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Travel Policies and Guidelines

Drexel University Travel Guidelines and Definition

“University Travel” is defined as travel that meets any of the following conditions:

  1. Any travel by a Drexel student, employee, or non-employee associate that is supported through funds disbursed by the University or a University-affiliated entity
  2. Any travel that meets one or more of the following conditions, regardless of funding source:

 a. is related to or in support of University operations

 b. is undertaken as part of a faculty, researcher, or staff member’s job duties

 c. is for undergraduate or graduate student research

 d. is related to or results from an affiliate’s participation in any program offered by or coordinated through the University

 e. is undertaken by an enrolled undergraduate or graduate student and results in work that will be considered for academic credit or is otherwise related to a student’s program of study

3. Any travel that does not meet the above defined criteria that the Drexel Travel Risk Review Committee deems to be University Travel

Any travel that meets the definition of University Travel must comply fully with all current University policy and follow the applicable processes for seeking approval and registration. It is important to keep in mind that any activity performed in support of the University, including things such as reviewing email or accessing any University system remotely, for however short a period of time, may result in the travel ultimately being determined to be University Travel.  

Personal travel is defined as anything other than University Travel (such as leisure or vacation travel). Most truly personal travel may be undertaken without need for approval or University oversight.  As a result, the University does not assume any risk associated with this travel and cannot provide any support for it.  This is an important distinction in many cases, but particularly in countries subject to sanctions by the United States government.  For example, any activity performed on behalf of Drexel while in countries subject to comprehensive sanctions under Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations may require prior OFAC authorization.  Failure to do so could result in significant penalties for the traveler and the University.  

Requirements for University Travel

All University international travel must be registered and receive approval  through the travel registration system maintained by Drexel Global Safety and Operations.  This process includes registration of details about the trip as well as other important information, such as contact details for how to reach you in an emergency and Drexel resources like international insurance and assistance available to you during your trip abroad. Travelers should register no later than 45 days prior to travel. Depending on the specifics of the trip, travelers may also need to provide information for the Office of Export Control to ensure that the traveler complies with export control regulations for their destination. 

If the travel meets certain other conditions, pre-approval by the Global Work Task Force  is required.  These include:

  1. travel to OFAC-sanctioned countries
  2. receipt of any wages or other funding from or through the University while residing internationally for more than 30 days
  3. travel to one country, in excess of 90 days

In these cases, the “Work or Research Abroad form “must be completed at least 45 days in advance of travel.  The Global Work Taskforce will review each request, and approval must be received before embarking on the trip.