Temporary Travel Policy

Oberlin College and Conservatory is committed to the health and safety of its students, faculty and staff, and to the larger community.  We are also committed to meet our mission, serve our students and live our values in during the extraordinary disruptions presented by COVID-19. 

Based on the best available current public health guidance, this policy applies for college-sponsored travel in order to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 illness in the campus community. The best public health guidance suggests that group gatherings, particularly those that draw people from many places briefly together, and then send them back out to their many home communities, are high-risk for illness transmission and should be avoided.

This policy may be amended in response to changing public health guidance or legal directives.

Employees

During the 2020–2021 academic year, no college-sponsored travel will be permitted, with the exception of travel related to Advancement and Admissions that cannot be conducted remotely. In light of this restriction, employees are encouraged to participate in virtual conferences and other virtual professional activities remotely.

The college strongly encourages faculty and staff who fulfill their professional responsibilities in person and on campus to avoid personal travel outside of Ohio (other than travel that may be required by their commute). Employees should be especially cautious about traveling to destinations with a high incidence of COVID-19 transmission.  For more information, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases.

Students

After arriving to campus for the semester, students are not permitted to travel outside of greater Cleveland except in urgent circumstances. If students with emergencies requiring travel wish to return to campus, they must submit an explanation and a return-to-campus COVID-19 safety plan to the Dean of Students office for approval before leaving.

Submit a Student Exception Request

No student organizations or athletic teams are permitted to travel off campus. Student attendance at off-campus conferences is not permitted.