A WORD ABOUT PROGRAM
SAFETY
To All 2008 Outgoing Students, Their Parents, and Families:
The Office of Summer & Continuing Studies (SCS) and its staff members abroad take the safety and security of all students who participate in our programs very seriously. Included here is an overview of SCS’s safety precautions for programs abroad.
To remain current on international safety concerns, SCS staff consults regularly with the Office of International Programs, with off-site administrators and responsible officials of foreign host universities, with the US Department of State and other governmental and non-governmental agencies, and other experts, including our faculty, who keep well-informed on issues and events in international locations where we have sponsored and approved programs. Additionally, in recent years, we have taken a number of steps to update our preparedness to deal with emergencies on Summer & Continuing Studies programs abroad.
Safety Precautions
• Program Directors, at Brown and abroad, possess numerous means for contacting each other, including 24 hour phone numbers and multiple email addresses.
• Students studying abroad are provided with 24 hour contact phone numbers for both resident staff of SCS Programs and Brown University staff. Off-site administrators and instructors have procedures in place to enable contact with students when necessary, and these procedures have been shared with students. Students, regardless of their destination, are further advised to be especially vigilant in light of the current international climate.
• University staff monitor announcements from the US Department of State and other sources daily. These include the State Department’s daily global security briefing and instant notification of all Travel Warnings and Advisories. Additionally, the University receives global health, safety and security advisories from International SOS, the largest medical and security-assistance company in the world.
• All students studying abroad are automatically covered by a Brown Travel Assistance Plan* administered by International SOS, whose services range from telephone advice and referrals to full-scale evacuation by private air ambulance. International SOS has more than 3,500 professionals in 24-hour alarm centers, international clinics and remote-site medical facilities across five continents. You can access up-to-date reports on more than 170 countries worldwide on health issues, medical care and vaccination requirements via the International SOS website—your home page for travel health and safety information. To use their services or should you have any questions about the coverage, visit the International SOS website. For reference purposes, Brown’s group membership number is 11BSGC000031.
• The off-site administrator at each SCS program site will register the students with the local US Consulate.
• The off-site administrator at each SCS Program site has on file an Emergency Action Protocol that covers emergency communication and assembly of students and situations up to and including cancellation of the program. Each SCS program has instructed students in emergency contact procedures and provides students with updates to these procedures as well as timely information relating to given situations when they arise.
• Students are required, when traveling away from the host city, to provide resident staff with travel information at all times and to be in communication with their program. Furthermore, they are encouraged to check the State Department Travel Advisory website referred to in point 3 above.
• In the event of an emergency, parents and family members can contact the Office of Summer & Continuing Studies (401) 863-7900 (during business hours) or the Brown Department of Public Safety (401) 863-3322 after business hours.
Over the years, hundreds of students have participated in Summer & Continuing Studies programs, returning safely and in good health from their experiences abroad. While no level of preparation can prevent all problems or completely guarantee the safety of students who study and/or travel abroad, we believe that taking proper precautions not only helps avert any number of crises, but also allows for an appropriate response when emergencies arise. We ask that students participating in Summer & Continuing Studies programs abroad be especially vigilant of their local surroundings and communicate to SCS staff any security questions or concerns they may have.
The Office of Summer & Continuing Studies welcomes questions relating to program safety and we ask that you do not hesitate to contact our office.
Telephone: 401 863.7900
Email: summer@brown.edu
Fax: 401 863.7908
Sincerely,
Kathryn Good,
Director of International Students and Programs
Office of Summer & Continuing Studies
*Please note that the Brown Travel Assistance Plan is not health insurance. Requests for reimbursement for medical care received while abroad should be submitted to a student’s health insurance provider.
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