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SIU Board adopts international travel registration policy; procedures, app use to follow
Summary
The board approved a new international travel registration policy intended to improve research security and traveler safety; trustees asked for campus‑specific procedures and for those procedures to address privacy and embassy coordination.
The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees approved a proposed international travel registration policy intended to strengthen research security and improve the university’s ability to support faculty, staff and students traveling abroad.
The policy, which trustees approved after committee review, is intended to align the university with federal research‑security expectations at research institutions and create a centralized method for tracking university travelers in emergencies. Trustees emphasized that the board was voting on policy language, not the campus implementation procedures; the administration said procedures would be developed with faculty input and reported back to the board for transparency.
Why this matters: university officials said the policy is designed both to satisfy federal research‑security requirements and to improve the institution’s capacity to account for travelers during emergency events — natural disasters, unrest or similar situations — so the university can provide assistance or evacuation support if necessary.
What was discussed: Todd Wakeland, executive director of the export control office, said the policy is “regarding research security” and that the university is adopting practices used at peer research institutions. He explained the policy contemplates using an app to register traveler information for emergency tracking; the app named in the presentation is Teradata.
Trustees and administrators discussed privacy and governance. Trustee questions included whether registration would require check‑in with U.S. embassies and how the app would be used in higher‑risk travel. Administrators said embassy coordination and some operational steps would be defined in campus procedures rather than the policy itself. President Mahoney said the next step is to develop written procedures with faculty engagement; a draft of procedures was expected to be available in June for review.
Quote: “The policy is regarding research security,” said Todd Wakeland, executive director, export control office. “If someone wants to go to a place like Syria or Haiti, if it's approved, that app would be put on their phone so we could know where they are in that country in case something happened to them.”
Board action: following discussion and committee recommendation, a motion to approve the proposed board international travel registration policy was moved and seconded and passed on roll call.
Next steps: administrators will draft campus procedures for implementation (with faculty input), clarify use cases for the Teradata app and present an information update to the board when procedures are available; trustees requested transparency and routine updates on the rollout.
