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Export Controls

Export Controls

West Texas A&M University must comply with the United States export control laws and regulations, including, without limitation, those implemented by the Department of Commerce through its  Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the Department of State through its International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), as well as those imposed by the Treasury Department through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). 

WTAMU has an obligation to implement an export control compliance program to reduce the risk of export control violations.  All employees and students are responsible for the export control implications of their work and must ensure that their activities conform to export control laws and regulations. There are several institutional and individual sanctions for violations of export control laws and regulations, including the loss of research funding, the loss of export privileges, and criminal and civil penalties.

The export of certain items, technologies, software, and services is regulated for reasons for national security, foreign policy, prevention of the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and competitive trade.  Export control laws restrict the shipment, transmission, or transfer of certain items, software, technology, and services from the United States to foreign countries.  Export control laws also restrict the shipment, transmission, or transfer of 'deemed exports’ which are releases of controlled physical items or controlled information to foreign nationals located in the United States.

In general, export control regulations cover four main types of university activities:

  • Transfers of controlled information, including technical data, to persons and entities outside the United States;
  • Shipment of controlled physical items, such as scientific equipment, that require export licenses from the United States to a foreign country;
  • Verbal, written, electronic, or visual disclosures of controlled scientific and technical information related to export controlled items to foreign nationals ("deemed exports"), even when it occurs within the United States; and
  • Travel to certain sanctioned or embargoed countries for purposes of teaching or performing research.

Travel to Extreme Risk Countries

At West Texas A&M University, we recognize that travel plays an important role in education, research, and global engagement. As international travel becomes more common, it’s essential that we balance these opportunities with the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. Due to ongoing global tensions, The Texas A&M University System restricts non-essential travel to countries or regions identified as extreme risk. Before making travel plans, all members of the WTAMU community must carefully evaluate whether the trip is essential to the university’s mission. TAMUS Extreme Risk Countries includes a current list of extreme risk areas.

In addition, under Executive Order GA-48 by the Governor of the State of Texas, all System employees who plan to travel for personal reasons to a country identified as a foreign adversary must complete a Certification of Personal Travel to a Foreign-Adversary form in Workday. 

Suspect a Violation?

Individuals are encouraged to report the suspected violations to the Export Control Official, the Empowered Official, through the Risk, Fraud & Misconduct Hotline at 888-501-3850 or through the online portal. 

For more information, contact:

WTAMU Institutional Export Control Committee

The Institutional Export Control committee is charged with the implementation of the export control compliance program ( 15.02.99.W1) to reduce the risk of export control violations. 

Resources/Training

Export Control Basic Training is required for all employees and is delivered via TrainTraq (course number 2111212). Depending on the nature of an individual’s activities and/or job functions, a University employee or researcher may be required to supplemental export control training as deemed appropriate by the individual’s supervisor and/or the ECO.