Safety & Emergency Preparedness

At the University of Idaho we take student safety and well-being very seriously.  However, we cannot guarantee a risk-free overseas environment any more than we could do this for a student studying in the U.S.  The best way a student can remain safe is to be aware, be responsible, and to follow the advice of UI and other program staff.

Student safety is a three-pronged effort: initial preparation, on-site personal responsibility, and program preparedness.

Students on UI programs participate in a pre-departure orientation.  Two of the main discussion points of this orientation are health and safety.  Students also receive a Survival Guide that discusses these issues.  When students arrive in-country, they receive another orientation that covers site-specific health and safety issues.  As a part of this preparation (both in the U.S. and overseas), students should receive emergency contacts for:

 ■       Host institution international office staff and/or on-site resident directors

■       UI Study Abroad Office staff

■       Police, fire, ambulance

■       Nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate

If students have misplaced this information, they should request it from their resident director and/or host institution international office staff, or contact UI’s Study Abroad Office (telephone: 208-885-4075, email: abroad@uidaho.edu).

There are many things students can do to minimize their safety risk:

■       Blend in with the local surroundings as much as possible.  Dress like the locals and avoid wearing clothes with American slogans, cultural icons, or company logos. 

■       Avoid American hangouts, moving about the city with a large group of other Americans, and visiting areas that are known to be unsafe. 

■       Avoid consuming alcohol or other substances that might impair their decision-making ability. 

■       Keep travel to a minimum, but if they do travel, they should journey with a companion (preferably a local citizen), and be sure to leave an itinerary behind with their host family or resident director. 

■       Avoid crowds, confrontations/arguments concerning political/religious views, and public demonstrations of any kind. 

■       Draw upon as many sources of information as possible before making decisions—the U.S. Consulate, host family members, on-site resident directors or program staff, and heed their advice whenever it is given.

■      Make every effort to be aware of their surroundings and keep in regular contact with the host institution and/or program provider staff. 

If students follow these simple recommendations, they will keep themselves safe and have a great educational experience.

Over the years, UI has handled a wide variety of emergency situations, including student injury, illness, arrest, natural disasters, political and social unrest, and war.  The UI International Programs Office staff is very experienced in emergency response, and they have an extensive network of professionals in the U.S. and abroad that they can draw upon for expertise and advice.  Each of these sources of information provides a critical link to understanding complex situations and providing guidance in taking the appropriate actions. 

Figure 1.  UI has an extensive network of professionals in the U.S. and abroad that can be drawn upon to provide student safety information or advice.

Whenever possible, UI uses in-country assessment since this provides the most accurate picture of a situation.  As an example, last year the U.S. State Department issued a Public Announcement concerning potential political instability in a country where UI students were studying.  On-site staff kept our office updated on the recommendations provided at weekly U.S. Embassy briefings so that we could make informed decisions and keep our students safe.

Another important source of information are the travel advisories provided by the U.S. State Department.  These usually come in the form of Public Announcements and Travel Warnings.  A Public Announcement, in itself, does not necessarily constitute a reason for canceling a program.  The incident may be in a remote region of the country where UI students will not be going, or the threat might be non-specific, e.g., advising U.S. citizens to be cautious because of possible heightened terrorist activity worldwide.  As when handling all potential safety issues, UI consults as many sources of information as possible before making decisions or taking action on a Public Announcement.  As a general rule, Travel Warnings tend to be more serious than Public Announcements, and UI would likely cancel a program in a country for which a Travel Warning has been issued. 

As defined on the U.S. State Department website www.travel.state.gov:

“Public Announcementsare a means to disseminate information about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term and/or trans-national conditions posing significant risks to the security of American travelers. They are made any time there is a perceived threat and usually have Americans as a particular target group. In the past, Public Announcements have been issued to deal with short-term coups, bomb threats to airlines, violence by terrorists and anniversary dates of specific terrorist events. 

“Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country.”

How often are programs cancelled or students evacuated, and what should I do if I am asked to evacuate a country?

Program cancellation and/or the necessity for student evacuation is really quite rare.  In fact, in the many years that UI has been operating study programs, we have never had to evacuate students or cancel a program, including the period during the Gulf War.  

Should students be asked to evacuate, they should always follow the instructions of the resident director and/or the host institution international office staff.  Some program sites may have a predetermined emergency meeting place that students should go to, or in other cases, students may be asked to remain with their host families, or stay in their residence hall rooms or apartments until further arrangements can be made.  As in all emergency situations, it is important that students try to remain calm, not act impulsively, and follow any instructions that are given by program staff or the U.S. Consulate.  Once students are safe, they should contact their family members in the U.S. at the earliest opportunity available.   

During such an emergency, parents are encouraged to contact the UI Study Abroad Office so they can be provided with the latest information available. 

In the event of an emergency, the following Study Abroad Office numbers may be called (please call in the order in which they are listed): 

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Pacific Time)

■        (208) 885-4379 (first point of contact)

■        (208) 885-7870

■        (208) 885-4075
 

After 4:30 p.m. (Pacific Time)

■        (509) 332-6181 (first point of contact)

■        (208) 882-6750

■        (208) 882-6322

Parents may also email for information requests: abroad@uidaho.edu.
 

What roles do UI, the host institution, and/or program provider have in an emergency response situation?

UI provides study abroad opportunities in approximately 200 institutions in 70 countries through a variety of programs and collaborative relationships.  This represents a wide array of language, social, political, cultural, and administrative differences.  A “one size fits all model” for emergency protocols would not be possible or even practical. 

Generally speaking, UI’s study abroad programs can be categorized into two main types: reciprocal programs that involve two universities (UI and the host institution), and programs delivered by program providers.  Program providers may be a membership organization made up of many universities such as the University Studies Abroad Consortium, or may be a company such as the Australian Education Connection.  In most cases, they provide programs at multiple sites, and act as an intermediary between UI and the host institution(s).

In the case of reciprocal programs, each foreign university has developed its own emergency response protocols based on what makes sense for that institution given its particular environment, and UI works within the framework of those established protocols should an emergency situation arise.  Emergency response and decision-making are equally shared by UI and the host institution. 

Program providers have also developed their own emergency response protocols. These typically operate in tandem with host institution protocols where the providers deliver programs.  However, when a program provider leases campus space, hires its own faculty, and delivers its own curriculum—creating an “island program”—the protocol used may be entirely its own.  Regardless, the emergency response is coordinated by the provider (usually via a U.S. office), and although UI remains an active partner in the process, it is to a lesser degree than with reciprocal programs. 

Below you will find UI programs organized by program type: 

■        Reciprocal programs

1. Lulea University

2. Vaxjo Unversity

3. University of Southern Denmark

4. Haagse Hogeschool

5. Zaragoza University

6. Fachochschule fur Technik und Wirtschaft-Berlin

7. Ecole Superieure de Commerce Chambery

8. Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador

9. The Autonomous University of Guadalajara (UAG)

10. The Autonomous University of the Yucatan

11. Monterrey Tech

12. SANN Research Institute-Nepal & India

13. Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies

14. Massey University

15. Lincoln University

16. Lancaster University

17. Chelsea School/University of Brighton

18. Mikkeli Polytechnic

19. University of the Sunshine Coast

20. Deakin University

21. Royal Veterinary & Agricultural U. (KVL)

Figure 2.  Emergency response for reciprocal programs: While UI works within the host institution emergency protocols, response and decision-making are equally shared by UI and the host institution. 

■        Program providers

1. University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC)
   (775) 784-6569 Ask for Nancy Beach and request: “Student Safety Policies and Procedures.”

2. International Student Exchange Program (ISEP)
   www.isep.org/us_students/us_safety.html

3. International Studies Abroad (ISA)
   http://www.studiesabroad.com/parents/document/healthAndSafety

4. Butler Institute for Foreign Studies (Butler IFSA)
   www.ifsa-butler.org/newsevents/faq.html

5. Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
   www.ciee.org/emergency_plan_2002.cfm?subnav=Faculty

6. Australian Education Connection (AEC)
   (954) 680-0453

7. Schiller International University
   (727) 736-5082

8. College Year in Athens
   www.cyathens.org/cya/importantnotice.htm

9. Institute International d’Etudes Francaises (IIEF)
   +33 3 88 41 59 50

10. KCP International Language Institute
    (360) 647-0072

11. University of Pretoria-Ecolife
    +27 12 460 5430

12. American InterContinental University
    1-800-255-6839