International Oversight Committee

IOC Overview

The International Oversight Committee (IOC), appointed by the President, develops guidelines and rules to promote the health, safety and security of UTEP students, faculty, staff, and official guests/volunteers participating in University-sponsored international travel.

The IOC is responsible for reviewing and making approval decisions on all University-sponsored, UTEP-administered, UTEP-organized or travel conducted within one's capacity as a UTEP representative to High Risk locations where:

• The US State Department has issued a Travel Advisory Level 4: Do Not Travel or Level 3: Reconsider Travel (this includes "Do Not Travel" and "Reconsider Travel" advisories for sub-regions within a country, regardless of country's overall rating: i.e. states in Mexico); or
  
  
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued its highest Travel Health Notice advising against travel; or 
  
  
• The IOC has deemed significant health, safety, or security risks are present; this could include:
  
  
  • countries with emerging medical, security, or natural disaster risks that have not yet been elevated to the prescribed High Risk levels from the U.S. State Department or CDC.
    
    
  • any region with a high, extreme, or critical medical or security risk rating from a contracted emergency assistance provider.
    
    
  • all countries worldwide amid a global pandemic declared by the WHO.

In accordance with UT System guidance, the International Oversight Committee must approve international travel to locations noted on the RESTRICTED REGION LIST.

The IOC must approve the travel prior to the start of the trip.  Travelers who do not adhere to this policy may not receive reimbursements for their trip.

Travel In-Progress:

If the IOC determines that there is an imminent threat, travelers may be recalled or relocated.

The IOC meets once a week to review and consider any international travel exception requests for approval.  All completed international travel request packets must be submitted, with all appropriate approvals, to IOC@utep.edu, by 12 p.m. on Friday to be reviewed and considered at the next week's meeting.  Any requests submitted after the deadline will be scheduled for the following week's meeting thereafter.

The IOC is governed by the UTS 190 International Travel Policy.

As a reminder, it is the Traveler's responsibility to assess and mitigate health, safety, and security risks when engaging in international travel.  Travelers must abide by all UT System and UTEP policies and procedures for international travel, as well as any relevant United States and destination country/transit country laws and regulations governing international travel.

MEMBERS