Safety Abroad

Overview of Emergency Precautions:

The Center for Global Study and Engagement has always taken seriously our students’ safety while studying abroad. With the continuing threat of terrorism around the world, we are obviously concerned about the global security situation and continue to monitor it, and we encourage students and parents to do likewise.  

We depend on a variety of sources to assess situations overseas, including the news, our own Resident Directors, and other on-site contacts abroad, as well as professional colleagues and publications.  One of the most important sources is the U.S. State Department.  All past decisions about canceling or closing programs have been informed by Department of State or World Health Organization recommendations.   

We consider it essential that students take responsibility for their own safety, and we expect their cooperation.  For example, our Resident Directors ask students to inform them of any travel plans away from the site. We share DOS warnings and announcements with students and remind them frequently to review common sense safety and security measures. Each student is given emergency phone numbers and instructions.  In a serious emergency, administrative staff of the Center for Global Study and Engagement can be accessed 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Students are also reminded that while abroad they are still held to Dickinson’s Community Standards, further encouraging safe and responsible actions while overseas.

Dickinson Centers and partner institutions are in regular contact with the Center for Global Study and Engagement in Carlisle, and contact information is updated routinely for students overseas, on-site staff, partner institutions, and local emergency officials at our program sites, as well as U.S. Consulates and Embassies.  Our staff abroad remains in contact with local universities and civic officials on an ongoing basis.   

Dickinson College has developed emergency plans that can be implemented in the event of a crisis directly affecting any of our programs abroad.  In the unlikely event that it became necessary to return students to the United States, every effort would be made to offer alternative means for students to complete their academic program.  

We review our approach frequently and make every effort to anticipate health and safety issues.  This said, it remains true that many of the risks in traveling abroad cannot be reasonably anticipated or prevented.   

Department of State Announcements 

Department of State travel information and publications are available here. Every student going abroad is responsible for becoming familiar with the Department of State website and the information available there. 

Tips: 

• Before leaving, read the Consular Information Sheet for your host country.   

• For your safety, do the same while abroad for all countries you visit.  

• Current Travel Warnings and Public Announcements are accessible through the State Department web site.   

• The DOS home page links to their Travel Safety Information for Students page, which has good advice and many links, including the fact sheet Travel Warning on Drugs Abroad. 

The Center for Global Study and Engagement occasionally sends students Department of State announcements that are relevant to their host country. These announcements are not to alarm students (unless warranted), but instead to inform them of current situations in your host country or surrounding countries that they may possibly travel to. 

In Case of an Emergency

We collect emergency contact information for each student should we need to contact a student’s support system quickly. We therefore ask students to cooperate with our requests for emergency contact information.  
 
On-site staff require students to have an active phone where they can be reached, especially in cases of emergency. Students are asked to keep emergency numbers with them at all times and we encourage students to save the numbers in their phone.  

• The Dickinson College 24-hour Hot Line number (001 717-245-1111) 

• The phone number of the Center for Global Study and Engagement (001 717-245-1341) 

• Students will also be provided with contact information for their program center and/or resident director.  

Note: The digits 001 are the International Country Code for the United States.  

Obviously, the first step in an emergency is to react to the emergency itself, i.e., contact a doctor, call the police, inform your host family if you are at home, then contact the Resident Director or other on-site contact, etc.   

Any student abroad, whether a Dickinson student or a student from another institution on a Dickinson program, may call the 24-hour Dickinson College Public Safety number collect in a serious emergency and ask for assistance.  Students should identify themselves and the program, and give a brief description of the emergency and a call-back number.  The operator will locate the proper CGSE staff member, who will then return the call. 

Families, too, may use the 24-hour Dickinson Public Safety number if they need assistance in contacting their student after hours in a serious emergency, or if their student has contacted them because of such an emergency.  The procedure would be the same as above.   

Family Emergencies 

Since you will be far away from home for an extended period of time, it is good to discuss with your family what to do in the case of a family emergency while you are overseas. This should include what you would do if a family member becomes ill or dies. 

It is important to consider how your family will respond if you are involved in an accident or suffer from a severe illness while abroad.  We advise a parent/guardian to obtain a current passport in case of emergency.  This should be done before you depart the U.S. 

Many students choose to travel to other parts of their host country and beyond. The CGSE wants to remind you to continue to keep your health and safety a priority during personal travel. 

Make sure you are communicating your travel plans to on-site staff and/or others before you depart, so that you can be reached in an emergency. Even if your plans change or are vague, it’s recommended that you share information such as the names of other travelers, expected destinations, lodging, phone numbers, mode of travel, and dates of departure and return. We strongly encourage students to travel with at least one other person. 

Dickinson College does not permit travel to countries on the US State Department Travel Advisory level 3 or 4 without permission from the College’s International Travel Risk Assessment Committee (ITRAC).  You may also review the following sites for more information on traveling as a tourist while abroad: 

• US Department of State Travelers Checklist 

• FBI Safety and Security for US Students Traveling Abroad 

Sexual discrimination, harassment, and violence can happen to people across gender identities anywhere in the world. Sexual harassment continues to be a serious problem both on and off of college and university campuses and students heading off campus to study abroad/away should continue to be vigilant about being aware and safe, as well as understanding your role in helping to look out for one another and be active bystanders.

Dickinson College strictly prohibits sexual harassment, which includes sexual assault, fondling, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking. 

It is important to know that victims do not cause sexual harassment. Any sexual contact with you without your consent—regardless of how well you know someone, how much you’ve had to drink, or whether some of the sexual activity was consensual – is wrong. 

While most students do not experience sexual harassment, while abroad, it is important to know procedures, resources and care information in the event that this happens to you, a friend or a colleague while abroad.

Steps to take after an incident of sexual assault, fondling, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking.

• Get yourself to a safe place and consider talking to a friend and/or to the on-site staff/ Dickinson College faculty member abroad as soon as possible. If you cannot make it home for the night, be sure you are in a safe and secure environment. Call your local contact or Dickinson faculty member/program assistant immediately and consider getting medical attention. It is completely up to you if you want to report the assault to local law enforcement or college officials. Dickinson College respects your right to decide whether or not to report.

Talking with your on-site staff/faculty director

• Cultural and societal attitudes toward victims and survivors may vary greatly in different countries and parts of the world. The support you receive from local law authorities, university/program staff and others, in addition to the resources available to you, will vary from country to country and program to program. In the United States, for example, if you tell a medical professional that you have been raped, he or she may be legally required to report your name and situation to the police. However, you have the legal right to refuse speaking with the police. Laws in other countries may provide you with more or less decision making power. Therefore, it is important to consult with local staff/faculty abroad and read about your host country’s legal norms regarding sexual harassment and violence.

Reporting to local police

• Whether you decide to report to local authorities or not, it is still a good idea to have a medical exam to see if you were injured and to check for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.. A forensic exam aims to collect evidence from a sexual assault. Evidence can be collected from your body, clothes and other personal belongings. You do not have to report the crime in order to have the examination performed. To prepare for the examination, try to avoid bathing, showering, using the restroom, changing your clothes, combing your hair or general clean up to the area. The examination usually takes a few hours and will vary. You can have someone attend the examination with you, if you want. During the examination, you will receive immediate care, go over your medical history, have a physical examination and discuss follow up care. You can stop, pause or skip any of these steps. A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) will perform the examination. There may be some discomfort associated with the exam, and you should feel free to tell the SANE nurse if you are having any issues with the examination. 
• Be aware, though, that some countries will require the attending physician to alert the police; however, this varies by country. You may receive a physical exam and avoid legal involvement by not disclosing the sexual assault to the medical professionals, if you do not want to report the assault to the police.  If you choose to report to the police, please speak with on-site staff/program faculty director to assist you with this process, if you want. Again, reporting is completely up to you.

Care after sexual assault

• Incidents of sexual harassment or violence affect people differently, therefore, the care that one needs after such an incident varies. You may feel angry, embarrassed, ashamed, scared or guilty. Emotions can occur immediately after the assault, or years later. This is absolutely normal and it is important that you consider your resources for help. Advice from a counselor, support group, and other survivors may help. Dickinson and on-site staff can help provide you with information on professional and legal assistance both in your host country and the United States.
   
• Contacts at Dickinson are as follows:
  • Kat Matic, matick@dickinson.edu – Title IX Coordinator
  • Stephen Winn, winnst@dickinson.edu – Assistant Title IX Coordinator
  • The Center for Global Study and Engagement, global@dickinson.edu
  • Department of Public Safety, 717-245-1111 (emergency line), 717-245-1349

For more information about Dickinson’s Sexual Harassment and Misconduct policy, please visit – https://www.dickinson.edu/titleix.  For information about Dickinson’s Community Standards, visit – https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20273/dean_of_students/867/community_standards. 

General Safety Considerations

• The CDC always encourages travelers and those living in areas effected by mosquito-borne illnesses to practice enhanced precautions and take steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, such as wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants and using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered insect repellents.
   
• Regardless of where you study abroad, vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian laws and norms will be different than in the US. Take time to observe and understand the driving, biking, and pedestrian culture of your host country; do not make assumptions. Use extreme caution if you choose to bike while abroad. The CGSE strongly discourages students from renting and driving a motor vehicle overseas and hitchhiking!

Communication and Staying Informed  

• Keep your cell phone with you, fully charged and turned on at all times with access to data, respond immediately to any calls or messages from staff abroad or the Center for Global Study and Engagement at Dickinson. 

• Enroll in the US Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). You should do this each time you travel to a new destination outside of your main program location.  

• Download the International SOS app to get up to the minute safety and security information for the country/countries you will be visiting. You can always contact International SOS in the event of any emergency as well.  

Crime and Local Laws  

• Every year backpacks are stolen from students who set them down at their feet or sling them over the back of the chair in a café.  Be careful with your belongings because replacing your passport, credit cards, keys, etc., is quite a hassle.  

• When you travel to a foreign country you are subject to its laws and penalties. If you violate a law, the consequences may be more severe than for a comparable offense in the U.S. Lack of familiarity with local laws is not considered an excuse and will not absolve you from prosecution or sentencing. If you are arrested overseas, the U.S. Department of State can provide limited assistance and support. 

• Do not attend any political demonstrations while abroad. As a foreigner, your participation may be illegal and can carry severe consequences. If you know of a scheduled rally or demonstration, avoid the affected area as some peaceful gatherings can turn violent.  

This is not a exhaustive list of considerations. Your on-site staff will provide you with local safety tips and advice during on-site orientation. Please adhere to their guidance and communicate any questions or concerns with them. 

For additional information about Health and Safety Abroad while abroad:

• Centers for Disease Control
• US Department of State