Risk and Responsibility Handbook

• List of Required Forms and Procedures
• Faculty/Staff Leader Responsibilities
• Student Responsibilities
• Orientation Sessions
• Recommended Procedures for Emergency Notification
• Emergency Contact List
• Operational Concepts of Duty
• The Act-TIONS Plan for Safety and Responsibility
• Medical Emergencies
• Safety and Well-Being While Overseas
• Health
• Illegal Substances
• Tom Butcher’s Top 10 Safety Issues for Off-Campus Study

List of Required Forms and Procedures

Eligibility to Participate Form

• Off-campus programs lasting at least one night require all applicants to complete the Eligibility to Participate Form before applying to the program.  This form will be used to determine the student’s eligibility to apply to a program.
• Each program leader is responsible for submitting each student's form to the Dean of Students at least 72 business hours before departing. Students should check the appropriate box:
  • never been on disciplinary probation
  • history of having been on disciplinary probation
  • currently on disciplinary probation

This is to confirm the accuracy of students’ statements and to determine students’ eligibility, based on behavior, to have their program applications reviewed for admission.

• The program leader is also responsible for noting his/her own name and program name on the list of results from the Eligibility to Participate Form so the Dean of Students will know to whom to return the results.
• In turn, the following policy will be followed with respect to accepting students on all off-campus programs:
• A student not currently on disciplinary probation, but who has a past history of being on probation may be accepted to an off-campus program at the discretion of the program’s director, but may be required to sign an Off-Campus Study Social Conduct & Behavior Contract.
• A student currently on disciplinary probation at the time of application is subject to review by the Dean of Students.  Depending on the circumstances of the probation, the student may still be given permission to apply.

Note: Students on Level I probation may be given permission to apply at the discretion of the Dean of Students and in conversation with the program leader.  Students on Level II probation or Withheld Suspension will generally not be given permission to apply to an off-campus program while on disciplinary probation (this is detailed in the online Student Handbook).

• The principal concern being addressed in this process is student behavior relating to alcohol, drugs and lack of respect for others, including, but not limited to, disorderly conduct, sexual harassment, violations of the law and assault.
• If the program leader, Dean of Students or other member of the Hope College community becomes aware of any infractions prior to the program’s departure, the student’s permission to participate may be revoked.

Assumption of Risk and Release Form

One Day/One Overnight Programs

• All students participating in a short-term program going off-campus are required to sign this form and include a cell phone number (if applicable) and an emergency contact person. Forms have lines for 10 students; use more than one sheet, if necessary.
• This form must be completed and returned to Liz Steenwyk in the Registrar’s Office at least 48 business hours before leaving.  If there are additions or changes to the participant list, and the changes are made during normal business hours (8am-5pm; Monday–Friday), please forward the changes to the Registrar’s Office. Should the change(s) occur after normal business hours, submit them to Campus Safety.
• Be sure to include a complete itinerary and contact phone numbers. 
• Athletics: Send completed forms to Eva Folkert, DeVos Fieldhouse

Two or More Nights Programs
Domestic Programs
International Programs

• All students participating in an off-campus program lasting at least two nights are required to sign this form.  A parent must sign as well if the student is under 18 years of age.
• Completed forms need to be returned to Liz Steenwyk in the Registrar’s Office by the program leader with a complete itinerary and contact phone numbers at least 72 business hours before departing.  The program leader’s name and off-campus program must be noted.
• Athletics: Send completed forms to Eva Folkert, DeVos Fieldhouse.
• Mission Trips: Send completed forms to Kate Kooyman, Campus Ministries.

Medical and Mental Health History Form

• All students participating in an off-campus program lasting at least two nights are required to accurately complete this form.  A parent must sign as well if the student is under 18 years of age.
• A photocopy of the front and back of all major medical cards from each participating student is also required.
• Advise students to purchase the International Student ID card or iNext Travel Card for international programs.  These cards include medical insurance that is valid worldwide.
• These forms should be carefully reviewed with the individual students prior to leaving for the trip.
• The program leader should take the original forms along on the program.  Copies of the forms should be left with the department secretary in a sealed envelope – this is confidential information!

Student Off-Campus Program Responsibilities

• All students participating in an off-campus program lasting at least one overnight are required to sign this form.
• The program leader should keep completed forms and take them along on the program.  Send copies to the Dean of Students.

Off-Campus Study Social Conduct & Behavior Contract -- optional

• This form is optional and is to be filled out at the discretion of the program leader and the Dean of Students.  It encourages students to take responsibility for their actions.  The program leader must also sign the form.
• The program leader should keep completed forms and take them along on the program.  Copies should be left with the Dean of Students.

NOTE: It is the program leader’s responsibility to see that all of the above mentioned forms are given to the appropriate people.

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Faculty/Staff Leader Responsibilities

Consequence of non-compliance: CANCELLATION OF PROGRAM  

1. Required: A faculty/staff leader will accompany all off-campus programs that include students.

2. Required: Collect an Eligibility to Participate Form from each applicant and clear students with the Dean of Students before accepting students into the program.  Get to know students during the application process.

3. Required: Collect an Assumption of Risk and Release Form from each participating student.  Send completed forms along with a complete itinerary and contact information to Liz Steenwyk in the Registrar’s Office.
- Athletics programs: Send completed forms to Eva Folkert, DeVos Fieldhouse.
- Mission Trips: Send completed forms to Kate Kooyman, Campus Ministries.

4. Required: Collect a completed Medical and Mental Health History Form and a photocopy of the front and back of all major medical cards from each participating student.  Review the forms with individual students prior to leaving for the trip.

5. Required: Collect a Student Off-Campus Programs Responsibilities form from each participating student.  Take original forms with you.

6. Required: In advance of departure, conduct an appropriate orientation program for all participants.

7. Required: Follow and use the Recommended Procedures for Emergency Notification.
Consequence of non-compliance: As the leader, you may be held legally liable and/or negligent for non-usage.

8. Required: Report back to the College in the event of an itinerary change and/or an emergency within the group or location of program.
Consequence of non-compliance: You put yourself and your students at risk.

9. Strongly Advised: Consult with the Health Center or Counseling Center on all medical and/or psychological conditions that impact students traveling with you.
Consequence of non-compliance: You put yourself and the student at risk.

10. Strongly Advised: Discuss with flagged students what you should know about their medical conditions and have a written plan of action as needed.
Consequence of non-compliance: You may not know what to do if the condition surfaces during the program.

11. Advised: For students who have been on disciplinary probation in the past, consult the Dean of Students about possibly having the student sign the Off-Campus Study Social Conduct & Behavior Contract.

12. Advised: Carry copies of major medical cards, proof of immunizations and other important documents away from the originals.  For international programs, carry copies of the front page of all passports and any necessary visas.

13. Advised: Contact the Health Center for a Travel Clinic tailored for your program’s location.

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Student Responsibilities

Consequence of non-compliance: Student’s participation in the program is cancelled and all non-refundable deposits and incurred costs are forfeited and/or billed.

1. Required: A participating student must complete an Eligibility to Participate Form before applying for the program.

2. Required: A participating student (and parent, if student is under 18 years of age) must sign and submit an Assumption of Risk and Release Form.

3. Required: A participating student must complete a Medical and Mental Health History Form and provide evidence of appropriate medical insurance.

4. Required: A participating student must complete a Student Off-Campus Program Responsibilities form.

5. Required: In a timely fashion, a participating student must obtain all required and recommended immunizations for travel, as determined by the Health Center. 

6. Required: A participating student must attend all required on-campus orientation session(s).

The program leader has the authority to determine if a student’s behavior warrants termination from the program at the student’s expense.

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Orientation Sessions

• Cultural Preparation and Competence
• Academic Preparation
• Group Dynamics
• Program Schedule, Locations, Transportation, Housing
  • detailed itinerary
• Forms
  • set deadline for turning in completed forms
• Student Responsibilities
  • consequence of non-compliance at any time – removal from program
  • behavioral expectations
• Health/Safety
• necessary immunizations
• medical insurance – especially when traveling overseas
• review medical files
• alcohol awareness training (involve the Counseling Center)
• Emergencies
  • “Prevent, Prepare, Respond”
  • have an emergency plan
  • primary meeting place
  • secondary meeting place
  • how and when to check in
  • discuss potential crises
  • assign a designated student to know the Recommended Procedures for Emergency Notification in case the leader is unavailable
  • create a communication tree for students – including student cell phone numbers
  • get parent contact information
  • share own contact information

Advice from Boyd Wilson (wizened wearied leader)

• APPLICATION
• know your students
• read the applications
• interview the students
• talk to those who have written letters of recommendation
• show the list to everyone you know
• ORIENTATION and PREPARATION
• either for the full semester, several sessions or even a 24 hour lock-down!
• you have to know your students!!
  
• Academic Orientation/Preparation
  • they must know something
  • they must know where you are going, why you are going there, and something about the area
• Social Orientation/Preparation
  • they must be able to function as a group - group formation, group dynamics
  • they must be able to get along with each other and YOU!
• Emotional Orientation/Preparation
  • they must know what they are going to be facing
  • many things will SHOCK them, but at least they won’t be SURPRISED
• EXPECTATION
• make it clear, make it high!
• what do you want them to get out of this trip?
• do you know?
• make sure they know!
• INFORMATION
  • make sure your travelers know everything that they need to know
• itinerary, visas, immunizations
• make sure the parents of the travelers know everything that they need to know
• this is everything, including who you are and why you are leading the trip
• make sure Amy, Jon, Campus Safety, the secretary in your department know everything they need to know
• names of travelers
• parents of travelers, home address and phone
• complete itinerary with cities, hotels, contact people in each city
• make sure everyone (all of the above) know about contingency plans (and even evacuation plans if necessary)
• keep journal of things that might need to be recorded

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Recommended Procedures for Emergency Notification

Orientation information, both printed and oral, contains information for faculty/staff and students about health and safety issues related to both domestic and international travel.  Adherence to this information, along with appropriate behavior, caution and common sense can prevent many crisis situations.

Decisions regarding program itineraries are made based on information from the U.S. State Department and on-site coordinators.  The Registrar is prepared to make changes on short notice should a situation arise that causes serious concern.

The Registrar will not allow students to begin a program in a country for which the U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning.

1. Conditions which Suggest Initiation of Recommended Procedures

Campus Safety shall be contacted under the following circumstances:

1. Serious illness, injury or death
2. Emotional or psychological stress that appears to require removal from the situation or professional attention, including, but not limited to, attempted suicide
3. Being the victim of a crime: theft, assault, rape, harassment, etc. or being accused of committing a crime
4. A situation that causes serious concern, i.e. political uprising or natural disaster

2. Course of Action

• The Hope faculty/staff member or on-site coordinator (or designated student, in case of incapacity of the faculty/staff member or on-site coordinator) contacts the appropriate local authorities (i.e. police, U.S. Embassy, medical personnel) to begin the local action necessary to handle the situation.

• The Hope faculty/staff member or on-site coordinator (or student) contacts Hope College Campus Safety to report the incident: (616) 395-7770.  Campus Safety then contacts the appropriate College official.  In most cases, this will be the Registrar.  There may be situations when it is also appropriate to contact other persons, i.e. the Director of the Counseling Center, the Dean of Students or the Director of Public Relations.

• The Registrar is the official spokesperson to parents, officials and/or on-site coordinators.  The Registrar will also act as official spokesperson to media sources in cooperation with the Director of Public Relations.
  

3.  Registrar Action

The Registrar will initiate appropriate procedures and will inform the appropriate college personnel of any situation which involves on-campus intervention in an off-campus program.

A1.  Ill or Injured Student:

1. For international programs where the program leader has the International Teacher Identity Card and/or the student has the International Student Identity Card, the Registrar will contact ISIC to get them involved in evaluating the situation: (877) 370-4742.
2. The Registrar will contact the student’s parents or emergency contacts as designated by the student, to apprise them of the situation.
3. The Registrar will contact other college personnel as appropriate.
4. The Registrar will contact the Director of Public Relations.
5. If able, necessary actions will be taken: provision for necessary medical care in-country, emergency evacuation, etc.
6. Hope College will, if necessary, make funds available to cover emergency costs.  Such expenses are the responsibility of the student/parents, but Hope will advance funds as needed to assure a timely solution of the situation.

A2.  Ill or Injured Faculty/Staff Member:

1. For international programs where the program leader has the International Teacher Identity Card, the Registrar will contact ISIC to get them involved in evaluating the situation: (877) 370-4742.
2. The Registrar will contact the faculty/staff member’s family or emergency contacts as designated by the faculty/staff member, to apprise them of the situation.
3. The Registrar will contact other college personnel as appropriate.
4. If able, necessary actions will be taken: provision for necessary medical care in-country, emergency evacuation, etc.
5. Hope College will, if necessary, make funds available to cover emergency costs.  Such expenses are the responsibility of the faculty/staff member, but Hope will advance funds as needed to assure a timely solution of the situation.
6. If necessary, Hope will make funds and staff available to insure adequate group supervision and continuation of the program.

A3.   Death of Student or Faculty/Staff Member:

1. For international programs where the program leader has the International Teacher Identity Card and/or the student has the International Student Identity Card, the Registrar will contact ISIC to get them involved in evaluating the situation: (877) 370-4742.
2. The Registrar will contact the parents of the student, the family of the faculty/staff member or emergency contacts as designated by the student or faculty/staff member.
3. The Registrar will contact other college personnel as appropriate, who will, in turn, contact the College’s Legal Counsel.
4. The Registrar will contact the College Counseling Center to begin appropriate counseling for other members of the group.

B.  Student or Hope Faculty/Staff Member with Emotional or Psychological Problems:

1. The Registrar will contact the College Counseling Center.  The Counseling Center will be in touch with the student, faculty/staff leader or on-site coordinator to evaluate the situation and make necessary recommendations.
2. The Registrar will contact the parents of the student, the family of the faculty/staff member or emergency contacts as designated by the student or faculty/staff member.
3. The Registrar will contact other college personnel as appropriate.

C.  Student or Hope Faculty/Staff Member is the Victim of a Crime or is Accused of Committing a Crime

1. The Registrar will contact appropriate college personnel.
2. If a sexual incident is between two student members of the group or a student member and a Hope faculty/staff member, the Registrar will contact the chair of the Sexual Harassment Policy Advocates and College policy will apply.
3. If the incident is between a member of the group and an outside party, action taken will depend on legal requirements of the host country and the wishes of the group member.
4. Hope’s Legal Counsel will be contacted, if necessary, for appropriate advice.
5. If necessary, the Registrar will contact local on-site authorities for appropriate action.
6. The Registrar will contact the student’s parents or emergency contact as designated by student. 

D.  Situation that Causes Serious Concern

1. The Registrar will contact the faculty/staff member or on-site coordinators for a preliminary assessment.
2. The Registrar will contact the U.S. State Department to receive the latest public announcements or travel warnings.
3. The Registrar will take necessary action based on advice from U.S. State Department and on-site coordinators.  This could be evacuation, moving to an embassy compound, remaining on-site and maintaining low profile or quarantine.
4. When the status of the group has been accurately determined, the Registrar, in cooperation with the on-site coordinator or faculty/staff member will disseminate the information to appropriate parties.
5. The Registrar will contact the Director of Public Relations.

4.  Program Leader Response
    
1. Record

• Written record of the incident
• Date, time and place of the incident
• Details of the incident
• Witnesses to the incident
• Response to the incident

2. Report

• If necessary, report immediately to the college.
• Keep accurate, complete records on file.

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Emergency Contact List

Campus Safety (24 Hours) – First Contact
Telephone (616) 395-7770
Fax (616) 395-7768

President's Office - 616-395-7780
Provost's Office - 616-395-7785
Public Relations - 616-395-7860

After-hours phone numbers available on Moodle.

International Emergencies

U.S. State Department

• Overseas Citizens Services: (888) 407-4747 or (202) 501-4444 from overseas for answers related to questions concerning the:
  • Death of an American citizen abroad
  • Arrest/detention of an American citizen abroad
  • Robbery of an American citizen abroad
  • American citizens missing abroad
  • Crisis abroad involving American citizens
  • After-hours number for an emergency involving an American citizen abroad
• U.S. State Department Switchboard: (202) 647-4000

Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation

• International Student Identity Card Insurance Desk
  • For students, faculty/staff leaders with the International Student/Teacher ID card (ISIC/ITIC)
  • Inside U.S. & Canada (877) 370-4742
  • Collect from anywhere else (713) 342-4104
• iNext Worldwide Assistance Service
  • For those with the iNext Travel Card
  • Inside U.S. (866) 385-4839
  • Collect from anywhere else (715) 295-5452

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Operational Concepts of Duty

• Negligence
• Negligent conduct is the careless performance of a legal DUTY that causes harm to another.  It is the failure to act reasonably under a circumstance when you have a duty to do so. 
• Institutions and program staff can be held liable for negligent conduct.
• An individual may be found to be negligent if a reasonable person would not have acted the same way under similar circumstances.
• A school can be held accountable for those persons acting on its behalf, regardless of whether these agents are paid or volunteers.
• Alcohol
  • If you provide alcohol, even if at an institutional activity, you have raised your level of duty. 
  • If you undertake an action for an individual who is already endangered, you have a duty to not make it worse. 
  • If you take responsibility for a student who is intoxicated and put him/her to bed, you now have a duty to be sure he/she is safe and supervised. 
• We are not responsible for actions of students 24 hours a day.
• If you are going to do something, do it well.  Do the right thing, what a reasonable person would do. 
• Contact the College in the event of an emergency within the group or at the program’s location.

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The Act-TIONs Plan for Safety and Responsibility

INFORMATION:

• Informed consent: if you don’t want to go knowing what can happen, then don’t go.

ORIENTATION:

• Prior to departure your preparation of students must include an orientation program AND another appropriate session once you arrive on-site.

CONFIRMATION:

• Students have read information about challenges and risks of the program.
• Students will read and further research the place and culture they will be entering.
• Students have determined, with or without professional medical and psychological help, that they are capable of enduring the rigors of the program.
• Students will adjust their dress and behavior to suit the expectations of the program and the host culture.
• Students grant the leader the right to send them home if their dress, behavior or academic performance is deemed detrimental to the program or represents an unacceptable risk to themselves or the group.

COLLABORATION:

• The amount of involvement with on-site people will vary with each program.  If you have no on-site assistance, then more responsibility clearly falls to you.  Either way, you are the responsible individual.

ORGANIZATION:

• Provide students and parents with a clear program schedule.
• Know the recommended procedures to be followed in case of an emergency or other situation outlined in this document.

COMMUNICATION:

• If you need to use the recommended procedures for emergency notification, ensure you communicate appropriately.
• Ensure effective communication with students and with parents as appropriate.

INVESTIGATION:

• Check on issues that are reported to you or that you observe.  Find out all details of the issue, i.e. student seems depressed, seems to be abusing alcohol, etc.  Don’t take anything lightly.
• Responses such as “Get over it!” are not appropriate.

DOCUMENTATION:

• Keep a journal.  Record details, conversations with students, changes in itinerary.
• You cannot treat complaints – real or perceived – as if the student were on campus.
• Few students will complain that you cared too much for them.
  

ESCALATION:

• If a student’s behavior requires a behavior contract, use it.  Give it to the student, make him/her sign it, note the time and date in your journal and notify the College.
• If a student breaks the behavior contract, send him/her home.
• If a student breaks college rules or behaves inappropriately, send him/her home.

ALTERATION / EVACUATION:

• What is your evacuation / repatriation plan?
• You may need to alter plans due to plane delays, closed highways, etc.  Change often leads to your encountering unknown conditions.  It is better to disappoint a student, than to be sued over his/her death.

CANCELLATION:

• Be sure you know the conditions of the place you are going before departing.
• If it is necessary, have the guts to cancel a program and get out!

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Medical Emergencies

Hopefully you will not have medical problems while off-campus, but it is a good idea to be aware of insurance coverage and emergency travel assistance.

Bank Cards and Traveler's Checks

Issuers of bank cards and traveler's checks see travel assistance and insurance as a natural complement to their traditional business.  American Express offers all green-card holders a worldwide 24-hour hotline to refer them to doctors and lawyers, as well as provide information on visa and immunization requirements, for no charge.  The program, called Global Assist, will also transmit urgent messages and advance funds up to $5,000 for hospital admissions and bail and charge them to the American Express Card.  Call (800) 333-AMEX for more information.  (BankAmerica and Citicorp offer programs similar to Global Assist.)  Platinum cardholders also get full coverage by TAI, including free evacuation to the U.S., if necessary.  Some MasterCard banks now offer Master Assist, a travel-assistance program provided by Access America.  Visa also offers travel and emergency assistance services with select cards.

The policies cost from $15 to $75 a week and many companies cover any travel 100 miles or more from home.  Most travelers enroll on a per-trip basis, although programs also offer annual memberships.  Companies tend to offer the same basic services.  Most have 24-hour hotlines to help members locate an English-speaking physician.  If the member isn't satisfied, the company will move the patient to a better hospital or fly him/her home.  Most packages offer only a limited amount of medical insurance, since a victim must pay for care in cash, often in advance, and then ask her/his insurer for reimbursement.  Blue Cross and most other insurance plans cover emergency care abroad, but few foreign hospitals recognize American health insurance.  Medicare does not cover treatment abroad.

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Safety and Well-Being While Overseas

General Advice:  Common sense goes a long way in ensuring that your stay abroad is a safe and pleasant one.

1.   Obey the laws and respect the customs of the host country.

2.   Be neat and tidy; dress appropriately on all occasions, PARTICULARLY when you visit places of worship.  Remember that in some areas, women dressed braless and women and men wearing dirty jeans may send signals that they do not intend to convey.

3.   Bear in mind that in other parts of the world, just as in the U.S., major cities have unsafe districts.  When arriving in a city with which you are unfamiliar, ask the hotel desk or the information bureau in the train station or at the airport what areas to avoid.

4.   Don't forget that you are a foreigner in the host country and, as such, should be wary of the opportunities otherwise available to a national.  For instance, it is unwise for you to get involved in political demonstrations.  Also, stay clear of black market situations such as illegal currency transactions, people offering to purchase your personal items or trying to sell you bargain airline tickets.  Regarding airline tickets, be aware that the airlines will prosecute not only the sellers but also the buyers.  Be wary of strangers selling merchandise at discount prices; they may be selling stolen goods.

5.   Hitchhiking is not recommended.  Don't take unnecessary risks.  Use existing forms of public transportation. 

For Women
Please read the following observations from Kenyon College's Off-Campus Study Handbook:
            "At the risk of sounding alarmist and at the risk of perpetuating unfair stereotypes, we urge [women] to be more careful about where you go, when you go and with whom you go… This is not to say that you shouldn't go out with men and establish relationships of various kinds with them.  It is to warn you about casual encounters, possible misreading of non-verbal cues, potential real misunderstandings owing to language difficulties and inaccurate notions about American women in the minds of many… [non-American] men.  One common assumption is that American women are ‘easy.’  Some men will harass American women though the same man wouldn't dream of treating ‘their own’ women in similar ways.  (Italy is particularly problematic in this regard.)  For the most part, such harassment is relatively harmless although extremely annoying.  In many countries if you are out alone--even during the day visiting a museum, for example--your solitude may be construed as an invitation for company.  You will have to be very firm if you do not wish such company.  ‘Please leave me alone or I'll report you to the police’ is a handy phrase to know… You should also be wary of going to unfamiliar places, like beaches or parks, with men whom you don't know well.  Invitations will not be lacking and rape, especially date rape, is as much a reality abroad as in the U.S."         

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Health

Health-related problems can affect the quality of your experience off-campus.  The risk of encountering serious problems is usually not greater abroad than in the U.S., but it is important to bear in mind that the changes in diet, water and climate may produce sore throats, gastrointestinal disorders and colds.  You should take basic precautions to ensure good health while off-campus.

General Information

Experts recommend the following steps before your departure:
1.   See your physician for a physical and the necessary immunizations (if any).  This must be done at least one month in advance of departure to allow time for immunizations to take effect. 
2.   Make copies of all important records (immunizations, prescriptions, etc.) and take them with you.  Make sure the prescriptions are written in generic as well as brand names.
3.   Take a medical kit along with you (band-aids, aspirin, gauze, sterile cleaners, a small tube of antibiotic cream, Pepto-Bismol, etc.)
4.   See your dentist and complete all needed work before departure.

If you need medical help abroad, check with the on-site program director(s) for reliable doctors.  If you are traveling and need a doctor, contact an American embassy or consulate.  Before departure, you can contact IAMAT (The International Association of Medical Assistants to Travelers) at www.iamat.org or (716) 754-4883 for a list of English-speaking doctors abroad.

Additional Health Tips

• If you are suffering from a health condition that is not easily detected or quickly recognizable, you should secure a medic alert emblem to wear.  Contact the Medic Alert Foundation at www.medicalert.org or (888) 633-4298.
• A good guide on handling health problems while traveling is Travelers' Health: How to Stay Healthy Abroad by Dr Richard M. Dawood.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
It is imperative to take proper precautions to safeguard oneself against the AIDS virus.  A brochure, Travel Safe: AIDS and International Travel, has been published by the CIEE to inform international travelers about AIDS.  It describes some general precautions against the virus which you can follow, regardless of where you are in the world.  A copy of this brochure is available in the International Education Office.

Immunizations
Check with the Health Center to see what shots or precautions are recommended for your program.  Check early (at least one month in advance) to allow time for vaccinations.  In addition, check out the Center for Disease Control’s website specifically for travelers: www.cdc.gov/travel.  Contact the Health Center for an individualized travel clinic tailored to your program.
You may also call the International Traveler's Hotline, developed by the Center for Disease Control at (877) 394-8747 for more detailed information on vaccinations, food and water and diseases of specific areas of the world, etc.  Every other year, the CDC publishes the Yellow Book, "Health Information for International Travelers," updating vaccinations and health risks for travelers.  Purchase a copy through Elsevier, a health science book publisher, for $24.95.

Jet Lag

Jet lag can produce conditions such as exhaustion, irritability and difficulty in making decisions.  Here are some suggestions for fighting jet lag:   

1. When traveling eastbound, sleep on the plane until your destination's breakfast time.  Take a sleeping pill if necessary.
2. When you wake up, eat a high-protein breakfast and try to stay awake and active during the daylight hours.
3. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages until your body has had time to adjust to the new schedule.
4. Melatonin is useful in falling asleep for the first three nights when traveling east.

** A highly recommended anti-jet lag diet had been developed by the Argonne National Laboratory to help travelers adjust their bodies’ internal condition to new time zones.  Go to the officially licensed website for more information: www.antijetlagdiet.com.

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Illegal Substances

According to U.S. State Department reports, more than 1,000 U.S. citizens are arrested abroad each year on charges related to the use or possession of drugs.  It reminds Americans that:

“The global war on drugs has stimulated many countries to stiffen their penalties for drug violation.  Penalties may include lengthy prison sentences without parole.  Sentences for possession or trafficking can range from 2 to 25 years.  In some countries, such as Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia and Thailand, conviction may lead to a life sentence or even the death penalty.  Many Americans assume that they are immune from prosecution under foreign laws.  In fact, once an American leaves the United States, constitutional rights no longer apply…”

Make sure your students know to NOT, under any circumstances, use or possess illegal substances (marijuana, hashish, cocaine, heroin, etc.) or associate with people who are involved in drug-related activities. The U.S. State Department warns travelers "to be particularly wary of anyone who asks them to carry a package or drive a car across a border."  It further advises those who have to take medication containing a narcotic to keep the medication in its original container and carry a certificate from their doctor explaining their need to take the medication.

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Tom Butcher’s Top 10 Safety Issues for Off-Campus Study

1.  Do the right thing.
2. Do something, rather than nothing.
3. Consider what a reasonable person would do and carry it out.
4. Consider what can go wrong before a program / student departs.
5. Disclose the dangers of a program or a destination.
6. Obtain signature waivers (informed consent).
7. Don’t adopt policies / procedures that you can’t / won’t enforce.
8. Alcohol and students don’t mix well.  Inform students of risks, laws, penalties and responsibilities.
9. Prepare program directors and participants.
10. Involve and educate the president, provost, legal counsel, risk manager, public affairs staff, business office, health services, counseling office and any other offices associated with off-campus programs.

* Thomas A. Butcher, JD, is the University Counsel at Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan 49401.  He has presented at several NAFSA conferences and is currently the international resource person for the Michigan Universities Legal Consortium. 

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