International Risk Committee (IRC) Rules Governing Visitors on CU Boulder International Programs involving Students

The following policy concerns family and visitors on CU Boulder International Programs (“program” or “programs”) involving Students while the program is in progress. A program is considered to be in progress from the first day of the students' arrival through the day of their departure.

Visitors

No visitors or friends of either faculty or students are allowed to visit a program while it is in progress. No visitors are allowed to audit classes or participate on program-sponsored activities.

Family

Faculty/staff group leaders may wish their family members to accompany them as they fulfill their professional duties in leading students on a CU program. They should first consider how this might impact the program, particularly any impact with respect to their duties in leading the program. Note that in certain instances, family members are not allowed to join the program. In cases where space limitations exist (for example, due to housing, transportation, excursions, or classroom size), spaces on the program are reserved for CU Boulder students who have been admitted to the program, and for the faculty/staff leader who has been appointed by CU Boulder to lead the program (and to teach the course, when applicable).

Please note that the CU Boulder Guidelines for Children in the Workplace and/or Classroom available at: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/guidelines-children-workplace-andor-classroom apply to international programs involving students.

Several important issues must be considered:

1. Program leader duties/priorities: The faculty/staff leader of an international program may wear many hats: teacher, academic advisor, counselor, financial advisor, tour guide, crisis manager. The workload for programs abroad is thus much higher than that of an on-campus position. A group leader’s first priority is to be available to the program students in any potential emergency (or perceived emergency) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, when the program is in session. In general, group leaders are expected to prioritize their regular program-related duties under all circumstances.
    
2. Participation in the program: Accompanying family members or companions, if not enrolled as full participants in the program, are not considered in any way to be participants in the program or representatives of the University of Colorado. Accordingly, family members/ companions may not have any official duties associated with the program (chaperone, driver, assistant, advisor, etc.). The faculty/staff group leader needs to fill out and return to the Education Abroad Office the Travel Agreement, Notice of Risk and Waiver of Responsibility as well as the General Notice to Participants of Risk/Waiver of Responsibility for their family members/companions. Both available at: https://www.cu.edu/risk/general-waivers-and-consent.
    
3. Liability Insurance: Family members/ companions are not protected by the University liability insurance for any actions taken abroad. They are urged to discuss applicable liability protection with an insurance agent to ensure that adequate coverage is in place for their overseas activities. Visiting family members are responsible for procuring their own insurance including related expenses, and they are also responsible for all of their other expenses, including all travel and their portion of room and board.
    
4. Reimbursement: Faculty/staff group leaders will not be reimbursed for any expenses incurred on behalf of family members/companions. Careful records must be maintained by the faculty/staff leader to ensure separation of expenses of any family members/ companions from the reimbursable expenses of official travelers. Any additional costs incurred due to stopovers, route modifications, or mode of transport made for the convenience of the family members/ companions will be borne entirely by the faculty/staff leader.
5. Program Restrictions: Although family members/companions are not participants in the program, they are expected to abide by the program policies and restrictions that are imposed for safety reasons. Family members/ companions should be aware that their personal behavior must not in any way affect the quality of the program or the experience of the participants.
    
6. Minor Children: Children under the age of 18 must be under the supervision of an adult other than the faculty/staff group leader or a program participant.
    
7. Medical Insurance: Family members/companions must purchase at their own cost the CU Boulder education abroad group medical/accident insurance coverage for the period of the program. (This coverage is provided to the faculty/staff group leaders and program participants; all participants receive information on specific dates of coverage upon travel registration.)

Approved by CU Boulder’s International Risk Committee 1/25/2019