New international travel site enhances security

Lehigh University recently announced the completion of an international travel Web site that can be accessed by students, faculty and staff. It was activated for undergraduate students on April 4 to allow sufficient time for students to register for planned summer international travel, and it will be available to faculty, staff and graduate students beginning on July 1.
The site came about as a result of an International Travel Task Force composed of a cross-section of potential users of the site that was developed after the events of 9-11. The site will provide a user-friendly and efficient travel registration system in order to ensure that those members of the university community traveling internationally for study abroad or university-sponsored trips will have adequate warnings of insecure situations abroad. The site will also help facilitate effective communication in the event of an emergency in order to provide assistance and information about evacuation, if necessary, and ensure that proper insurance coverage is maintained.
“A study abroad experience is a first and necessary step in a life-long process of becoming a ‘globally savvy’ citizen,” says Mohamed El-Aasser, Lehigh University provost. “This translates into diverse knowledge of cultures, languages, religions and awareness of the social and political systems of nations. We encourage students to avail themselves of all the travel opportunities the university provides, and feel that this site offers an additional layer of security and convenience for students, as well as peace of mind for their parents.”
Through this site, users will also be able to access useful travel information such as links to the State Department, the Center for Disease Control, country-specific information and emergency plans.
All that is required of students, faculty and staff who plan to embark on a university-sponsored travel experience outside of the United States is to register on the site and provide basic information about the planned travel. Registration is quick and easy, and it should take no more than a few minutes to complete. And once basic information such as insurance policy registrations is entered, it need not be entered again.
For additional convenience, all of the information on the individual student’s travel plans, such as itinerary, contact information, insurance information, can be printed out by the user and shared with parents, advisers and others who may need to reach students during their time abroad. The new international travel registration Web page will be on the Banner Web self-service site, which can be accessed from the campus Portal, from the Registrar's home page, or directly via this link. After logging into the secure area, click on Personal Information and then International Travel.
All of the information entered into the site will be considered confidential and will be accessible only to the Provost’s Office, the Study Abroad Office, and, in the case of an emergency, the Campus Police.
For more information about the program, please contact the Study Abroad Office