UAB requires prior written presidential approval of all UAB-related foreign travel.

Applicability

This policy applies to all UAB faculty, staff, and students and includes the following types of foreign travel:

• Any UAB-related foreign travel authorized to be paid from, or reimbursed through, any UAB account, regardless of funding source.
• Any UAB-related foreign travel that is undertaken for conducting UAB business but for which the expenses will be paid directly to the traveler by a non-UAB agency or organization. Examples of this include employee foreign travel paid by the Health Services Foundation or paid by an external agency which requires institutional approval for participation in the program.

Foreign travel not covered by this policy and not requiring prior approval as foreign travel includes the following:

• Foreign travel that is undertaken by UAB faculty, staff or students for such things as academic or professional activities when the foreign travel is not paid for by UAB or when the external agency paying for the foreign travel is not UAB-related and does not require institutional approval
• Vacation or personal foreign travel

UAB faculty, staff, or students engaging in UAB-related foreign travel must check the travel warnings provided by the U.S. State Department for the countries to be visited, and the potential traveler must assure UAB that there are no hazardous conditions posted for those countries. This assurance must be provided on the online UAB-related Foreign Travel Request at the time the request is submitted for approval.

For assistance with obtaining the travel warnings or with interpreting them, the potential traveler may contact the UAB Office of Risk Management at 205-934-5382 or access the information directly over the Internet at http://travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html

• Potential traveler completes the online UAB-Related Foreign Travel Request prior to traveling and prior to requesting expense payments related to foreign travel.
• Potential traveler checks U. S. State Department travel warnings for the countries listed on the online UAB-Related Foreign Travel Request and completes the section of that request assuring UAB that there are no hazardous conditions posted for those countries.
• If a sponsoring agency is a source of funding for the foreign travel, the Office of Grants and Contracts Administration reviews and approves.
• Department/unit head or appointed delegate reviews and approves.
• School dean, library director, or appointed delegate reviews and approves.
• Appropriate vice president/Provost/Director of the UAB Health System reviews and approves.
• President or appointed delegate reviews and approves.

Foreign Travel Reimbursement

• Potential traveler receives an email when online foreign travel request is approved at all levels. Traveler attaches a copy of approved email to travel reimbursement forms, conference registration fee requisitions, airline ticket requests, or any other payment requests to foreign travel
• The Office of the Vice President for Financial Affairs and Administration will have access to the database to ensure appropriate foreign travel approvals have been obtained before reimbursement.

The Office of the Provost is responsible for procedures to implement this policy.