Tragedy in Japan

TO: UA Campus Community
FROM: Meredith Hay, Executive Vice President and Provost
DATE: March 18, 2011
SUBJECT: Tragedy in Japan

The University of Arizona community has been closely monitoring the tragic situation in Japan. While heartbroken over the devastation that has claimed countless lives, I am thankful to inform you that no University students or employees were hurt. The situation remains delicate and continues to change daily.

The earthquake, tsunami and damage to some of Japan’s nuclear reactors have resulted in the issuance of a Travel Warning from the U.S. Department of State, which strongly urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to Japan at this time and asks those currently in the country to consider departing.

The Travel Warning has prompted the University to ask any UA students and employees currently in Japan to leave the country.

If planning to travel as a University employee to countries under a Travel Warning, you are required obtain approval from the UA Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost before commencing travel.

If you have imminent travel plans to Japan, please contact Gail Burd, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, at 520-626-4099 or gburd@email.arizona.edu to initiate the approval process and discuss potential options for deferring travel.

It is important that you are aware of the UA Interim Policy Concerning Study, Travel and Research in Countries under U.S. State Department Travel Warnings (http://policy.web.arizona.edu/~policy/Interim_Travel.pdf). This policy outlines expectations regarding student and employee travel in areas where there are Travel Warnings.

The essential elements of this policy are that:

• Employee travel to countries under a Travel Warning that forbids, restricts or otherwise urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to a certain country, is generally prohibited unless advance authorization is obtained from the Executive Vice President and Provost.

• You should evaluate your planned itinerary against the information in the Travel Warning and avoid or defer travel to identified dangerous areas.

• Students and employees must be allowed to opt out of travel if they wish, and must be provided with an alternative to participation in any scheduled trip to countries under a Travel Warning.

• You should print out the Travel Warning and provide a copy to each trip participant.

• Students are required to sign the Travel Warning Release Form, which is available from Risk Management & Safety (http://risk.arizona.edu/forms/TravelWarningReleaseForm.pdf).

For additional questions regarding the UA Interim Policy Concerning Study, Travel and Research in Countries under U.S. State Department Travel Warnings, contact Steve Holland or Herb Wagner (520-621-1790) at Risk Management & Safety.