As thousands of college students prepare to head overseas in the coming academic year, it is important for students and parents to do their homework on study abroad programs and their level of preparedness with respect to student health, safety, security and crisis management, according to IES Abroad.IES program enrollment has increased more than 200 percent in the last decade, said William P. Hoye, Executive V.P. and Chief Operating Officer of IES Abroad. “Students are traveling to more remote destinations with limited infrastructure, some in the developing world and some in countries undergoing political or social change, making advanced research and planning all the more important.Hoye said students who are considering applying for study abroad programs, as well as their parents, should ask 10 important health and safety questions before they enroll:
1. A track record of success – Select a well-established program sponsor with years of experience and a solid reputation. Examine the program’s literature and ask about its history, seeking evidence of strong local contacts and good relations in foreign locations. Ask to speak with recent program participants about their experience on the program. Be sure the program provider has a comprehensive set of standards for all of its programs, such as the IES Model Assessment Program©. These standards should apply to all aspects of the program, not just the academic portion.
2. Orientations Look for programs that begin with thorough pre-departure materials and strong on-site student orientation programs, especially with respect to student health, safety, security, crime and other risk issues in the country of travel. Does the program have a comprehensive evaluation system in place in order to identify potential safety issues and make improvements? Does the program sponsor conduct risk assessments of each program site? Is there a local crisis management plan that addresses risks unique to the venue (e.g., volcanoes, earthquakes, local health risks) and spells out the organizational response to them? The answers to these questions can help you determine how well a program prepares its participants and responds to student concerns.
3. International insurance coverage. Ask whether the program includes or offers adequate insurance coverage, including health insurance that will provide coverage abroad (many U.S. policies do not), worldwide medical assistance coverage (including 24/7 access to medical professionals and counselors who speak the local language), and evacuation coverage for medical and other types of emergencies.
4. Well-trained overseas staff. Expect program staff to be well-trained and knowledgeable of emergency procedures, the provider’s policies related to student health and safety, oversight of medical emergencies, emergency incident reporting and who to contact in a crisis or emergency.
5. Cultural integration – Select a program that immerses students in local cultures (as opposed to merely creating islands of American students), encourages inter-cultural competency and focuses on language immersion where appropriate, providing opportunities for students to regularly interact with foreign students, faculty and locals. Knowing the area, its history, its culture and its people can go a long way toward helping you make smarter decisions concerning your health and safety.
6. Quality student housing Ask about student residence and home stay standards to be sure the program offers convenient and accessible housing that is well located in reasonably safe areas.
7. Housing safety precautions – Ask about the presence of fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in dorms and home stays (these are not common in many parts of the world). Is the student housing periodically inspected for compliance with local fire, building and safety codes, as well as the presence of unreasonably dangerous conditions or hidden defects? Are such conditions or defects promptly corrected when identified?
8. Home-stay screenings – If opting for a home stay, ask about the screening criteria used for selecting host families, including who does the screening, what criteria are used and what happens when problems with host family members arise.
9. Well-established protocols – Make sure the program has clear, written crisis management and emergency evacuation plans in place, as well as a regularly drilled and tested system for promptly reaching students and their emergency contacts in a crisis. Since these plans are rarely published, ask about their availability and review them. Similar protocols should exist for day to day health and student conduct matters that occur on all programs.
10. Assessing and Managing Risk - Ask whether the program sponsor conducts periodic risk assessments of its programs. If so, what are the steps involved in the process, how often are risk assessments conducted and by whom? Are problems identified on risk assessments quickly rectified?
IES Abroad, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2010, is a global, not-for-profit academic consortium offering study abroad programs to more than 5,400 US college students each year who participate in 92 programs at 32 international locations. IES Abroad offers programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and South America.
Source: http://ejogi.blogspot.com/2010/08/college-students-are-choosing-to-study.html
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