Who Designates Warning/Restriction Statuses?

Countries are categorized as warning or restriction destinations based on the safety recommends made by the International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) to Vice Provost for Global Engagement and Interdisciplinary Academic Affairs

The ITOC committee, established in 2001, is made up of a variety of individuals who work in health, safety and international education at the University. As stated on the Global Michigan website, the committee “provides guidance and policy recommendations regarding the health, safety and security of U-M faculty, staff and students who travel outside of the United States.” The Senior Advisor for International Health, Safety, and Security chairs ITOC. The Vice Provost appoints members, who serve three-year terms.

ITOC reviews a variety of resources to make their recommendations. Resources include UM faculty and staff area experts, peer institution travel warnings, government security reports, and non-governmental organizations. ITOC reviews their recommendations on a yearly basis or when the circumstances in a country changes rapidly.

Why are safety plans required?

The UM safety plan process is designed to help members of UM traveling internationally develop strategies to mitigate health, safety and security risks while in higher risk locations. In addition, safety plans prepare travellers for their destination by making them aware of potential risks they may face and create strategies to handle such risks. Safety plans can be key in emergency situation, providing UM with information on an individual’s location, local contacts, and how they may be reached abroad.

This can be especially important in restriction countries, as our insurance provider may have limited or no capability in some locations to provide evacuation support.

Timeline for Safety Plan Approvals

Once you determine that you or your group needs to submit a safety plan to ITOC, here are the steps of the review process:

1. Complete your safety plan on M-Compass.

IF YOU ARE COMPLETING A GROUP SAFETY PLAN -- Notify LSATravel@umich.edu that your plan has been completed and needs to be review by the LSA Dean’s Designee (Rachel Reuter -- LSA International Health & Safety Advisor). Upon approval from the Designee, submit the safety plan on M-Compass.

2. The ITOC Chair receives notification of your safety plan and performs an initial assessment

A) If questions or concern arise during this assessment, the chair will request revisions or more information and may request an in-person meeting.

3. The ITOC Chair then shares the safety plan with the full ITOC committee for review.

4. ITOC members have 72 (business) hours to provide feedback and share any concerns on the plan with the ITOC Chair

5. If the plan is approved, the ITOC Chair will send notification to the traveler via email. 

A) If the plan needs further modification or is denied, the ITOC Chair will reach out to the traveler directly for more information, resubmission, etc.