Faculty Handbook

Pre-departure orientation

Encourage participants to attend the OSA-sponsored general Pre-departure Orientations.

OSA will hold general study abroad orientation sessions each year in:

• November (for winter break and spring semester programs);
• February (for spring break programs) and in;
• March/April (for summer, fall, and academic year programs). 

Upon request, OSA will arrange meeting rooms for program leaders wishing to hold program-specific orientation sessions immediately following the general OSA sessions. 

Plan, schedule and lead an orientation (immediately following the general OSA session or at a separate time) that specifically addresses the key program-specific details your students need to know. You will be contacted by OSA a month before the general orientation to determine whether you wish to schedule a program-specific break-out session.

You must refrain from providing medical advice about medications, vaccines, or over-the-counter medications.  This advice is certainly well-intentioned and given out of concern for students; however, travel recommendations change frequently.  Best recommendations are connected to a student’s own personal health history and it is important that all program leaders avoid giving medical advice to their students.  Rather, this advice needs to be given by qualified health personnel, or from national or international reputable health agencies such as the CDC, WHO, etc.   In addition to the frequent changes and need for the tailoring of personal medical advice, there is significant liability both to the leaders and to the University that can result from giving incorrect medical advice.  Practicing medicine without a license is not a good idea.

There are links on the MSU Travel Clinic’s Web site to reliable sources for travel recommendations, and you can call the MSU Travel Clinic (or any other travel clinic) or send students there directly for advice.  For your own sake, and for the sake of the University, please rely on these sources for health and medical recommendations for students.

The MSU Travel Clinic can provide half-hour health presentations for your program specific orientations.  Alternatively, program leaders have used the Ingham County Health Department that gives group consultation and country-specific presentations, followed by one-on-one consultation and administering of immunizations.

Providing the program itinerary during orientation prepares students for the on-site academics. 

Global Access is an excellent resource for student reference and orientation preparation.  Additionally, if your program includes foreign language preparation and instruction, you are encouraged to make maximum use of the Language Learning Center (LLC).  The LLC provides media services, computing and audio-visual facilities, and consulting in the use of technology to support language teaching and learning, and research.

Whenever possible, arrange for a get-acquainted party for participating students prior to departure.  Please note that expenses associated with such a party need to be included in the budget.

Make every attempt to communicate all necessary information to students prior to the completion of the previous semester. If you plan to e-mail students between or after semesters, alert them so they can regularly check their MSU e-mail account.