Please note the recent elevation of the State department travel warning for Japan.  At this point we believe there to be two ISU faculty members in Nagoya, and they have been in contact with us to confirm they are safe so far.  We are reasonably certain there are no ISU students in Japan.

If you are aware of current or near term planned travel by ISU faculty, staff or students that involves Japan, please take reasonable action to make them aware of the elevated warning.  At this point it seems prudent to strongly encourage ISU personnel to avoid travel to Japan in the near term. 

By policy, the elevated travel warning means that undergraduate student travel to Japan must be suspended until the level of risk is reduced.  Special circumstance exceptions for student travel to countries under a state department travel warning require approval by the Study Abroad Risk Management Committee.

Because we do not have a comprehensive central system for tracking faculty, staff, and graduate student travel, departmental and academic college leadership are in the best position to know of current or near term travel plans of faculty, staff or graduate students.  Please make reasonable efforts to contact and inform potential travelers to Japan of the elevated travel warning and encourage them to postpone or revise their travel plans.

Plans are underway for discussion of a more comprehensive central system or mechanism for tracking international travel by ISU faculty, staff, and students.  The recent tragic events in Japan and earlier in New Zealand suggest the need for more systematic and comprehensive central information about international travel schedules and plans.

David K. Holger, President ABET 2009-2010Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Dean of the Graduate College