Date: March 22, 2004 - Memorandum from the Vice-President, Academic & Provost
The requirements below, which come into effect on May 1, 2004,are being introduced for the safety and protection of members of our UW community in light of increased risks associated with travel post 9/11 and limitations on coverage exercised by insurers (e.g. health, long-term disability) in some circumstances.
Guidelines (http://www.safetyoffice.uwaterloo.ca) and a mandatory approval process are now in place to assess and mitigate risks associated with UW-approved projects involving student travel (e.g. field work, field trips, work placements, study exchanges).
[Note: Travel on university business for individual faculty and staff members is not normally considered field work/trip and procedures for such travel fall under Policy 31, the UW Travel Policy.]
Travel to world 'hot spots' or potential 'hot spots' is particularly hazardous and must be avoided. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) maintains a website of travel warnings (http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories).
Travel by UW faculty, staff, students or post docs to countries or regions under the DFAIT warnings noted below will not be authorized.
- Canadians should not travel to this country and, if there, should depart
- Canadians should not travel to this country and if there, should depart from the specified region(s)
- Canadians should not travel to this country
- Canadians should not travel to the specified region(s) of this country and, if there, should depart the specified region(s).
Faculty, staff, students or post docs on approved UW travel who are in a country or region when such a warning is issued by DFAIT should immediately advise the Canadian embassy and depart as quickly as possible. Extraordinary expenses associated with such departure will be handled by the University.
Questions about the implementation of these requirements should be directed to your supervisor / Department Chair / Dean. A Dean or senior University Officer who thinks that circumstances in a particular case might warrant an exception to be made may discuss them with the Vice-President, Academic & Provost.