Effective December 1, 2018; amended March 25, 2022
Policy Statement
Duke is committed to promoting the health, safety and security of individuals when they travel outside of the United States with Duke Support. This policy is administered by the Duke University Provost with the advice and support of the Duke University Global Travel Advisory Committee ("GTAC").
Definitions:
"Duke Support" means financial and logistical support, academic approval, granting of credit for activity or work completed based on the travel, mentorship or any kind of material role for Duke in the travel.
"Duke Individuals" means individuals who are Duke Faculty Members or Staff Members, Duke Graduate/Professional Students and Duke Undergraduate Students.
"Other Individuals" means individuals other than Duke Individuals, including without limit, visiting scholars, alumni and guests of Duke.
"Domestic travel" means travel that occurs within the United States, U.S. territories and/or U.S. territorial waters.
"International Travel" means travel that occurs outside the United States, U.S. territories and/or U.S. territorial waters.
"Personal Travel" means travel without Duke Support.
Duke Travel Registry
Duke maintains the Duke Travel Registry, a database in which individuals who undertakes International Travel with Duke Support must provide information related to the travel, such as travel dates, destination(s) and contact information while on International travels. When an emergency occurs in a foreign country, Duke consults the Travel Registry to identify individuals who might be in the affected location and determines if it can offer assistance.:
All individuals who engage in International Travel with Duke Support are required to register their travel in the Duke Travel Registry before departing. While not required, Duke Individuals can elect to register Personal International Travel into the Duke Travel Registry but should identify it as such when doing so.
Duke Restricted Regions List
The Duke Provost maintains a Restricted Regions List ("RRL") which identifies areas of International Travel where the health, safety and security of travelers are deemed to be at an elevated risk. GTAC advises the Provost on changes to the Duke RRL.
The Duke RRL also identifies countries to which International Travel is not permitted absent government approval because the United States has imposed sanctions on those countries. In these instances, travel with Duke Support cannot occur unless and until the Duke Office of Export Controls has cleared the travel.
Duke Required Vaccination Policy
Duke requires up-to-date vaccination against COVID-19, or an accepted medical or religious exemption, for Duke Individuals or Other Individuals who engage in International Travel using Duke Support, whether the location is on the Duke RRL or not. For details, visit the Duke COVID Vaccine webpage.
Duke Undergraduate Students – Student Planned Travel
If a Duke Undergraduate Student wants to use Duke Support for International Travel to a location on the Duke RRL, the Student must seek and obtain a waiver of the restriction from the Duke Provost (1) at least thirty (30) days prior to the planned departure date and (2) before committing any Duke resources to the travel (e.g., booking flights, etc.).
A Duke Undergraduate who is contemplating such a petition should follow the Petition Instructions. Any questions not answered in the Petition Instructions for filling out and submitting the petition should be directed to the Duke Travel Policy Administrator.
If the Provost grants a waiver so that International Travel to a destination on the Duke RRL can proceed, Duke will condition the approval on the Student and a Parent or Legal Guardian signing an "Acknowledgement of Risks and Potential Harms, Agreement to Mitigate Risks, and Waiver and Release of Liability" and submitting it to the Travel Policy Administrator. This document may contain conditions and restrictions on when, where and how the Duke Undergraduate Student will travel, and will inform the Student and the Student's Parent or Legal Guardian if the U.S. State Department has advised against travel to the region as well.
If a Duke Undergraduate Student using Duke Support fails to follow this Travel Policy, the Duke Provost may require the Student to return home at the expense of the Student, and may deny the application of academic credit or recognition of work completed based on the travel. This is in addition to other possible repercussions related to failure to adhere to Duke University policy.
Duke Undergraduate Students - travel planned by a Duke Unit
In instances where a Duke Unit wants to offer Undergraduate Students the opportunity for International Travel to a location on the Duke RRL, such as where a Faculty Member plans an away from campus experience, an authorized representative from the sponsoring Duke Unit (and not the Individual Students) must seek permission from the Provost using the Petition process at least thirty (30) days prior to the time the course or program is offered in written or online materials.
If a Duke Unit fails to comply with this Policy, the Duke Provost may compel the unit to bring the Students home at the expense of the unit, and the Provost will consider institutional action tied to performance and policy adherence for a Faculty Member or others.
Duke Graduate/Professional Students
Duke encourages Duke Graduate/Professional Students to carefully weigh the benefits and risks of travel to a location on the Duke RRL. Duke Support may be used for such travel only if the Graduate/Professional Student (and Parent or Legal Guardian, if the Student is under 21) has signed an "Acknowledgement of Risks and Potential Harms, Agreement to Mitigate Risks, and Waiver and Release of Liability" and submit it to the Travel Policy Administrator before committing Duke resources to the travel (i.e., booking flights). This document may contain conditions and restrictions on when, where and how the Duke Graduate/Professional Student will travel, and it will inform the Student and the Student's Parent or Legal Guardian (if applicable), that the U.S. Department of State has advised against travel to the region.
If a Duke Graduate/Professional Student fails to comply with this Policy, the Duke Provost may compel the Student to return home at the expense of the Duke Graduate/Professional Student, may deny the application of academic credit or recognition of work completed based on the travel, and will explore the initiation of Student Conduct proceedings for a policy violation.
Duke Faculty/Staff Members and Other Individuals
Duke Faculty and Staff Members, and Other Individuals (defined above) are required to enter planned International Travel with Duke Support in the Duke Travel Registry prior to departure.
Duke Faculty and Staff Members and all Other Individuals, are encouraged to weigh with care the benefits and risks of International Travel made with Duke Support to a location on the Duke RRL, and may decline to travel to the location. Duke Faculty and Staff Members and Other Individuals cannot be required to travel to a location listed on the Duke RRL unless travel to that location is specifically stated in their job description.
Duke RRL and Changed Circumstances
Duke Undergraduate Students: If the safety or security situation of a location on the Duke RRL changes between the time when the Provost grants a Petition to permit travel to a location on the Duke RRL and the date an Undergraduate Student begins the travel, the Provost may revoke the approval, may add additional terms and conditions to the approval, or may require the Undergraduate Student and the Student's Parent or Legal Guardian to sign a supplemental waiver reflecting the changed environment.
If Duke adds a region to the Duke RRL while a Duke Undergraduate Student is in the region, the Provost may require the Undergraduate Student to return early from the travel or to adjust the trip and move to a safer location, or to petition for a waiver in order to remain (if it is safe and feasible to do so) in the Duke RRL destination.
Duke Graduate/Professional Students: If Duke adds a region to the RRL while a Duke Graduate/Professional Student is in the Duke RRL location, the Provost may require the Duke Graduate/Professional Student to return early from the travel, may add additional terms or conditions to allow for the Student’s continued stay at the existing location, or may require adjusting the trip and moving to a safer location. If the Provost offers the Duke Graduate/Professional Student the option to remain in the Duke RRL region, the Provost may require that he or she sign and submit to the Travel Policy Administrator an "Acknowledgement of Risks and Potential Harms, Agreement to Mitigate Risks and Waiver and Release of Liability" as a condition of remaining in the location.
Duke Faculty and Staff Members and Other Individuals: If Duke adds a region to the Duke RRL while a Faculty or Staff Member or Other Individual is in a newly added location, the Duke Faculty or Staff Member or Other Individual has the option to return at their earliest possible safe opportunity from the travel or to adjust the trip to move to a safer location.
Duke Support: Where Duke requires or directs an Individual to leave a Duke RRL location early due to health, safety or security concerns, or where an individual chooses to do so on the Individual's own accord, Duke will provide guidance and logistical support for the departure if/to the extent which Duke determines it is appropriate and feasible for Duke and its providers to do so.
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Questions? Contact Christy Parrish, Travel Policy Administrator.