Faculty Handbook

Pre-departure and on-site orientation information

In cooperation with the Office of Study Abroad, provide health and safety information during orientation for prospective participants so that they can make informed decisions concerning preparation, participation and behavior while on the program. General information is provided by the Office of Study Abroad; it is expected that program leaders will provide country-specific health and safety information.

The program-specific orientation, which you lead prior to the program and/or on site, should include information (to the best of your ability) on safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural and religious conditions in the host country; potential health and safety risks; and appropriate emergency response measures.  (Major causes of death abroad include injuries, primarily auto-related, and drowning.)

You should explain to the students that they are required to inform you about any medical emergency, and you are required to contact OSA by calling the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Line at (517) 353-3784 (or the main office during business hours).  Even if the incident is not life-threatening, it is important to notify OSA because exaggerated rumors of the seriousness of the incident may reach parents, who will in turn contact OSA for confirmation of the details. If a student requires medical attention on-site, but does not warrant an emergency (i.e. just an office visit) please contact Julie Friend via e-mail at friendju@msu.edu (and copy your OSA Study Abroad Coordinator) so OSA will be aware of the situation and act quickly if the student’s condition should worsen.

If you are not available and the host country emergency services are not available, students should report emergencies by calling the MSU Emergency Assistance line at (517) 353-3784.  Inform the students that this information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality. 

OSA may choose, in consultation with the program leaders or on-site representatives, to inform emergency contacts about a potential emergency abroad without the student’s permission, such as when the student:

1. is unable to speak for themselves,
2. has been missing for more than 24 hours,
3. is perceived to be a danger to themselves or others, or when
4. a significant health, safety or security incident affecting the entire program has occurred abroad

All students are provided with a wallet-sized card with the following information (please discuss this procedure during orientation).

All students are provided with a wallet-sized card with the following information (please discuss this procedure during orientation).

These procedures, produced on a wallet-size card, are given to all students at orientation so they can carry this card with them at all times while traveling on an MSU study abroad program. Be aware that the MSU Emergency Assistance number is not a toll-free number; however, it will accept collect calls from anywhere in the world.
Become familiar with and inform students of the procedures for obtaining emergency health and law enforcement services in the host country.  Provide all students in your group with the local telephone number(s) the students should use to contact emergency services (i.e. the equivalent of the “911” that we use in the U.S., which provides access to police, fire and emergency medical services). To find the local emergency numbers visit Santa Clara Fire Department - International "911" and Emergency Numbers or Worldwide Emergency Telephone Numbers.  Also note that “112” is a worldwide mobile emergency number.

Provide all students in your group with a written list of reputable local medical clinics or hospitals and English-speaking doctors, available through HTH.  AccessHTH Worldwide to conduct a “Doctor Search.” Call the 24/7 HTH emergency line at (610) 254-8771 as soon as a student seeks medical treatment.  In addition to assisting with treatment, HTH may be able to arrange direct payment.

Create an Emergency Action Plan with your students on arrival.  Include the following:

1. Discuss the potential crises that could occur in your area.
2. Remind all students to read the “Health Issues” and “Safety and Travel” sections of their Student Handbook.
3. Designate a primary and secondary meeting place.
1. Agree on when and where to meet
2. Be sure to also check in with OSA
3. Talk about alternative methods of communication if a physical meeting does not or can not take place
4. Require students to check-in with families.
5. Designate a student leader in case the program leader is incapacitated or unavailable.

If you are the only leader for your program, work with your OSA Coordinator to identify on-site support in advance in the case you become ill or injured abroad.

OSA registers all students with the U.S. Department of State which serves as the central point for all embassies. Inform students of the exact location of the U.S. Embassy.  Strongly encourage students to also visit the Embassy or Consulate if they plan to leave the country or your program itinerary.

Advise the students to avoid travel to or through any location where tensions exist and travel may be dangerous.  Experience has shown that students may benefit from a security briefing offered at US. Embassies abroad; such briefings assist you in reinforcing your message to the students that travel to dangerous areas should be avoided.
Instruct students where to go in case of a terrorist attack.  Unless movement will jeopardize their safety, it is suggested that all students meet at their place of residence to be accounted for and to receive further instructions.

Discuss preventable accidents with the students, such as traffic patterns, pub and drinking culture, drug laws, unsafe swimming, and the type of things that can happen when walking down a street alone at night in a foreign city.  Get very specific about safe and unsafe behavior such as certain types of sexual behavior and how to dress and behave to avoid unwanted attention.

In summary, provide students and OSA with a list of names and phone numbers for:

• 24-hour emergency contact
• nearest U.S. Embassy  
• law enforcement/police department
• nearest hospital/emergency facility and English-speaking doctors and/or health care providers