother data entry for users, and easier monitoring by a separate office; the disadvantage is that tracking of students would require two locator searches rather than a single query. The Task Force also reviewed benchmark models—most notably the University of Arizona—and found that this group is often managed by neither Education Abroad nor Risk Management, but by a third unit dedicated to the tracking of employees, community members, and non-credit students.

RECOMMENDATION: The Risk Management module of TerraDotta’s software should be purchased and implemented. (EVPFA/Provost/UKIC)

RECOMMENDATION: The enrollment, insurance, and tracking of non-credit UK students should be managed by the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC)

2. Clery Act Compliance – CSA Training: Per AR 6:7, as outlined above, all employees who lead or participate in international travel with students are required to complete online CSA training, within UK’s SAP system, prior to their travel. However, compliance for non-credit travel is more difficult, due to the fact that no pre-departure training is currently provided to these group leaders.

RECOMMENDATION: The International Risk Analyst should design and implement an online training module for employees who lead non-credit student groups abroad, and this training module should include the link for online CSA Training and a statement regarding the leader’s responsibility to complete the training. (UKIC/UKPD)

International Travel Risk Management Report Page 7

3. Clery Act statistical tracking and reporting: Currently, specific addresses/floors/rooms of lodging and activity sites with written agreements, and that involve students, are not gathered from UK employee leaders of non-credit groups. This makes Clery compliance very porous.

RECOMMENDATION: The International Risk Analyst should collect Clery Act reporting data as part of a newly designed travel approval process for this population. (UKIC/UKPD)

4. Travel to Department of State Warning Sites: Per AR 4:9, protocols for travel to DOS Warning sites are the same as for credit-bearing groups (see I.A.4). Currently, petitions for waivers are managed by Education Abroad.

RECOMMENDATION: For non-credit groups, petitions for travel to DOS-warning sites should be managed by the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC)

5. Crisis Response: Current protocols for crisis response for this population are the same as for credit-bearing groups (see I.A.5). However, since there is currently no budgetary oversight or management of these programs within Education Abroad, there are no pooled contingency funds that can be accessed in the event of an emergency. The Task Force discussion of this issue led to consideration of appropriate budgetary oversight, not only for crisis response but for general fiscal soundness and compliance with UK Business Procedures.

RECOMMENDATION: All budgets for international non-credit student travel should be processed by, and reviewed by, the corresponding Business Office, at the level of Dean/Director/Associate Provost/Vice President. (PBO)

RECOMMENDATION: The responsible official should be aware that s/he assumes responsibility for contingency funding in the event of an emergency not covered by insurance (e.g. travel interruption costs, etc.), and should consider the assessment of contingency funding in the amount of 5%-10% of program costs. If not needed, these funds are to be set aside and pooled for use by future groups as necessary. (PBO)

RECOMMENDATION: Primary responsibility for Crisis Response, for non-credit student groups, should be managed by the International Risk Analyst, who will convene all other constituencies as appropriate. (UKIC)

6. Crisis Communications: Currently there are crisis communications protocols in place for non-credit travelers to contact the University (see attached Education Abroad Emergency Call sheet). There are also protocols in place for communication to be maintained across all UK constituencies, in the event of an emergency situation involving students abroad.

RECOMMENDATION: For non-credit student groups, responsibility for Crisis Communications should be transferred from Education Abroad to the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC)

International Travel Risk Management Report Page 8

7. Insurance: Student participants on non-credit UK programs are currently enrolled in health, safety, and security coverage (including medical and security evacuation) via our contract with HTH/DRUM, prior to their departure, following the same protocols as with for-credit groups (see Sections I.A.7 and III.A.4).

RECOMMENDATION : As outlined above, blanket coverage should be negotiated to ensure that all non-credit UK student travelers have appropriate health, safety, and security coverage in place. (RM/UKIC)

RECOMMENDATION: Insurance management for non-credit groups should be handled by the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC/RM)

B. Benchmark Information

The comparative research done by the Task Force reveals that non-credit student groups are managed in a broad variety of ways. Some institutions do not track this constituency at all, or only sporadically. Some manage them within Education Abroad, as UK currently does. Some institutions (e.g. Penn State) manage these groups within their Office of Risk Management. A more recent and growing trend is to manage this group within a third entity, such as the International Risk Analyst, who also manages employee and community members’ international risk.

In terms of insurance, the benchmark data for this group reveals information comparable to that of our for-credit Education Abroad programming (see Appendix C for details).

III. UK employees traveling on university business, not accompanied by students

A. Current UK situation

1. Tracking: When employees purchase international airline tickets through one of UK’s two designated travel vendors (AAA Corporate Travel Services or Avant Travel) or using the AAA-administered online booking tool Concur, their airline travel is monitored, for safety and security from point of departure to point of return. Through the live travel records, the following data are tracked and easily accessed as necessary: origin of travel, destination of travel, connection points, flight numbers, and dates of travel. If an alert arises at any point in the flight itinerary due to natural disaster, political unrest, transit disaster, severe weather conditions, transportation strikes, or other known emergencies, the travel record is automatically flagged by AAA or Avant, and information is relayed to UK’s Director

International Travel Risk Management Report Page 9

of Travel. Depending upon the seriousness of the alert (whether travel is likely to be interrupted), the Director of Travel advises the traveler and department. AAA and Avant changes flight arrangements to re-accommodate the traveler should flight interruptions occur, and advises the traveler accordingly. Should AAA or Avant be unable to contact the traveler, the Director of Travel is advised, who contacts the academic department for assistance.

These mechanisms are also responsive to queries by the UK Director of Travel, in emergency situations. However, as with all tracking mechanisms, if the traveler makes changes en route of which the travel agency is unaware, the query would not be failsafe.

For FY2012-13, 12,041 total airline tickets were purchased through UK Travel (10,676 domestic, 1,365 international); and 332 tickets were purchased through alternate vendors (245 domestic, 87 international). In total, 98% of domestic airline tickets were purchased through UK Travel, and 94% of international airline tickets were purchased through UK Travel. The Task Force determined that this is a sound number, for tracking purposes, even though the promotion of booking through UK Travel should continue, for purposes of safety and security tracking.

For full visibility of all employees moving forward during crisis situations, UK has approved that all official university business airline travel be booked through UK Travel (effective Spring 2014).

Ground locations of UK employees are not tracked, particularly when non-air travel is involved (such as a traveler’s train or bus routes within a region). However, when a traveler is known to be in a city/country, per their flight itinerary, in which an emergency arises that could affect ground transportation, AAA and Avant notify the Director of Travel, who then advises the traveler of the alert.

UK is in the process of implementing mandatory pre-travel approval for employees, through the SAP module TRIP. However, the Manager of Accounts Payable advised the Task Force that TRIP is an appropriate tool for financial monitoring but not for safety/security management.

The Task Force concluded that, for purposes of transit management, the current procedures are adequate in terms of tracking, safety, and security. However, in an emergency situation, we rely upon AAA and Avant to provide data to UK, as they are charged with managing live travel records. The Director of Travel also has access to live records and locations of travelers in emergency situations; and this access could also be given to other UK designees.

No proactive tracking is currently done in regard to export control and ITAR issues (such as what types of equipment or data can be carried to or from particular regions). The Task Force learned that benchmark institutions such as the University of Arizona have merged Export Control/ITAR management with other dimensions of international employee travel management.

RECOMMENDATION: The International Risk Analyst should liaise with UK’s specialist in Export Control (Manager of Industry Agreements), located within

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 10

the Office of Sponsored Project Administration, to roll proactive information into the international travel risk management process. (UKIC/OSPA)

2. Employee Travel to Department of State Warning Sites: Currently, UK does not proactively monitor the destinations of UK employees traveling on UK business. Current UK policy states that “For travel to areas where war/terrorism represents a substantial risk, long-term disability coverage requires travel authorization at the level of the provost or higher; e-mail approval should be directed to Bart Miller, Employee Benefits.” However, most employees are unaware of this policy.

When UK employees do notify Employee Benefits, UK International Center, or Risk Management of intended travel to areas deemed dangerous per the above policy, additional insurance coverage is sought by Risk Management. However, the current designation of such regions is not aligned with Department of State risk assessments.

RECOMMENDATION: UK policies regarding official employee travel to Department of State warning sites should be developed proactively, such that appropriate cautionary materials are automatically provided to employees upon booking such travel. This process can be automated through our existing travel assistance provider (ACE), and can be implemented by the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC/RM)

3. Crisis Response and Crisis Communications: UK’s Travel Office requests that all travelers who book their airline travel through AAA, Avant, or Concur complete a profile, which contains the full name of traveler, birth date and gender as required by TSA, phone numbers (including a cell number), email address, credit card information, emergency contact information, passport number, name and number of academic department, and travel preferences. For travelers without profiles, the travel agent enters the phone, email, department, TSA information, and credit card directly into the travel record. Communication with the traveler and department is dependent upon accurate information provided in the profile and travel record.

If AAA or Avant are unable to make contact with the traveler or department through profile or travel record information, they contact the Director of Travel for assistance.

Travel Alerts: AAA and Avant receive travel alerts regarding weather conditions, natural disasters, civil unrest, transportation disruptions, etc., that may affect our travelers en route. These alerts come from various sources –FAA, travel news feeds, airline feeds, State Department feeds, Worldspan (booking platform used by our agencies), and I-Jet International. UK’s Director of Travel is advised of such alerts if UK travelers are involved.

Currently, UK’s Director of Travel notifies and convenes campus constituencies as appropriate, to respond to emergency situations.

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 11

Currently, all crisis protocols related to employee international travel are reactive rather than proactive.

RECOMMENDATION: Crisis response and crisis communications protocols related to international travel by employees should be codified and reviewed by constituent UK departments, so that lines of communication will be clear in the event of an emergency. (UKIC/UK Travel Office/HR/UKPR)

RECOMMENDATION: International travel plans by employees should be routed through workflow, through the International Risk Analyst, for proactive management of insurance, safety, and security, as well as in-house data. The TerraDotta Risk Management module is designed for this purpose, and could house our international non-credit student travel, employee travel, and relevant community member travel in a single location. (UKIC/UK Travel Office/SAP team)

4. Insurance: Unless a particular policy is purchased for travel to a site of war/terrorism as outlined above, employee insurance coverage consists of three separate entities: Health Insurance, Travel Assistance Coverage, and Workers’ Compensation.

Health Insurance: Currently, employees traveling on University business have personal health insurance, which covers an array of emergencies abroad. However, the management of payment in such situations is complicated, and relies upon the provider to determine eligibility and coverage, generally after the traveler returns home. This can result in significant out-of-pocket expenses.

Travel Assistance Coverage: Currently employees traveling on University business have some coverage and services through UK’s ACE Foreign Package purchased through Risk Management (~$31,000 annually, paid from UK General Fund), in addition to their personal health insurance and self-insured workers’ compensation coverage, as applicable. Some of the ACE benefits for the traveler and the University while abroad include:

The following coverages: Auto Liability, General Liability, Property and Kidnap/Extortion.

Medical Assistance Services that include hospital admission deposits and medical coverage (up to $10,000) that will need to be reimbursed within 45 days by UK Workers’ Compensation, the traveler’s personal healthcare or the traveler.

Various Executive Services including but not limited to: Emergency Medical Evacuation, Emergency Political Repatriation and Relocation, Hospital Admission Deposit, Medical Assistance Services, Pre-trip Medical Referral, Legal Access, Lost Document Assistance, Translators & Interpreters and Emergency Cash advance. Some of the aforementioned costs are covered by ACE; others require payment by the institution or the individual.

While we have these various coverages and services in place, the International traveler could still need to pay out of pocket for medical treatment and file a claim with Workers’ Compensation or their personal health insurance plan upon return.

Workers’ Compensation: When UK employees submit claims for Workers’ Compensation for international events, the costs tend to be high. Examples include the following:

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 12

Claim #1 – UK group leader sustained broken leg during travel with students – reported claim after returning from trip (still treating, claim cost $40,000 but will go higher).Claim #2 – UK employee exposed to bacterial illness found only in area of travel – reported claim after returning from trip (claim cost $5000).Claim #3 – UK employee developed vein condition during international flight - reported claim after returning from trip (claim cost $51,000).Claim #4 – UK employee injured and had to be evacuated for treatment – reported claim after returning from trip (still treating, claim cost $55,000 but will go higher).

It is difficult for an international traveler to successfully navigate the claims process, due to differing jurisdictions, layers of insurance, etc. This leads some travelers to submit simultaneous claims to their personal health insurance provider and to Workers’ Compensation, and can occupy an undue amount of staff time as a result, in addition to the inconvenience and anxiety to the employee.

Marsh is in the process of obtaining quotes for insured healthcare coverage for UK employees on international travel. The cost of increased coverage is unknown until the quote is received. The goal is to provide additional services and coverage for international travelers without unnecessarily duplicating coverages.

RECOMMENDATION: Within Human Resources, an International Claims Clearinghouse position should be created as all or part of an FTE, as a single point of contact within UK to help affected travelers file claims correctly. .  If this position only assists with employee claims, a .5 FTE is recommended.  If the position also assists with claims from students and community members, a 1.0 FTE is recommended.  When a claim is submitted, this position will investigate the incident and determine whether the claim is subject to Workers’ Compensation reporting, should be covered by a health care plan, or is subject to coverage from another insurance source such as the proposed recommendation to increase the scope of insurance coverage for international travelers.  This position would also work with medical providers and insurance carriers to ensure proper billing, reduce double billing, and assist the injured traveler in navigating the claims process.  To fund the position, the percentage of time devoted to Workers’ Compensation activities could be paid through the Miscellaneous Fringe Benefit Pool; the remaining funding of the position unrelated to Workers’ Compensation would require additional funding.  (HR)

RECOMMENDATION: International travel healthcare coverage for employees, combined with full safety/security coverage, should be negotiated via RFP process, alongside the current student coverage plans. Whether or not the employees are traveling with students, this recommendation would create just one number to call in case of emergencies and would eliminate the current process of deciding which of the two (HTH/Drum or ACE Foreign Package) emergency numbers they would need to use in a particular emergency. (See also Section I.A.7 and II.A.7 of this report.) (RM/UKIC)

B. Benchmark Information

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 13

Of 22 universities benchmarked in 2012, 18 of them have managed travel programs (4 are mandated). These managed travel programs are similar to UK Travel in that they offer an array of travel vendors to their travelers—both an online booking tool and full-service travel agencies. Since traveler tracking is being marketed very heavily by Travel Management Companies (travel agencies) these days, it can be very reasonably assumed that if a university has a travel program in place (whether mandated or not), the contracted travel agencies are providing tracking data similar to that which UK receives through AAA and Avant.

Regarding insurance coverage, the Task Force’s review of benchmark and best-in-class situations at other institutions revealed that the University of Louisville follows procedures similar to those currently in place at UK. Western Kentucky University is currently considering the expanded use of insurance coverages already in place at UK (e.g., programs similar to ACE). Several UK benchmarks (e.g. University of Arizona) do provide healthcare coverage to employees traveling on University business, to avoid the gaps noted in our current coverage.

IV. Community members (non-UK) traveling under UK auspices

This category includes, for example, community members or dependents who travel with UK-sponsored Education Abroad programs, volunteers with service-learning programs, Athletics boosters, employee dependents, international conference participants under UK auspices, etc.

A. Current UK situation

1. Tracking: Per AR 4:9, all participants enrolled in UK-sponsored or -approved international education travel experiences are enrolled and tracked through UK International Center’s StudioAbroad software program. Both for-credit and non-credit programs currently allow non-students to participate in such international programming. Participation of community members is often important to ensure financial viability of group programs or to enrich the overall student experience by engaging practitioners in the target discipline. For example, the Shoulder-to-Shoulder medical brigades to Ecuador generally include medical practitioners from the local community. Currently there are no established protocols governing the participation of non-students. As employee travel is currently not tracked or centrally monitored, neither are dependent travels. For example, when a faculty member is traveling, we do not know if the traveler is alone or accompanied by dependents.

RECOMMENDATION :     UKIC, in conjunction with UK Legal Office and others as necessary, should review and establish clear protocols regarding the participation of community member participation in programming governed by AR 4:9, particularly with regard to academic course enrollment, accompanying dependents, etc. (UKIC/EA/Legal)

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 14

RECOMMENDATION : UKIC should review and establish clear protocols regarding non-employees on UK sanctioned business travel, specifically determining whether or not these travels should be tracked centrally and/or enrolled in UK insurance. (RM/Legal/UKIC)

2. Travel to Department of State Warning Sites: Per AR 4:9, protocols for travel to DOS Travel Warning for community members under UK’s auspices are the same as for UK student travelers (see I.A.4). By default, these participants are regarded as regular participants and are accounted for like all others. Protocols are not in place regarding travel by community members (including dependents) with UK employees on UK business.

RECOMMENDATION : UKIC should review and establish clear protocols regarding non-employees on UK sanctioned business travel, to DOS-warning sites. (UKIC/Legal/RM)

3. Crisis Response: When traveling with UK student groups, these travelers are treated as members of either for-credit or non-credit programs. Therefore, protocols for crisis response for this population are the same as those outlined above. When traveling with UK employees not linked to student groups, protocols for crisis response will depend on whether they are linked to the blanket insurance coverage outlined above.

RECOMMENDATION : As part of the review of protocols for international travel by UK employees, the International Risk Analyst should lead the establishment of clear protocols and limitations regarding UK’s crisis management responsibilities for non-employees who accompany UK employees on UK-sanctioned business travel or under UK auspices, and these protocols should be made available to UK employees and to community members, as appropriate, in advance of their international travel. (UKIC/Legal/RM)

4. Crisis Communications: Currently there are crisis communications protocols in place for community participants on UK for-credit or non-credit student programs to contact the University (see attached Education Abroad Emergency Call sheet). There are also protocols in place for communication to be maintained across all UK constituencies and with the travelers’ listed emergency contact person, in the event of an emergency situation abroad. Again, only those participants that are tracked and monitored will be recognized in any central University response to a crisis.

Protocols are not in place regarding travel by community members (including dependents) with UK employees on UK business.

RECOMMENDATION : The International Risk Analyst should include questions about accompanying family members or community members traveling under UK auspices, in advance of the UK employees’ international travel. (UK/Legal/RM)

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 15

5. Insurance: Participants in all group non-credit UK programs are currently enrolled in health, safety, and security coverage (including medical and security evacuation) via our contract with HTH/DRUM, prior to their departure, following the same protocols as with for-credit groups (see I.A.7). However, billing is difficult for this group, as they are not part of the UK Billing system. Whereas students are usually billed for the cost of insurance via the UK student accounts, community members currently are sent a paper bill, and the only form of acceptable payment is via bank check. The payment rate is problematic, and currently UK systems are forced to financially subsidize the cost of insurance for those not promptly returning the invoice with full payment.

If traveling internationally on UK business without students, community members currently have some of the same coverage and services as our employees, through the ACE Foreign Package. The ACE program currently in place includes elements such as medical deposits up to $10K, Evacuation, and other Executive Services, but does not include Kidnap and Extortion. It would also not include other employee-related coverages such as Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability.

RECOMMENDATION : In negotiating the blanket insurance coverage for UK employees and students, UK should establish clear statements as to applicability for non-employees engaged in international travel for UK business or with student groups, and their dependents. These statements should be communicated to all community participants who travel under UK’s auspices. (RM/UKIC/Legal)

RECOMMENDATION : UKIC should review and establish a clear mechanism to streamline billing and insurance enrollment for community participants traveling with student groups under UK auspices, and ensure full compliance. In consideration of the other recommendations herein explained, the billing mechanisms would be divided between UK Education Abroad and the new International Risk Analyst, thus creating redundancy in systems. The feasibility of establishing of a central insurance billing system should be investigated. (UKIC/EA)

B. Benchmark Information   

As regards community members, only the University of Arizona benchmark model was closely reviewed. There, the community members with non-credit programs are tracked and managed by the International Risk Analyst; community members with for-credit programs are asked to register as students, thus becoming eligible for all the benefits that pertain to students. Other benchmarks offer varying levels of coverage, as regards this group. According to the Office of Risk Management’s research, UK is about in the middle of the pack, for the level of service and coverage we provide.

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 16

V. Summary of Recommendations

A. Students participating in for-credit Education Abroad programming

Greater awareness of the requirement to complete CSA training should be built into the faculty/staff orientation process within Education Abroad. (EA/UKPD)

Annual reminders should be sent to deans and/or department chairs, so that the CSA training becomes standard practice for domestic as well as international travel associated with students. (UKPD)

To the extent possible, dates and addresses for lodging, and space rented or leased for instruction, to include floors/rooms, should be gathered from program leaders before and/or after their travel. (UKPD/UKIC)

As national best practices continue to be refined for Clery Act compliance related to international travel, UK should annually collect benchmark information and review its own processes as appropriate. (UKPD/Legal/UKIC)

The University should establish a full-time position for International Risk Analyst, to monitor global safety/security issues. This individual would not replace the staff person in EA currently charged with health, safety, and security issues for Education Abroad-enrolled students (20% of staff DOE, Level 41), but would liaise with that individual and would coordinate campus-wide policies regarding international risk management. (Provost/EVPFA)

UK should increase the EA contingency fund balance to the SEC benchmark amount of approximately $300,000, and maintain appropriate balance as EA enrollment increases. (EA)

UK Risk Management, in coordination with EA, should negotiate blanket coverage for all UK students (and others as appropriate) traveling under UK’s auspices, under the conditions outlined above. This blanket coverage, reconciled at yearend, would eliminate the contingency of enrolling students prior to their departure. (RM/UKIC)

B. Students participating in not-for-credit international travel

The Risk Management module of TerraDotta’s software should be purchased and implemented. (EVPFA/Provost/UKIC)

The enrollment, insurance, and tracking of non-credit UK students should be managed by the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC)

The International Risk Analyst should design and implement an online training module for employees who lead non-credit student groups abroad, and this training module should include the link for online CSA Training and a statement regarding the leader’s responsibility to complete the training. (UKIC/UKPD)

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 17

The International Risk Analyst should collect Clery Act reporting data as part of a newly designed travel approval process for this population. (UKIC/UKPD)

For non-credit groups, petitions for travel to DOS-warning sites should be managed by the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC)

All budgets for international non-credit student travel should be processed by, and reviewed by, the corresponding Business Office, at the level of Dean/Director/Associate Provost/Vice President. (PBO)

The responsible official should be aware that s/he assumes responsibility for contingency funding in the event of an emergency not covered by insurance (e.g. travel interruption costs, etc.), and should consider the assessment of contingency funding in the amount of 5%-10% of program costs. If not needed, these funds are to be set aside and pooled for use by future groups as necessary. (PBO)

Primary responsibility for Crisis Response, for non-credit student groups, should be managed by the International Risk Analyst, who will convene all other constituencies as appropriate. (UKIC)

For non-credit student groups, responsibility for Crisis Communications should be transferred from Education Abroad to the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC)

As outlined above, blanket coverage should be negotiated to ensure that all non-credit UK student travelers have appropriate health, safety, and security coverage in place. (RM/UKIC)

Insurance management for non-credit groups should be handled by the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC/RM)

C. UK employees traveling on university business, not accompanied by students

The International Risk Analyst should liaise with UK’s specialist in Export Control (Manager of Industry Agreements), located within the Office of Sponsored Project Administration, to roll proactive information into the international travel risk management process. (UKIC/OSPA)

UK policies regarding official employee travel to Department of State warning sites should be developed proactively, such that appropriate cautionary materials are automatically provided to employees upon booking such travel. This process can be automated through our existing travel assistance provider (ACE), and can be implemented by the International Risk Analyst. (UKIC)

Crisis response and crisis communications protocols related to international employee travel should be codified and reviewed by constituent UK departments, so

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 18

that lines of communication will be clear in the event of an emergency. (UKIC/UK Travel Office/HR/UKPR)

Employee international travel should be routed through workflow, through the International Risk Analyst, for proactive management of insurance, safety, and security, as well as in-house data. The TerraDotta Risk Management module is designed for this purpose, and could house our international non-credit student travel, employee travel, and relevant community member travel in a single location. (UKIC/UK Travel Office/SAP team)

Within Human Resources, an International Claims Clearinghouse position should be created as all or part of an FTE, as a single point of contact within UK to help affected travelers file claims correctly. If this position only assists with employee claims, a .5 FTE is recommended.  If the position also assists with claims from students and community members, a 1.0 FTE is recommended.  When a claim is submitted, this position will investigate the incident and determine whether the claim is subject to Workers’ Compensation reporting, should be covered by a health care plan, or is subject to coverage from another insurance source such as the proposed recommendation to increase the scope of insurance coverage for international travelers.  This position would also work with medical providers and insurance carriers to ensure proper billing, reduce double billing, and assist the injured traveler in navigating the claims process.  To fund the position, the percentage of time devoted to Workers’ Compensation activities could be paid through the Miscellaneous Fringe Benefit Pool; the remaining funding of the position unrelated to Workers’ Compensation would require additional funding.  (HR)

International travel healthcare coverage for employees, combined with full safety/security coverage, should be negotiated via RFP process, alongside the current student coverage plans. Whether or not the employees are traveling with students, this recommendation would create just one number to call in case of emergencies and would eliminate the current process of deciding which of the two (HTH/Drum or ACE Foreign Package) emergency numbers they would need to use in a particular emergency. (See also Section I.A.7 and II.A.7) (RM/UKIC)

D. Community members (non-UK) traveling under UK auspices

UKIC, in conjunction with UK Legal Office and others as necessary, should review and establish clear protocols regarding the participation of community member participation in programming governed by AR 4:9, particularly with regard to academic course enrollment, accompanying dependents, etc. (UKIC/EA/Legal)

UKIC should review and establish clear protocols regarding non-employees on UK sanctioned business travel, specifically determining whether or not these travels should be tracked centrally and/or enrolled in UK insurance. (RM/Legal/UKIC)

UKIC should review and establish clear protocols regarding non-employees on UK sanctioned business travel, to DOS-warning sites. (UKIC/Legal/RM)

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 19

As part of the review of protocols for international travel by UK employees, the International Risk Analyst should lead the establishment of clear protocols and limitations regarding UK’s crisis management responsibilities for non-employees who accompany UK employees on UK-sanctioned business travel or under UK auspices, and these protocols should be made available to UK employees and to community members, as appropriate, in advance of their international travel. (UKIC/Legal/RM)

The International Risk Analyst should include questions about accompanying family members or community members traveling under UK auspices, in advance of the UK employees’ international travel. (UK/Legal/RM)

In negotiating the blanket insurance coverage for UK employees and students, UK should establish clear statements as to applicability for non-employees engaged in international travel for UK business or with student groups, and their dependents. These statements should be communicated to all community participants who travel under UK’s auspices. (RM/UKIC/Legal)

UKIC should review and establish a clear mechanism to streamline billing and insurance enrollment for community participants traveling with student groups under UK auspices, and ensure full compliance. In consideration of the other recommendations herein explained, the billing mechanisms would be divided between UK Education Abroad and the new International Risk Analyst, thus creating redundancy in systems. The feasibility of establishing of a central insurance billing system should be investigated. (UKIC/EA)

VI. Summary of Budgetary Impact

A. Creation of an International Risk Analyst position, Grade Level 44/45: estimated cost of $58,500 inclusive of salary ($45,000) and benefits ($13,500).

B. Designation of an International Claims Clearinghouse role within UK Human Resources, 0.5-1.0 FTE. Partial funding would be drawn from the existing Miscellaneous Fringe Benefit Pool. If the scope of responsibilities extends to claims from students and community members, additional funding would be needed for that portion of the work.

C. Purchase of the TerraDotta Risk Management software module: initial cost of $12,800 and recurring cost of $8,800 beginning in year two for software support.

D. Purchase of blanket insurance coverage and international travel services for employees, students, spouses, dependents and community members (non-UK) traveling under UK auspices: estimated annual premium of $115,000, which represents a $34,000 increase over the current student health, safety and security coverage with HTH/DRUM ($50,000) and the current employee ACE Foreign Package Policy ($31,000).

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 20

APPENDICES

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 21

Appendix A: Education Abroad Crisis ManagementLe

vels

of

Emer

genc

y

Scenario/Event

Con

tact

Asso

c. P

rovo

st fo

r In

t’l P

rogr

ams

Dir

ecto

r &

Asst

. Dir

ecto

r –

EA

Assi

gned

EA A

dvis

or

EA O

ffice

Man

ager

Auth

oriz

ed P

erso

n

Dea

n of

Stu

dent

s O

ffice

UK

IC

Com

mun

icat

ions

Dep

t. C

hair

UK

Ris

k M

anag

emen

t

UK

Cle

ry A

ct

Com

plia

nce

Insu

ranc

e / H

TH

Mis

c

1 Lost Documents à X† X X*

1 Violation of Code of Conduct / Disciplinary Issues à X X X* X

2 Injury or Illness (minor) à X X X* X†

2/3 Missing Person à X X X* X† embassy

3 Incarceration à X† X X X* X† X embassy

3 Vehicle Accident (no injury) à X† X X X* X† X

3 Vehicle Accident (serious) à X† X X X X* X† X X† embassy

3 Sexual Assault à X† X X X X* X† X X†

3 Behavior (mental/emotional) à X X X X*

3/4 Anything serious relating to instructor à X X X* X† X X embassy†

4 Behavior (suicide threat) à X X X X* X†

4 Bomb threats, explosions à X X X X* X†

4 Heightened Security Alerts à X X X X*

5 Student / Instructor Death à

Contact Executive Director of EA Anthony Ogden (814) 574-0120EA Crisis Management Team is alerted and convened

*If requested by student or instructor† As needed, with necessity determined by Executive Director of EA and Exchanges

5 Hostage Situation à

5 Disease Outbreak (pandemic) à

5 Evacuation à

5 Natural Disaster (i.e. EQ) à

5 Terrorism/ Act of War à

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 22

EDUCATION ABROAD CRISIS MANAGEMENT CONTACT LISTCampus Office And Position Name Office Cell Home Email

Education Abroad Office (859) 257-4067

[email protected]

Assoc. Provost for International Programs Susan Carvalho (859) 257-

4611(859) 494-

6189 [email protected]

Education Abroad Director Anthony Ogden (859) 323-2136

(814) 574-0120 [email protected]

Education Abroad Asst. Director Abby Hollander (859) 323-

2134(859) 327-

4579 [email protected]

UKIC Communications Manager Derrick Meads (859) 323-

2113(859) 243-

8852 [email protected]

Education Abroad Advisor Elizabeth Kociolek

(859) 323-2142

(510) 409-6676 [email protected]

Education Abroad Advisor Thomas Teague (859) 323-2147

(828) 308-4727 [email protected]

Education Abroad Advisor Laurence Tuccori

(859) 323-2133

(740) 447-2711

[email protected]

Education Abroad Advisor Sarah Whitaker (859) 323-2143

(517) 740-7101 [email protected]

Education Abroad Office Manager Jason Hope (859) 257-

4067(502) 657-

9998 [email protected]

Assoc. Dean of Student Conduct

Dana Walton-Macaulay

(859) 257-3754 [email protected]

Director, Risk Management Lou Drapeau (859) 257-6214

(606) 271-6571 [email protected]

Clery Act Reporting CaSey Henson (859) 257-9567 [email protected]

UK Police Department Main Dispatch (859) 257-8573

Legal Counsel Katherine Adams

(859) 257-2936 [email protected]

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 23

Appendix B: Benchmark position descriptions, International Risk Analyst

UNIVERSITY of MINNESOTAUNIVERSITYWIDE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB CLASSIFICATION: Program DirectorWORKING TITLE: International Health, Safety, and Compliance Coordinator

The International Health, Safety, and Compliance Coordinator (IHSCC) has primary responsibility for managing safety, compliance and health-related matters for University of Minnesota international activities. The IHSCC is responsible for gathering, unifying, and advising on policies and procedures related to health, safety and risk for U of M international programs.

• Researches issues and makes recommendations to the Associate Vice President and Dean for the Office of International Programs (OIP) regarding policies for adoption by OIP and the greater University regarding health, compliance and safety issues involving international programs and activities.

• Works with OIP and relevant U of M staff during individual student crises abroad and involving international students/scholars on campus; works with OIP and relevant U of M staff to develop emergency plans on all 5-campuses.

• Trains OIP, U of M and overseas staff on issues relevant to health, safety and policy implementation to ensure compliance.

• Works closely advising, assisting and providing crisis intervention related to international activity for U of M units on all campuses, campus learning abroad and international student offices.

• Consults with the U of M Office of General Counsel (OGC) on new or evolving policies or procedures related to international health and safety of students, staff, faculty and employees.

• Serves as Title IX Officer for OIP and works with the OIP Communications Coordinator for all relevant external communications with the press and other constituents, especially during an emergency.

PERCENT OF TIME - 60 Percent - ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF THE JOB  - Crisis Management, Emergency Preparedness, and Policy Activity 

• Acts as the policy owner for U-Wide policies related to international programs (Responsible Officer is the Associate VP of International Programs). Monitor and suggest updates to current policy and creation of needed policy and procedure documents.

• Monitors and assesses relevant international health and safety data, world events, issues, and legal decisions affecting higher education for potential hazards and impact on U of students, staff and international programs.

• Assists in developing appropriate emergency plans for all U of M international activities abroad and on campus. Reviews and suggests modifications to update existing emergency plans.

• Works with OGC and the Associate Vice President and Dean, OIP, as well as all relevant staff to draft, propose, and update international emergency protocols (mental health, physical health, natural disaster, death, etc.)

• When needed, coordinates in-depth risk forecasting and analysis (political and security), especially when tensions start building in countries and/or regions that could directly impact the

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 24

security and health of students, faculty, and staff. Provides risk analysis and lays out remediation plans.

• Working closely with OGC, assesses whether existing precautions, plans and policies are adequate or whether more should be done to reduce a potential risk and meet Federal, State and University compliance.

• Interprets relevant rules, policies, and protocols for management and staff. • Reviews and assesses all U of M international safety and security related material, including On-

Site Director’s Manual, emergency plans, pre-departure/arrival orientation and materials, website, etc.

• Manages the Education Abroad Suspension Committee process. Receives student/group petitions, prepares summary for Committee members to consider and communicates as needed with members and student/group.

• Chairs the OIP Compliance committee and manages efforts to address issues. • Chair the OIP Risk and Liability Committee (IRLC) and chairs the Risk and Liability working group. • Supports OIP offices and U of M units in responding to country-specific, region-specific or cross-

regional security or health crises. • Provides crisis intervention advice and assistance for all OIP and U of M units during individual

student crises that may/or may not involve consultation with OGC and other U of M-campus specific areas.

• Prepares critical updates on safety, security, and health-related information for the OIP website and constituents, and works closely with OIP offices and units preparing such reports.

• Coordinates record review of education abroad applicants with Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity (OSCAI), Housing and University Counseling and Consulting Services (UCCS).

• Reviews and evaluates, and in consultation with OGC, approves disciplinary process and letters to students that are drafted by OIP staff or Onsite Directors.

• Centralizes incident reporting and produces reports on trends, etc. through development and management of an International Incident Database.

PERCENT OF TIME: 20 Percent  - Liaison and Policy Activity Develops ongoing relationships with constituents in order to represent OIP, gather data and expertise, exchange information and communicate U of M policies and protocols on issues of health, safety and policy compliance for U of M students, staff and faculty.

Develop and maintain professional relationships with other health, safety and compliance experts including the US Department of State, OSAC, and other universities

Work with 5-campus U of M Office of Risk Management, and Office of Institutional Compliance, as well as campus police and safety officers, OGC, Psychological and Counseling Services offices (UCCS etc.), the Aurora Center, Disability Services, OSCAI, Student

Health Centers (Boynton etc.), Housing, and the International Student and Scholar Services to address matters of U of M safety, security, and international student/staff/faculty health.

Work with 5-campus U of M Office of Risk Management, Office of Institutional Compliance, Office of the General Counsel, Psychological and Counseling Services offices, the Aurora Center, Disability Services, Student Health Centers, OSCAI and Learning Abroad Centers to address matters of safety, security, and health of U of M student/staff/faculty while abroad.

Acts as a point person for U of M education abroad health insurance coverage and policy issues, including negotiating of each year’s prospective insurance contract with insurance broker and vendors in consultation with OIP offices, (including LAC, ISSS, Budget and Finance staff) campuses and units. Provides assistance to the University’s Risk Management officer.

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 25

PERCENT OF TIME: 10 Percent  - Training and Policy Activity • Develops and implements international health, safety and compliance training of staff (OIP units, campus and staff abroad) done in cooperation with relevant offices. Specific focus on plan to disseminate policy/procedure information within OIP, to campuses, and units. • Visits campuses and overseas programs, as needed, to train U of M staff and employees in University and U.S. compliance issues as well as in reporting and in maintaining private data; assists with emergency response preparation and protocol. • Point contact for FERPA and ADA policy issues and training for international programs and activities.

PERCENT OF TIME: 10 Percent - Program Activity • Support current exchange programs by assisting in student mobility plans and accommodations;

works to achieve balance in existing programs; works with participating departments and colleges across all five campuses to promote and expand exchange programs.

• Join the International Reciprocal Exchange Program (IRSEP) team as the OIP staff member (LAC, ISSS and CC also represented on the team)

• Explore options for the future of University wide exchange programs • Other duties as assigned.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED • Research and analytical skills as demonstrated by the ability to elicit pertinent quantitative and

qualitative data from various sources; identify key factors, trends, and issues; analyze and summarize possible implications, and make recommendations for action.

• Ability to use professional judgment in situations for which there are no established criteria or standards or where answers to problems are not readily apparent and initiate action and solutions

• Demonstrated ability to provide effective consultation on a variety of health and security issues to an individual or a group of employees, including senior management

• Ability to design, adapt, implement or evaluate new procedures, systems and reports to improve efficiency and work product

• Analytical and reporting skills to produce well-reasoned, meaningful and accurate risk assessments and recommendations for various audiences

• Ability to interpret the policies and procedures • Demonstrated ability to remain calm in times of crises and to empathize Demonstrated ability to

make quick and effective decisions Demonstrated ability to prioritize • Demonstrated leadership and organizational skills to prioritize assignments, goal setting, and

departmental needs, while meeting deadlines • Skill in listening, anticipating, and responding to the needs of customers • Exceptional interpersonal skills to interact effectively and tactfully with individuals at all levels • Ability to use good judgment, discretion, and sensitivity in dealing with confidential matters • Ability to make effective oral and written presentations to further health, safety and security

goals and to communicate policies and procedures • Demonstrated skill in creating, writing, and implementing comprehensive policies, protocols,

forms, instructions and handbooks with appropriate technical content, style and grammar, and guiding the approval of such documents through a complex organization

• Health, safety and policy experience in an international educational, corporate or governmental environment

• Demonstrated experience in risk assessment and risk and crisis management

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 26

Michigan State UniversityInternational Health and Safety Analyst

Job Summary: 

Propose and coordinate policies, procedures and activities that support the safety and wellbeing of MSU students, faculty and staff traveling abroad for study or university business, and provide global emergency preparedness and response services. This includes:

* Serve as first responder to all crises or perceived crises abroad (15%);

* Facilitate meetings and coordinate activities of the MSU Risk and Security Assessment Committee (15%);

* Manage health and safety projects, resources, and services, including OSA's emergency preparedness and response plans; administrative procedures related to student and faculty health and safety; safety and security training through workshops and orientation programs; OSA's print and electronic publications; response to media inquiries (50%);

* Partner with MSU units and administrators to assist in developing policies and procedures needed to support international activities (10%);

* Provide leadership and service to the field of international education, including the development of a reliable network of support and shared resources among institutional peers (10%).

Required qualifications: 

Master's degree in a related field (e.g., international relations, foreign language, areas studies, communication, higher education administration, criminal justice); three to five years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience in a relevant field (study abroad, emergency coordination, international travel and security, campus crisis management and /or risk management) for a university, governmental or non-governmental organization, and/or international business; demonstrated experience managing international emergencies; knowledge and interpersonal skills to work effectively with faculty and staff, students, parents, police and government agencies; ability to remain calm under pressure and in crisis situations; experience living/working abroad.

Desired qualifications: 

Working proficiency in a foreign language.

Condition of Employment: This position will be required to be on call 24/7

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 27

Harvard UniversityAssociate Director for International Safety and Security

Overview Harvard University consists of Harvard College (for undergraduates), eleven graduate and professional schools, a Division of Continuing Education, the Radcliffe Institute, and the Central Administration.

Students, faculty, and staff in each school engage in a wide range of international pursuits, including study abroad, research projects, internships, performance tours, cultural enrichment, conferences, and business travel, covering more than 130 countries. Schools maintain a variety of organized programs and also support significant independent travel and some independently led group travel. Though Harvard maintains some sites abroad, the vast majority of overseas activity takes place outside Harvard-controlled sites.

Global Support Services (GSS) is a new Central Administration department that will coordinate administrative and operational support to Harvard’s international programs, projects, and sites. The Associate Director leads the International Health & Safety function within GSS, partnering with stakeholders in each school and key central departments to address the overseas safety needs of all Harvard constituents.

Duties & Responsibilities Reporting to the Director of Global Support Services, provide strategic and operational leadership to the University and its constituents on matters of health, safety, and security overseas. In collaboration with key stakeholders around the University, develop, manage, and champion a comprehensive strategy to promote and protect the well-being of Harvard students, faculty, staff, postdocs, and others traveling or based overseas. Implement a range of projects to advance this strategy, including those described below. Serve as a member of the Global Support Services team.

Strategy, Policy, and Practice • Lead a collaborative strategy-development and implementation process, with participation and buy-in from a range of University stakeholders. • Develop and maintain practical and effective international health & safety standards, expectations, policies, and guidelines for Harvard programs, activities, and independent travelers. • Identify and partner with officials in each School (and in other key units) to build consensus, facilitate implementation, collect feedback. Make connections among units with common needs. • Constantly evaluate international health & safety practices University-wide and in individual programs and activities, and arrange external evaluation on a regular cycle.

Emergency Management • Lead the University’s 35-member international emergency management team (I-LEMT), develop general and specific emergency plans, oversee emergency response, train emergency responders, and directly manage complex emergencies. Ensure 24/7/365 coverage for international emergencies and maintain the on-call schedule. Conduct after-action reviews following major incidents. • Manage continuous monitoring of worldwide news feeds for events and trends that may affect Harvard affiliates overseas, and the dissemination of alerts and announcements selected according to standardized protocols. Develop and manage a protocol for alerts to significant events, including those that may lead to mass evacuation.

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 28

• Develop and maintain a University-wide incident reporting system. • Working closely with IT staff, oversee the development and maintenance of web applications for travel tracking, incident reporting, and related processes.

Expertise and Consulting • Provide expert advice on global health, safety, and security to the University leadership, committees, program leaders, and individual faculty, students, and staff. Maintain awareness of world events and hotspots and of trends in health, safety, and security management. • Recommend local structures for safety management and develop “best practice” roles and responsibilities. • As needed, review program and travel plans and recommend steps to mitigate risk and improve balance between safety risks and academic objectives. • Alert the University leaders to major safety concerns, whether systemic or particular. Identify and address areas of limited expertise, engaging Harvard faculty and outside consultants as needed.• Develop and maintain risk assessment protocols, including protocols suitable for high-threat environments. Conduct on-site risk assessments as needed and upon request. • Write/draft plans, guidebooks, web pages, etc. to provide clear safety and emergency guidance. • Represent the global safety function, and staff committees as requested. • Write reports and proposals as requested.

Outreach • Develop and manage communications and outreach to promote overseas safety initiatives and practices at all levels of the organization. Create and deliver presentations to various audiences. • Develop training for program organizers and leaders, including training for high-threat situations as appropriate. Provide guidance and content for local training and pre-travel orientation programs. • Serve as the University’s primary liaison to International SOS and to the U.S. State Department (and its Overseas Security Advisory Council) on security issues. Work with other agencies and service providers as needed. Manage vendor relationships. May conduct RFP processes. • Work closely with Central Administration offices involved in international health and safety. • Work closely with the Insurance Office, the Benefits Office, and University Health Services to ensure that students, employees, and the University itself are insured against hazards abroad.

On-Call: This position is the primary on-call incident leader for international emergencies, and will ensure that other qualified personnel are on-call as needed to provide 24/7/365 coverage. (Most incidents, however, are minor and do not require an incident leader.) Travel: Occasional international travel, including to high-threat environments, is required. In case of a serious emergency, may be expected to travel on short notice to provide in-country support. Emergency Status Designation: Critical Operations Personnel. Leader of the University-wide international emergency management team (I-LEMT).

Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree. Experience in global safety, security, emergency, or risk management or overseas program management.

Additional Qualifications Ten years’ related experience, including some project management experience. University,

NGO, or government experience preferred. Experience with field operations (ideally while working

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 29

abroad) is required; experience in developing countries is a plus. Emergency management experience strongly preferred.

Demonstrated knowledge of multi-dimensional approaches to global safety and security management, applicable to a wide range of activities, situations, and locations. (Candidates whose primary safety experience is in executive protection or physical security should demonstrate expertise in other approaches more relevant to university activities.) Ability to help travelers and decision-makers make their own balanced consideration of tradeoffs between safety considerations and other important objectives.

Must be able to communicate clearly, effectively, and persuasively both verbally and in writing. Must work well and form productive alliances with all kinds of people at all levels of the organization. Must be well organized, able to balance conflicting priorities, and remain calm under pressure and in crisis situations. Must handle confidential and personal information with discretion. Computer skills including MS Office. Foreign language proficiency a plus.

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 30

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAINTERNATIONAL RISK ANALYST

Position description obtained by current occupant of this new position:

Responsibilities:

1. Facilitate the review and approval process of UA travel to countries with Travel Warnings and other high risk travel.

2. Identify, assess, and analyze risks in travel to countries determined Travel Warning Areas.3. Assists travelers in identifying ways to minimize risks associated with international travel.4. Liaise with outside contacts and resources, including OSAC, US Embassies and consulates

and RSOs, and other full-time colleagues to determine other perspectives on countries, events, and emergency situations.

5. Supports UA in navigating UA international travel requirements and safety concerns by serving as a centralized resource.

6. Coordinates with Export Control Office, Risk Management, Financial Services, and other departments with international travel requirements.

7. Plans for and leads international emergency response for international travelers (students, staff, and faculty) across campus.

8. Primary 24/7 on-call for emergency assistance to international travelers.9. Maintain awareness of major world-wide events.10. Serves on campus-wide emergency planning and response committees.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s with at least 3-5 years of comparable experience required. Master’s degree and international experience recommended. This person works with campus faculty, senior administration (department heads and directors, deans, VPs, and Provost Office) and external groups including government agencies.  The person must be able to handle sensitive information discreetly and professionally.

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 31

Appendix C: Benchmark information, International Health/Safety/Security Insurance Coverage

University Source of info Faculty travel tracked? Who? % of FTE?Reporting to what office? Software

Insurance (assistance coverage and/or medical coverage) Other notes

Auburn Andrew R. Gillespie, Assistant Provost for International Programs

Not domestically 0.5-0.75% business person or insurance person

StudioAbroad Frontier/Medex (some major medical, and mostly emergency medevac)

For Travel Warning countries, students are prohibited. Faculty can go where they wish, but we have them sign a waiver and attach that to the form submission. No real difference insurance-wise for different travel, but a “program” like the band falls under non-credit study abroad, handled by studio abroad (where we get a little more background health info). For conference travel, small groups, and such, we use an online form. This would be mostly faculty and grad students.

U of Florida Susanne Hill, Executive Director, International Center

Yes, everyone (faculty, staff, students- credit & non-credit bearing) must register for all int'l travel. All logged on in-house database. All automatically enrolled in an Emergency Assistance Plan (TeamAssist)

Student groups must purchase our approved health insurance plan (the same that we use for all our study abroad programs). We only register faculty, staff and grad students who go out internationally and they are enrolled in emergency assistance only. Grad Students on research also purchase health insurance and so do all the non-credit bearing trip participants. Faculty is expected to use their own health insurance.

Mississippi State U

Peter Ryan, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs

Yes, international travel is tracked.

Faculty/staff (paper forms): President's offi ce. Student international travel if associated with study abroad is handled through EA

Terradotta, planning to extend the same software use (risk management, I believe is Banner compatible) to handle faculty travel.

If a student is engaged in international travel for research/conference or non-credit purposes, then the travel approval would be routed through the home department as would be the case for a faculty member. Faculty are required to sign a waiver that they are aware they are traveling to a country on the Department of Homeland Security warning list and that they do so at their own risk.

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 32

University Source of info Faculty travel tracked? Who? % of FTE?Reporting to what office? Software

Insurance (assistance coverage and/or medical coverage) Other notes

Vanderbilt Carolyn Miller, Assistant Director, International Offi ce

Yes, faculty are tracked thru Concur, but for primarily financial effi ciency. The International offi ce tracks only when safety & security issues present.

Concur, StudioAbroad

International SOS Any student (undergrad or grad) traveling on Vanderbilt sponsored programs (for credit, or paid for by Vanderbilt, or promoted by Vanderbilt) are required to register their travel through our Global Education Offi ce (through StudioAbroad and International SOS). If safety and security are an issue, various administrators have access to these tracking systems.

Boston U 1FTE, , Asc. Director of Health, Safety, & Security

Offi ce of Global Programs

New position: serve as resource for all university students, faculty, staff, & admin regarding health, safety, & security abroad.

Northwestern position description 1 FTE, Asc. Director for Int'l Student Travel

Study Abroad New position: coordinate w/ director of Emergency Mgmt and all relevant units to develop & maintain the University's int'l travel strategy, traning, & response and will execute emergency response protocols. Position maily serves undergrad students, but will include some support for grad students, faculty, and staff.

U of Minnesota

position description 1 FTE, Int'l Health, Safety, & Compliance Coordinator

Asc. VP & Dean of Int'l Offi ce

New position: responsible for gathering, unifying, & advising on policies and procedures related to health, safety, and risk for UM int'l programs.

William & Mary

Sylvia Mittendorfer, Study Abroad

yes - now creating FT position

1 FTE, Int'l Travel Security Manager

Vice Provost for Int'l Affairs

currently using paper form - new staff person will figure out how to digitize

Travel Medical Ins for fac/staff, charged to dept, same company as for student travel but different plan

Currently all faculty/staff fill out paper forms that stay in the dept, for reimbursement tracking. Non-credit students work through the respective offi ce (Undergrad Research, Cmty Eng., etc.) - not centralized, no AR to control this

U of Georgia Kavita Pandit, assoc provost int'l programsKasee Laster, EA

yes 0.5 FTE, staff member within int'l offi ce

Assoc Provost for Intl Programs

no - they hope to fit this into their faculty eval & productivity database

no Staff member receives travel info from travel offi ce, keeps an Excel spreadsheet of dates and destinations; very time consuming. If fac member is traveling to DOS region, they send a standard paragraph of caution and urge them to leave a detailed itinerary with their dept. Non-credit students tracked (loosely) through Study Abroad.

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 33

University Source of info Faculty travel tracked? Who? % of FTE?Reporting to what office? Software

Insurance (assistance coverage and/or medical coverage) Other notes

Ohio State U Dru Simmons, Int'l Risk Manager

yes 1 FTE, new position, Intl Risk Manager

Offi ce of Risk Mgmt & Ins, within Financial Services; dotted line to director of EA

Policy development/review/implementation, safety audits, crisis mgmt, training, outreach, vendor mgmt; develop & manage travel registry incl effective back-up systems to respond to int'l emergencies; proactively monitor global security conditions; pre-departure orientation sessions; FERPA/HIPAA advice

U of Washington

position description yes 1 FTE, new position, Int'l Travel Security Info Mgr

Offi ce of Global Affairs

45% training/review/planning for safety & security for fac, staff, and for-credit students (or on UW business); 15% coordinate Intl Travel Oversight Cmte, 15% maintain database on int'l activities and alumni; 10% ins coord, 10% grad int'l ed programs, 5% conferences/cmtes/rsch

U Michigan position description yes 1 FTE, new position, Senior Advisor for Int'l Health, Safety & Sec

Vice Provost for Int'l Affairs

university Travel Registry

Comprehensive travel abroad preparedness strategy in following areas: 1) policy dvlpmt, review, impelmentation; 2) proactive risk assmt; 3) health and safety program audits; 4) crisis mgmt; 5) training & outreach; 6) coord internal comm, 7) represent UM; 8) develop effective partnerships with EA providers & other orgs. Campus security authority for Clery, with Dept of Public Safety.

International Travel Risk Management ReportPage 34