Health & Safety

Health & Safety Abroad

Your safety abroad starts with your own honest assessment of your health and safety needs, and careful consideration of the political situation and living conditions in your prospective host country.

• Because students have varying levels of previous experience and comfort with difference, the College believes that it is your responsibility to research the areas in which you are interested and to determine where you would feel comfortable and safe. We have identified some resources to help you locate country- or region-specific information; individual study abroad program sponsors can provide site-specific information and advice. The staff in the McCulloch Center can also help you gather and evaluate information, but the final decision about whether and where to travel is, of course, your own.  Note that for summer internships and research, projects in countries assigned a travel warning by the U.S. Department of State are not eligible for Lynk-UAF funding.     

• If you have a chronic or recurring health condition (including a learning disability or other condition for which you receive accommodations here), discuss your needs in advance with your health care providers, your family, the staff in the McCulloch Center, Disability Services, and potential host programs/universities. Not all locations will be able to accommodate all needs, and you should take local conditions into account before deciding where to travel.

• If you take medication, research how you will obtain it abroad.  In many cases, the MHC Health Center or your health care provider can help you obtain a supply sufficient for your stay.  However, some countries have restrictions on what medications can be brought into the country, and some common medications here are not permitted in some places.  Talk with your health care provider, talk to programs, check with AIG Travel Guard, and check the Students Abroad section of the U.S. State Department website for information.

• For detailed information and resources about health and safety, see the McCulloch Center's Study Abroad Moodle site (log in to Moodle, click on Study Abroad under "Miscellaneous," and self-enroll.)

Public Health & Geopolitical Conditions Impacting Study Abroad 

The McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives (MCGI) staff, along with the College's Travel Emergency Response Team, monitor updates from a variety of sources on the ever evolving nature of the public health and geopolitical conditions that could have implications for student health, safety, and security. These sources include 5 College Risk Management as well the U.S. Department of State and CDC advice in conjunction with a vast array of reputable and objective sources, as well as input from our study abroad partners and universities. We carefully consider the health and safety conditions and any travel restrictions in locations for our approved study abroad locations. Students should be prepared for the potential for changes to course delivery methods, excursions/field trips, and the ability to travel outside of the host city/country at any time while abroad should conditions change.

We appreciate that this can be a difficult and unsettling time to be abroad. Our partner programs and universities abroad have years of experience dealing with geopolitical, environmental and other issues that have the potential to impact the health and safety of study abroad students. Their knowledge of local conditions and resources are crucial at moments like this. Students are advised to:

• Carefully review the information in the Study Abroad Moodle

• Pay special attention to what your program is advising you in terms of travel

• Avoid areas of protest

• Be mindful of independent travel

• Sign up for STEP notifications

• Contact your program for referrals to health and well-being support services