Regents lift international travel ban on Iowa public universities

One year and one week after the state Board of Regents halted university-sponsored international travel last March in light of the 'quickly evolving impact of COVID,” board President Mike Richards on Thursday lifted the travel ban 'effective immediately.”

'Conditions related to COVID-19 continue to improve,” Richards said in a Thursday statement, highlighting 'sustained improvements” in COVID-19 conditions across Iowa, which has administered nearly 1 million doses of vaccine to date.

By lifting international travel restrictions, the board returns control of university travel-related business to its campus presidents - who've seen regent-imposed limitations hinder academic and research endeavors, hamstring international student recruitment, and decimate study abroad programs.

'As of now, decisions regarding university-sponsored student, faculty, and staff travel shall be made by the president of each university,” Richards said, stressing the board's larger state of emergency order - allowing for sick leave accommodation and virtual instruction, among other things - remains in effect.

When asked how the lifted ban will impact their campuses, University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa officials told The Gazette they're reviewing the change, drafting new guidance, and will unveil updated operations in the coming days.

'Iowa State is working on guidance for faculty, staff, and students related to university-sponsored international travel,” ISU spokeswoman Angie Hunt told The Gazette.

'We are reviewing this decision and will provide more information to our campus next week,” UNI spokesman Steve Schmadeke said.

'The University of Iowa will provide additional information based upon this new guidance to campus by Wednesday, March 17,” UI spokeswoman Anne Bassett said.

Until then, the universities will continue following their campuses' existing travel guidance - allowing domestic work-related trips, so long as they're approved.

Earlier this week, UNI leadership warned the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently advised against trips of any kind due to COVID-19 variants circulating in the United States.

'Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19,” according to the message. 'The transportation you use, type of accommodation you stay in, and the activities you do during travel can increase your risk.”

All three universities last March repatriated faculty and students working and studying internationally - including those in study abroad programs - and they've kept study abroad programming dormant since.

UI and ISU have announced travel-related study abroad programming will remain inactive through Aug. 1. UNI's most recent study abroad cancellations encompass programming for spring 2021.

How or whether the board's lifted travel ban will affect those cancellations remains unclear.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com