Travel safety
Feb 24: UVic's Statement on Ukraine conflict
International travel: Data security and access
Please be aware there are specific countries or regions where online services such as Duo Mobile for UVic MFA, Zoom, UVic VPN, or Microsoft 365 are currently blocked due to economic and trade sanctions enforced by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control
A list of affected countries or regions can be found on the the University Systems website
If you are traveling to one of the affected countries or regions, please contact the Computer Help Desk for assistance prior to departure to discuss if there are any available options to access UVic information systems from your destination.
For further information and advice on data security as it pertains to international travel: University System's International travel and data security
International travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
For the latest updates and information on travel during COVID, please visit the COVID-19 Travel Website
Further to the Government of Canada's advisories, all travellers need to be aware of and understand their obligation to satisfy, and continually monitor, health and safety requirements established by the official health offices from all levels of government of the destination country, International SOS and other authorities or sources.
Please see below for specific resources for students, faculty and staff:
Participants of domestic off-campus activities are encouraged to follow these steps to the extent as they apply to them and help mitigate their travel risk.
Students
Follow these steps if you are a UVic student travelling outside of Canada for any university-sanctioned activity.
Faculty & Staff
Follow these steps if you are UVic faculty or staff travelling outside of Canada for any university-sanctioned activity.
Guidance for Leaders
Follow these steps if you are UVic faculty or staff responsible for organizing or supervising student trips abroad.
“Off-campus activity” means a university organized or endorsed activity involving one or more university community members, which takes place beyond the boundaries of the University of Victoria campus. Such activities include:
- fieldwork/field schools: any approved practical teaching and research activities carried out by faculty, staff, or students in the natural environment or community, away from the normal support networks of the university.
- remote off-campus activities: any off-campus activity, including fieldwork or field schools, carried out in a location where it is difficult to summon help, and is separated by significant time or distance from emergency or medical assistance.
- other examples include: student or faculty exchanges; cooperative education work term placements; practica; internships; travel/study programs; travel to attend conferences and university business; activities that are part of a university course or program (credit or non-credit); and university organized extracurricular or athletic activities.
This policy does not cover activities over which the university exercises no control and for which it can therefore take no responsibility. Specifically, among others, it does not cover:
- external activities (including consulting) undertaken by faculty, staff, or students that are not part of the individual’s employment responsibilities or academic program at the university;
- activities organized exclusively by students or student groups without expressed approval, sanction, or funding from the university;
- travel or activities of any person who is not a university community member as defined in this policy (e.g., a person accompanying a university community member traveling to attend a conference would not be considered an authorized volunteer because the accompanying individual is not traveling for the purpose of participating in the off-campus activity (the conference)); or
- personal travel undertaken before or after an off-campus university activity concludes.