Middle East travel ban now in place for WSU personnel

Washington State University is restricting business travel to several countries in the Middle East due to ongoing conflict in the region.

The decision by the Risk Management Executive Committee to restrict travel was made due to the unreasonable threat to safety and security.

The ban affects all WSU faculty, staff, volunteers and students traveling internationally for university-related purposes. Authority to impose a travel restriction for WSU personnel is nested within the University Policies and Procedures Manual.

The travel ban includes countries currently under level 3 or 4 travel advisories from the U.S. State Department. They include Iran and Israel, where the conflict is focused, as well as countries on the immediate border of the central conflict and countries in the region where the United States has a military base:

Business travel restrictions for WSU personnel will remain in place until modified or rescinded by the Risk Management Executive Committee. Any members of the WSU community seeking to travel to countries under the ban must submit a written waiver via email at least 60 days prior to planned travel dates.

These waivers must include a list of countries or regions where the would-betravel anticipates staying, for how long they intend to stay, why it is necessary to be there in-person, and how they plan to manage risks associated with travel if approved. Waiver requests will be reviewed by RMEC or a related subcommittee within two weeks of receiving the request. For further information, visit the Compliance and Risk Management website.