Lone Star College (LSC) supports international travel and collaboration by its faculty, staff and students that supports the goals and objectives of the institution. The Honors & International Education (HIE) office coordinates and serves as a resource for international travel on behalf of LSC. Travel on behalf of the college consists of anyone who uses their positions as LSC employees to participate in, promote, support, sponsor, or offer for-credit or non-credit activities, with or without students. Examples include: Study Abroad, International Faculty Exchange, Faculty International Exploration (FIE), Alternative Spring Break, general business travel, or an approved sabbatical in another country. All international travel on behalf of LSC must be approved at various levels, including the campus, HIE, and up through the Chancellor prior to travel.

To ensure a safe and positive experience for faculty, staff and students, the college does not permit travel to destinations under a Department of State Travel Advisory and/or Center for Disease Control Warning Level 3 or higher unless provided with a compelling reason. In addition, travel alerts or advisories may also warrant additional travel restrictions per The Office of The Chancellor in consultation with HIE, the Office of General Counsel, and/or Risk Management. Therefore, the Honors & International Education department will review these requests on a case-by-case basis.

International Travel Checklist

Visit our International Travel Intranet page for a checklist on the steps that must be completed when traveling internationally on behalf of LSC.

International Travel Resources

Review travel advisories

See the Department of State Travel Advisories and Center for Disease Control Warning websites.

Research your destination

Traveling abroad requires careful planning. Review the U.S. State Department website and its Traveler’s Checklist for critical information you will need when considering a location and planning your trip. To help you with your research, here are some key pages you will need to review:

U.S. Department of State: Country Information 

Embassy and Consulate Information

• Foreign Embassies in the U.S.
• U.S. Embassies

Health

• U.S. Department of State: Your Health Abroad
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization (WHO)

Safety & Security

• U.S. Department of State: Emergencies
• U.S. Department of State: Customs and Import Restrictions

Other

• Currency Converter
• LSC Business Office Process for International Travel
• Lonely Planet
• Other Links & Resources

Review the Risk Management Travel website

In addition to documents that may be required by the Honors & International Education office, complete and submit all documents required by the Office of Risk Management well in advance of your departure date. Please Note: all employees and students traveling abroad are required to purchase the LSC international health, evacuation, and repatriation insurance. Refer to the Risk Management website for details, mandatory forms and instructions.

Schedule a health consultation

Check with your primary care physician about receiving any recommended vaccines and for health advice based on your medical history and international travel plans.

Register with STEP

Sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) located on the U.S. Department of State website. STEP is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Other additional benefits for enrolling in STEP are: (1) Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plan, (2) Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency, and (3) Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.

Schedule a mandatory International Travel orientation

To schedule your orientation, contact the Honors & International Education office (LSC-HIE@lonestar.edu) at least 30 days prior to your departure date.