Annual Report: 2023/24

International Health, Safety and Security

Led initiatives to support the health, safety and security of MU travelers

The Office of International Health, Safety and Security fulfills the responsibilities assigned to International Programs by the University of Missouri Collected Rules and Regulations to support health, safety, security and compliance for MU students, non-enrolled participants, and faculty and staff who participate on study abroad or student university-related international travel programs. The office is responsible for maintaining and implementing the MU Student Travel Policy for all university-related international travel and works in collaboration with the Student Travel Abroad Review Committee to review requests for higher risk travel.

In collaboration with colleagues across campus, university experts, colleagues in the U.S. and abroad, and individual participants and their families, the office facilitates travel abroad that supports the academic mission of the university; maximizes the health, safety and security of travelers; and helps protect the university from liability. Primary responsibilities include:

  • Monitoring world events and assessing and mitigating health, safety and security risks.
  • Responding to student, faculty and staff incidents and emergencies abroad 24/7.
  • Developing and distributing health, safety and security training for students, faculty and staff.
  • Facilitating compliance with student-related U.S. federal laws such as ADA, FERPA and the Clery Act, as well as with University of Missouri policies governing student, faculty and staff conduct.
  • Developing, maintaining and implementing emergency response plans for university-related international travel.
  • Developing and maintaining a university-wide incident report database to record the type, frequency, severity and location of incidents impacting students participating in University of Missouri study abroad programs.

Assessed and mitigated risk for study abroad and university-related international travel

A core function of the office is to provide focused, ongoing monitoring and assessment of world events to identify and mitigate health, safety and security risks for MU’s international travelers. In 2021/22, COVID-19 continued to be a major focus of these efforts. In February 2022, analysis expanded to include the Russia-Ukraine war.

  • Monitored world events and assessed and mitigated risks in all locations where MU and S&T students traveled on study abroad and university-related international travel programs. Ongoing holistic health, safety and security analysis and risk mitigation included, but was not limited to, crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping and hostage taking, risk of wrongful detention and natural disasters.
  • Developed key indicators and decision points and conducted benchmarking with peer institutions in response to the latest Israel-Hamas war regarding continued approval of study abroad programs and university-related international travel in the region. Continued to monitor the potential impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war on MU and S&T students participating in study abroad programs and university-related international travel. Monitored unrest in countries in Latin America where MU and S&T students study including supporting the safety and security of students studying abroad in Ecuador when the government declared a State of Internal Armed Conflict in January 2024.
  • Expanded the scope of the MU Student International Travel Policy for High-Risk Destinations in collaboration with the MU Office of Research Security and Compliance to include prohibition of travel to comprehensively sanctioned countries and to formally include this office in the high-risk travel review process.
    • Collaborated with the Office of Institutional Research to utilize the International Travel Registry to facilitate Office of Foreign Asset Control compliance by identifying and providing additional review and guidance for students traveling to sanctioned countries.
  • Conducted health, safety and security analysis for MU requests for exceptions to the MU Student International Travel Policy for High-Risk Destinations for review by the MU Student Travel Abroad Review Committee.
  • Provided health, safety and security support for other UM System campuses.
    • As part of International Program’s partnership with Missouri S&T, the office’s responsibilities included all Missouri S&T students, non-enrolled participants, and faculty and staff who participate on study abroad or university-related international travel programs. This included conducting safety and security assessments and providing risk mitigation guidance. The MU director of health, safety and security serves on the S&T high-risk travel review committee.
    • The office also continued to provide risk assessment and recommendations for maximizing student safety for all University of Missouri–Kansas City study abroad programs. The MU director of health, safety and security serves on the UMKC high-risk travel review committee.

Supported travel registration

  • Implemented the University of Missouri’s first purpose-built travel registry for students, non-enrolled participants, and faculty and staff members traveling with students customized to meet the needs of MU travelers.
    • Updated the request for exception to the MU Student International Travel Policy for High Risk Destinations to obtain more robust safety plans from travelers.
  • Promoted use of the Travel Registry for university-related international and domestic travel by students, faculty and staff members traveling with students and non-enrolled participants, in compliance with the University of Missouri Collected Rules and Regulations. In 2023/24, there were 2,055 registrants traveling in 35 countries, including the United States.
    • Collaborated with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics to utilize Travel Registry domestic data for university-wide reporting for the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.
  • Conducted campuswide outreach to increase knowledge about the travel registries and university resources to support university-related international travel.

Distributed key health and safety information to travelers

  • Managed AlertTraveler software available to all MU students participating on study abroad or university-related international travel programs and faculty and staff leading MU students abroad. This mobile application and service provides:
    • Real-time security data from Riskline, a premier provider of global risk intelligence.
    • Check-in feature allowing travelers to instantly confirm their safety in the event of a critical incident, such as a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
    • At-a-glance local safety information, city and country intelligence, city safety ratings and scores, and other related health, safety and security topics for any given destination around the world.

Provided 24/7 crisis response and incident tracking for study abroad and university-related international travel

  • Managed emergency response. Collaborated with the vice provost for International Program and colleagues in Mizzou Study Abroad and other campus offices supporting student international travel — UM System Office of Risk and Insurance Management, UM System Office of the General Counsel, Student Health Center, Counseling Center, Disability Center and other key campus stakeholders to respond to health, safety and security incidents impacting MU students abroad and faculty and staff traveling with them, ranging in severity from moderate to high.
  • Revised and expanded MU’s emergency response protocols and program leader training for study abroad and university-related international travel programs to strengthen preparation and resources. While students are expected to behave responsibly regarding their own health and safety, program leaders are professionally responsible for serving as a resource for students and providing assistance and support in case of an emergency.
    • Collaborated with colleagues in the Counseling Center, Student Health Center, Office of Institutional Equity, Student Affairs, UM System Office of the General Counsel and UM System Office of Risk and Insurance Management to review and update the Health and Safety Field Guide for Program Leaders and the mandatory program leader health and safety workshops to enhance resources to respond to incidents and emergencies impacting individual students or entire programs.
  • Updated the university-wide student international travel incident database to align with nationally reportable data categories for health, safety and security incidents impacting U.S. students abroad as part of the University of Missouri’s participating in the national Student Risk Incident Data Collection Task Force organized by The Forum on Education Abroad, the standards setting organization for the field of education abroad. This database tracks the type, frequency, severity and location of incidents impacting MU students studying abroad and facilitates comparison with incident trends for U.S. study abroad participants reported by colleges, universities and program providers. Materials and training for participants and program leaders are continually updated to respond to incident trends.
  • Maintained centralized emergency response information, plans and protocols. International Programs manages the software for campuswide use as the official central data source of location and emergency contact information for students participating in study abroad and university-related international travel programs as well as domestic travel registrants.

Developed and presented health, safety and security training

  • Provided general and country-specific pre-travel health information for nearly 30 countries in collaboration with the Student Health Center.
  • Delivered general health, safety and security information through the mandatory Mizzou Abroad Orientation.
  • Represented MU as experts in the field by developing and presenting sessions and workshops at national conferences, writing publications and serving in national leadership positions.

Developed resources, guidelines and policies to support student health and safety

  • Developed security considerations for mainland China and Hong Kong to facilitate resumption of study abroad and university-related international travel following the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Developed guidance for student and faculty/staff driving during MU study abroad programs in collaboration with the UM System Office of Risk and Insurance Management.
  • Updated the study abroad student health information process to make it a requirement for all students in collaboration with the Student Health Center and UM System Office of General Counsel.
    • Incorporated the pre-travel health consultation provided by the university’s international health insurance into the process of reviewing student health information. This step is critical for securing continuing care for medical conditions and assisting students with bringing prescription and non-prescription medications abroad.
  • Developed and distributed information regarding the specific physical and mental rigors of individual study abroad programs to provide students with access information to help them make informed decisions when choosing programs in partnership with the MU Disability Center.
  • Updated the disability accommodation request process in collaboration with the MU Disability Center to support an increasing number of students with documented disabilities studying abroad. In the past three years, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of MU students with documented disabilities who participate in the university’s study abroad programs.
    • Consulted with the Disability Center and Mizzou Study Abroad regarding future focused programming for MU and SEC students with disabilities.
  • Expanded web resources to support student mental health and students with disabilities participating in study abroad and university-related international travel programs in collaboration with Mizzou Study Abroad, Disability Center, Counseling Center and other campus experts.

Updated 18-NOV-2024