Presidential Communications

 

 

Dear Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Community,

Under guidance from the Texas Tech University System, we have updated our travel guidelines relating to COVID-19 for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) as follows:

University-Related International Travel

• Effective immediately, all university-related international travel by TTUHSC students, faculty and staff, is suspended through April 30. Please cancel all pending trips that fall within this time period, even if the president's approval has been previously obtained.
  
  We will monitor closely and re-evaluate this suspension when there is clear evidence that the global public health emergency is abated.
  
  

University-Related Domestic Travel

• Domestic travel is highly discouraged at the present time. Effective immediately through April 30, all TTUHSC student, faculty, and staff travel requests for university-related domestic travel need to be reviewed by your respective Dean, Vice President or Provost prior to approval. Requests will be reviewed to determine whether travel is considered mission-critical to the health and/or welfare of the university and its activities. Any current pending trips should be re-evaluated under this guidance to determine whether cancellation is necessary.
  
  Conferences and non-TTU System campus site visits should be considered non-mission critical unless there is an extenuating circumstance to support the justification for the travel.
  
  

Reimbursement for University-Related Travel

• In the event you cancel a trip (international or domestic) in accordance with this guidance, you must seek a refund for any prepaid expenses (such as airline/hotel) in order to mitigate the loss of funds. If vendors refuse reimbursement of prepaid expenses and a refund or travel credit is not issued to you, please work with your supervisor or program administrator to facilitate any reimbursements as provided under TTUHSC Operating Policies. The Travel Office and the Office of Global Health, in conjunction with the President's Office, will work to ensure employees and students are reimbursed for university-related travel costs consistent with our policies. Click here to view the memo from the president you may provide as applicable to reflect this travel suspension to assist in your efforts to cancel travel and request reimbursements.
  
  

Personal Travel

We encourage you to evaluate your personal travel plans regarding both domestic and international destinations. Please carefully consider the avoidance of places identified with a travel health warning notice by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and be aware of the possibility to alter your plans as the spread of COVID-19 continues to develop.

• International
  Students, faculty and staff who travel outside of the United States are required to register with the university before leaving or immediately upon return of a trip, using this travel form. If the travel was to a country identified by the CDC with a travel health notice warning of Level 3, travelers will be required to self-isolate off campus for 14 days before returning to campus.
• Domestic
  To assist us in providing support to students, faculty and staff who travel within the United States and to ensure that we can adhere to appropriate screening before your return to work and school, please fill out the travel form on our website to identify your travel plans.

Incoming Visitors

• Effective immediately, all incoming (visiting) international travel for learners and visitors is suspended through April 30.

Thank you for your understanding as we continue to monitor COVID-19 and update our policies accordingly.

 

 

Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D.
Interim President
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center