Office of Study Abroad

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Office of Study Abroad Emergency Preparedness
Response Seminar 2009-2010
For Program Leaders and Assistants
Updated November 2009
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Todays Topics

• OSAs Emergency Preparedness
• Resources and Emergency Preparedness
• Responding to Emergencies
• Questions

France
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Human Resources

• Julie Friend, friendju_at_msu.edu
• 24/7 response
• judicial records
• Amy Fekete, fekete_at_msu.edu
• tech support
• Cindy Chalou, chalouc_at_msu.edu
• students with disabilities
• programs in Africa the middle east

Photo of CFC here
Plus there are other OSA Staff members with
regional expertise http//studyabroad.msu.edu/cont
act/staff.html
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Goals Prevent, Prepare Respond

• Prevent foreseeable harm
• Prepare for conceivable emergencies by providing
  information, tools, and resources
• Respond to needs of parents, students, faculty,
  and staff

Argentina
France
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OSA/MSUs Crisis Preparedness

• OSA always has staff on-call 24/7 to assist with
  emergencies
• MSU has three levels of crisis management,
  depending on the severity of the incident

Post World Cup Finals, Rome
For medical emergencies, we work closely with
both HTH and the University Physician, Dr. Beth
Alexander
Parliament Security Forces, London
Wolong Panda Research Station, Chengdu, China
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OSAs Priorities in a Crisis

• Account for all students, staff and faculty on
  site
• Respond to concerned callers
• Provide MSU President Provost with regular
  updates

Road to Tbilisi, Georgia, 8/08 J. Hudson, NPR

• Assess safety of location for continued program
  presence
• Communicate assessment to faculty/students
• Inform the media

Glasgow Airport 6/07 T. Conroy, BBC
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Leader Resources
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Leader and Student Resource
http//travel.state.gov
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Student Resources
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Student Resource
http//www.studentsabroad.state.gov
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24/7 International Emergency Assistance Line

• To report an emergency or receive immediate
  assistance, call 517-353-3784. This number is
  answered by the Department of Police Public
  Safety.

Important If you dont hear back from us in
within 10-15 minutes call DPPS again! We may
be having trouble reaching you!
517-353-3784
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Advance Planning

• Reduces anxiety of students, parents, and leaders
• Gives all participants some control over their
  safety and well-being
• Facilitates support for program leaders in
  difficult situations

China
Panama
Japan
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Pre-departure Medical Questions

• Do not give medical advice to students instead
  advise students traveling to Australia, Canada,
  Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, or Western Europe
  that they only need a clinical visit if
• they are not up-to-date on their routine
  immunizations and
• they are on prescription medications or
• they have a pre-existing condition.

Panama

• Routine immunizations generally include
• Tetanus-diptheria-pertussis (DTP)
• Hepatitis B
• Polio
• Meningitis
• Chicken pox (Varicella),
• Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
• Influenza

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Pre-departure Vaccinations

• Refer students traveling to Africa, Central/South
  America, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia to
• CDC web site
• www.cdc.gov/travel
• Travel Clinic
• personal physician

Kenya
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Health Review by Travel Clinic

• Many students do not disclose pre-existing
  conditions
• They fear this information will impact their
  admission
• Encourage students to disclose any medical
  conditions that might be important for you to
  know about (such as insect or food allergies)
• Some medical conditions may qualify as
  disabilities and many disabilities are invisible
• OSA seeks to accommodate students with
  disabilities planning to study abroad

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HTH Accident Sickness Policy

• Covers emergency treatment, evacuation, and
  repatriation for students, program leaders, and
  assistants
• For HTH to coordinate direct payment with the
  local hospital, they must be notified ASAP
• Call HTH for 24/7 Emergency Assistance at
  610-254-8771, or OSA at 517-353-3784

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HTH Referrals and Support

• Dentists
• Doctors
• Hospitals
• Translation

For non-emergency medical care, students should
be prepared to pay for treatment, but have them
save all receipts Upon return to the US they can
seek full reimbursement
http// www.hthstudents.com
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HTH Policy Exclusions

• HTH has reserved the right to exclude coverage
  for accidents or injuries that result from
  participating in ultra-hazardous activities,
  which are defined as

• Bungee jumping
• Parachuting
• Hang gliding

Australia
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Applicable Laws and Policies

• FERPA/HIPAA
• Protect students medical privacy
• Privacy exceptions exist for emergencies
• Title IX Prohibition Against Sex Discrimination
• Must address and remedy
• Protect self from potential retaliation claims

England

Korea
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Pre-departure Preparation

• Provide OSA with student and leader contact
  information in a timely fashion
• Enforce expectation to participate in OSAs
  on-line Angel orientation
• Remind students to read and pack their student
  handbook
• Remind students to be on the look-out for HTH
  insurance documents

Argentina
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Cell Phone Information

• Read cell phone policy
• Budget for cell phone
• Arrange for phone in advance
• Learn to use voice mail

Julie taking an Emergency Call in London
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Emergency Communication

• Make the information easy to read and follow

May 20-27 Tokyo Hotel Asia Center of
Japan 8-10-32 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
JAPAN Phone [phone] Fax
011-81-334-02-0738
May 16-30 London Generator Hostel London Compton
Place (off 37 Tavistock Place) London WC1H 9SE,
UK Phone [phone]
May 11-June 23 Dhaka ACI Baobab Center Villa
509, Sicap Baobab, BP 5270 Dakar Fann
SENEGAL Tel [phone] Fax
011-221-824-07-41 Email kgiuliano_at_acibaobab.org
Record the phone numbers as if you were dialing
from the States, and include the 011
international dialing code
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Immediately Upon Arrival

• ACTIVATE CELL PHONE
• Notify OSA immediately of no-shows
• Call DPPS if OSA does not already have your
  number
• Refrain from turning off your phone for long
  periods of time
• Share your number with your students and on-site
  colleagues

India
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On-site Orientation/First Class

• Record emergency information
• Advise students of known risks
• Obtain student cell phone numbers
• Create a communications tree
• Implement the buddy system
• Advise students to never leave residence w/o
  money or ID
• Discuss your Emergency Action Plan(s)

Tanzania
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Emergency Action Plan

• Instruct all students to read Health and Safety
  section of the student handbook
• Discuss the potential crises that could occur in
  your area
• Agree on when and how to check in

• Designate a primary and secondary meeting place
• Report status to OSA
• Require students to check-in with home
• Designate a student leader in case the program
  leader is incapacitated or unavailable
• If you are the only leader, please identify an
  on-site contact person for OSA before departure

Floor Markers for Evacuation in Ecuador
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Water Safety
Midwest students are generally naive about
ocean currents, rip tides, and undertows, so they
are at greater risk

• If swimming is a part of your program
• Be certain of students swimming abilities
• Be certain of the locations where youll be
  swimming

• If students intend to swim in their free time
• Students can do whatever they want during their
  free time
• If there are locations you dont recommend
  students go, say so
• If the students still go to these locations, at
  least they were informed

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Responding to Emergencies

• Seek appropriate medical care (medical emergency)
  or safe location.
• Notify MSU/OSA of your location and status.
• Call OSA at 517-353-8920 (during business hours)
  or DPPS at 517-353-3784 (24/7).
• OSA will notify HTH of a medical emergency and
  facilitate communications with MSU officials as
  well as the students emergency contacts.
• OSA will notify the State Department regarding a
  safety emergency.
• Wait for further instructions from OSA/MSU.
• Communicate MSU instructions/information to
  students.
• Maintain communications with OSA/MSU.

Although e-mail may be the best form of
communication, where cell service is unreliable,
please DO NOT inform us of a crisis via e-mail.
CALL. If necessary, e-mail us at
studyabroad_at_osa.msu.edu or friendju_at_msu.edu
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What is an incident?

• ANY HOSPITALIZATION no matter how brief. OSA
  is required to report hospitalizations abroad to
  the ISP Dean (only the incident, not the
  identity).

• Rape or sexual assault
• Severe food poisoning or allergic reaction
• Anything of a psychiatric nature
• Any incident involving injuries (bar fights,
  sports/leisure accidents, slip-n-falls, etc.)
• Natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes)
• Terrorist attacks
• Victims of crime
• Civil unrest
• Outbreak of war

Italy
Anything newsworthy regardless of its impact on
students or programs
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Parental Contact General Rule

• Faculty leaders should not make direct, initial
  contact with family members without a students
  permission
• The student should communicate with their parents
  about a critical incident

• Do not presume that the students parents are the
  listed emergency contact

How tough are MSU students? This one had her foot
run over by a car in France, but refused to go
home!
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Parental Contact Exception

• OSA may choose, in consultation with others,
  to inform emergency contacts about a potential
  emergency abroad without the students express
  permission, when

• The student is unable to speak for themselves
• The student has been missing for more than 24
  hours
• The student is perceived to be a danger to
  himself or others and/or
• When a significant health, safety or security
  incident affecting the entire program has
  occurred abroad, or to provide information or
  updates.

South Africa
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Discipline Problems

• Read faculty handbook
• Keep us informed we can assist with assessment
  and response
• Egregious violations allow for immediate
  dismissal
• Other violations require more due process
• 1st Oral Warning (and e-mail OSA)
• 2nd Written Warning
• 3rd Dismissal

Greece
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Discipline Problems

• When you give an oral warning be specific
• Identify the unacceptable behavior
• Tell student to stop such behavior
• Offer consequences for disobedience
• Inform OSA

• OSA can guide you through the process and provide
  template warning letters

Switzerland
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Mental Health Study Abroad

• The Counseling Center reports that more students
  are coming to college with mental health
  conditions
• If you have a student whose behavior leads you to
  believe he may have a mental health condition,
  resist the urge to diagnose.
• Instead, focus on disruptive or harmful
  behaviors, and their impact on the learning
  environment
• Ask students to report if peers behaviors are
  hampering their ability to learn or enjoy the
  program

http//counseling.msu.edu/forms/faculty_staffguid
e.pdf
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Warning Signs

• Abrupt/radical changes in behavior
• Isolation from others
• Poor attendance in classes
• Sudden outbursts of anger
• Alcohol/drug abuse
• Marked change in personal hygiene/appearance
• Inappropriate crying
• Bizarre statements/behavior
• Suicidal statements

MSU Counseling Center [phone] or
Counseling_at_cc.msu.edu
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Personal Liability

• All MSU employees are covered for workers'
  compensation benefits through MSU's
  self-insurance program
• MSU employees are covered for acts within the
  scope of employment performed on behalf of the
  University

OSAs Cindy Chalou, South Africa
LBCs Jerry Urquhart, Nicaragua
Faculty and staff are expected to respond to
emergencies with reasonableness and good faith
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Want More?
A 13-Question Self-Quiz is available Go
to the Faculty Web Site and click on Emergency
Seminar Information
http//studyabroad.msu.edu/people/faculty.html
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Upon Return Talk to US
We improve our services by analyzing past
problems and OSAs overall ability to mitigate
risk and respond to emergencies
Julie Friend, friendju_at_msu.edu Cindy Chalou,
chalouc_at_msu.edu Amy Fekete, fekete_at_msu.edu