Procedures in Place for Safety and Security Abroad
As a major university vigorously engaged in international programs and
activities, Michigan State University takes seriously the safety of its
thousands of students, faculty, and staff who may face special challenges
while studying, working, and traveling in other countries. A top institutional
priority has been the establishment of procedures and support systems
to enhance the safety of all of the university's travelers abroad.
As a national leader in study abroad, MSU has always focused on student
safety issues when designing, approving, and administering its programs.
In 1999, it established the Study Abroad Risk and Security Analysis Group,
an independent advisory committee, to evaluate safety conditions at MSU's
many program locations. The group was charged with the responsibility
for approving programs and sites with respect to safety issues and to
recommend cancellations or revisions of programs to enhance the safety
and security of participants. The group is chaired by the vice president
for university projects and consists of six permanent members: the assistant
provost for undergraduate education, a representative from Assessment
and Academic Service, the university's risk manager, a representative
of the General Counsel's Office, the dean of International Studies and
Programs, and the director of the Office of Study Abroad (OSA).
To prepare for meetings of this group, OSA provides each member with
U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheets (http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html) and other pertinent
information about each site being reviewed. State Department Travel Warnings
are an important factor in assessing the viability of a program. Each
site is reviewed at least once every two years; however, certain sites
may be reviewed more often at the suggestion of a group member and as
events warrant. In addition, regular reviews of all study abroad programs
at departmental, college, and university levels are conducted in which
safety and overall quality are measured. And of course OSA constantly
monitors safety issues related to every program offered during the current
semester.
The group has also been responsible for developing guidelines for students'
security-related preparation for their study abroad experiences. All study
abroad participants are required to attend one or more general orientation
sessions that stress safety issues and understanding cultural differences.
Most programs also provide a country-specific orientation in which safety
precautions are outlined. Students are reminded that emergency procedures
are in place, including medical and general emergency evacuation procedures.
And, in any emergency, OSA is able to make contact with faculty and students
abroad. MSU's procedures for handling emergencies abroad have served as
a model for other institutions.
Building on the work of the Study Abroad Risk and Security Analysis Group,
MSU is in the process of developing safety procedures and information
for all members of the university community who travel abroad on university
activities or business.
The University's Safety Abroad Group is chaired by the dean of International
Studies and Programs and was established in late 2000 to review and supplement
existing policies and supports for university travelers abroad and to
begin developing a more comprehensive and university-wide framework for
this purpose. This body is made up of representatives from the faculty,
the Graduate School, the Office of Study Abroad (OSA), the General Counsel's
Office, the Department of Police and Public Safety (DPPS), and the Risk
Management and Insurance Office, as well as the university physician.
The committee makes recommendations on all issues of health and safety
for students, faculty, and staff abroad.
Before September 11th, the committee had started to develop a dedicated
emergency phone number for MSU faculty, staff, and students to report
any serious safety, security, or health threat while traveling abroad.
This phone line was activated during the fall 2001 semester and is staffed
around the clock, connecting the individual caller directly to DPPS. A
DPPS intake and response form, created in conjunction with OSA, aids the
DPPS staffer in determining the most appropriate referral (typically one
or more university units or individuals) for the type of emergency reported
(legal, health, security, etc.).
ISP has also collaborated with the university physician and the Olin
Travel Clinic to develop a "pocket card" for ticket envelopes (see illustration),
now being distributed to faculty, students, and staff planning international
travel. The "Know Before You Go" card emphasizes pre-departure preparation
and helpful Web-based resources, and also outlines procedures to be followed
when calling the MSU emergency number.
The newly redesigned MSU Global Access Web site (http://www.msuglobalaccess.net)
links to an on-line version of the travel card, and also provides links
from country-specific travel pages to health and travel advisory bulletins
and practical information about such things as international dialing codes
and foreign electrical systems.
While no amount of preparation will absolutely guarantee safety, MSU
is confident that its network of policies, procedures, and resources will
go far to better ensure that its international travelers who remain alert
and use common sense will return to campus safely. -Julie Alderfer
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