International Travel Orientations

  Follow the travel policies and guidelines for undergraduates (if applicable)

• Yale University International Travel Policy for Yale College Students and Travel Restrictions
• Yale College Group Travel Guidelines

  Refer to the Center for Global Education’s Resources for Program Administrators for planning help

  Remind participants to apply for their visas and passports (see 7 Planning Tips, tip 1)

  Set the trip cancellation/refund policy and make all participants aware of it

• Advise participants to consider purchasing travel insurance, especially if the trip could be cancelled due to unforeseeable circumstances (e.g., a hurricane or civil unrest)

  Schedule a group info session with Yale Travel Health

• Participants’ cost to attend a group session is $50 compared with $100 for an individual travel consultation

  Acquire a Purchasing Card if necessary; understand Yale P-card and Expense Report procedures

• Work with your business manager for guidelines on proper card use
• The Yale P-card may not work in all countries; contact Yale Procurement for assistance

  Be aware that students may disclose disabilities and mental health or medical conditions; understand your role in providing support

  Require travelers to get necessary immunizations (see 5 Health Tips, tip 1) and to understand how their health insurance will work (see 9 Pre-departure Tips, tip 4)

  Determine if Yale travelers or AYA groups visited the region recently, or if Yale alumni live there

Can they provide recommendations to make planning easier for you?

• Try using Yale Travelogue or contacting the Association of Yale Alumni

  Don’t plan to rent a vehicle for you to transport the group

Look into contracting with a transportation service or use public transportation or taxis

• Read more on the risks of renting/driving a car abroad

  Complete the Emergency Contact Information sheet for each of your destinations prior to the orientation; use the information to help students fill out their emergency contact cards (see below)

  Provide travelers with a detailed itinerary

• Include flight numbers and carriers; name, address, and phone number of all accommodations; methods of travel between sites; other pertinent details
• Travelers should give a copy to their parents/guardian

  Make sure all travelers have filled out the emergency contact information on a FrontierMEDEX card

• Collect copies of the completed cards prior to departure

  Designate a student to serve as alternate leader in case you are sick or injured during the trip

(if you are the only faculty or staff member leading the group)

  Urge travelers to complete the Yale College Student International Travel Orientation

• Or discuss the orientation as a group so all travelers have the same knowledge and expectations

  Discuss crime, culture, health issues, etc. from the Yale College Student International Travel Orientation as they pertain to your destination

• Help the other travelers know what to expect (especially if you’re familiar with the destination)
• Be prepared to answer their questions about your destination
• Use the U.S. State Dept. website, FrontierMEDEX World Watch reports, ASIRT road reports, etc.

  Remind students they can voluntarily disclose any conditions that may require accommodations

  Discuss behavioral expectations (and potential consequences) with the participants

• Don’t ignore this responsibility; discussing expectations as a group will generally lead to fewer problems, better group cohesion, and a more successful trip
• Expectations of travelers should include, for example:
  • To follow Yale’s Undergraduate Regulations or other relevant behavioral policies
  • To respect their fellow travelers
  • To not partake in illegal activity or drug use
  • To not do anything that could jeopardize the group’s safety
  • To inform you of any travel independent of the group
• Emphasize to travelers that they are responsible for their safety and for their actions

  Distribute and collect signed student Acknowledgment and Release forms

• Hold the forms for 2 years after the trip

  Register the group’s travel (you will register for all participants)

• With Yale   
• With the U.S. State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program; non-U.S. citizens register with their own embassies

  Obtain a cell phone for emergency use or plan to purchase one immediately upon arrival (See 7 Planning Tips, tip 6)

  Remind participants of behavioral expectations

  Show all students the locations of the best hospitals to use and primary and secondary group meeting points (central locations where everyone should gather if a large-scale emergency affects communication)

• Make sure everyone can find them; physically take the group to the sites if necessary

  Collect all students’ phone numbers (landline or cell) and addresses (if using homestays, for example)

• Make sure you can reach all students
• Mark all students’ addresses on a map

  Make sure all travelers know how to reach you by landline or the emergency cell phone

• Be prepared to be on call 24/7 for the duration of the trip (but rely on help from Yale administrators and FrontierMEDEX if there is a problem; you don’t need to handle it alone!)

  Program emergency phone numbers into your cell phone, then make sure they work

  Be sure that accommodations, transportation, and activities/excursions are safe

• Accommodations:  working smoke detectors, door and window locks, fire escapes
• Transportation: using licensed drivers and reputable transportation companies
• Activities: relevant to the educational purpose of the trip, not unnecessarily risky

  Check that students have their emergency information cards in their possession

  Think about risks of the trip and your location and how you might respond to possible problems (see 8 Safety Tips, tip 1)

• Then help students understand the risks and their roles in a safe, successful trip

  Assess the trip during and after, with group leaders and participants