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 international travel to High Risk locations where:

• The US State Department has issued a 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 a Travel Health Notice Warning Level of 3: Avoid Nonessential Travel; or
  
  
• The CDC has issued a COVID-19 Travel Health Notice Warning Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19 or Level of 3: High Level of COVID-19; or
  
  
• All countries worldwide amid a global pandemic declared by the WHO; or
  
  
• The IOC has deemed significant health, safety, or security risks are present.

The IOC must provide written authorization of travel to High Risk areas:

1. Planned Travel:
   
   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.
   
   
2. 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 the VPBA Office 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, this is a constantly evolving situation, it is the Traveler's responsibility to assess and mitigate health, safety, and security risks when engaging in University-sponsored international travel.  Travelers must abide by all UT System and UTEP rules governing international travel, as well as any relevant United States and destination countries/transit countries' laws and regulations governing international travel.

MEMBERS