Safety Protocols

The IFP sites can be challenging for students. With those challenges come certain risks, the most serious of which is a potential personal danger to students. The IFP has experienced student illness, theft, mugging, and other forms of violence. In a small number of cases, we have had students leave their IFP for personal or health reasons. Though we have not had a major incident that required serious intervention, we must anticipate and plan for such an event.

To view the 2022 IFP Security Meeting presentation, please click here. The 2023 Security Meeting will be scheduled later. We will add the link to the presentation after the meeting.

Emergencies

The types of emergencies that might require a student to evacuate include:

• Accident and injury

• Illness

• Personal or psychological problems

• Family emergency

• Physical or sexual assault

• Natural disasters or environmental catastrophes

• Pandemic

• Political and/or civil unrest

• Terrorist attacks

Each country’s faculty supervisor bears primary responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of all students, as well as monitoring security and deciding when a situation requires action. During spring semester, IFP faculty will compose a risk assessment of anticipated hazards and implement any necessary safeguards upon arrival.

The risk assessment will include:

• Country’s recent history and potential hazards and emergencies, including natural disasters, environmental hazards and pollution, health or disease risks, crime, socio-political unrest, and terrorist threats

• Potential turmoil around scheduled events, such as elections

• Host country laws and regulations that should be highlighted, concerning illegal substance use/abuse, political activism by foreigners, photography, etc.

Prior to departure, your faculty supervisor will hold an IFP site-specific meeting to review and discuss:

• IFP emergency contact list

• New School university mental health resources

• Online embassy registration process and in-country location

• On-site medical office and emergency meeting place

• Potential evacuation plans, including pre-arranged meeting place

• Determine emergency and travel "buddy" as part of a safety communications measure who will be responsible for knowing your whereabouts and vice versa

• If the faculty supervisor travels outside of the IFP site, students should be aware of such plans and informed of alternate in-country contact

• If you travel during the program you must fill out a travel log form with a copy of itinerary for IFP faculty

Emergency Resources for IFP Students

International 911 List for 24/7 emergencies

On Call International for 24/7 emergencies: If you need Medical, Security or Travel assistance, regardless of the nature or severity of your situation, contact the On Call Global Response Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

• Call collect from anywhere in the world: +1 603-952-2072

• Call toll free from US or Canada: 1-888-699-0413

• Email: mail@oncallinternational.com

The latest On Call coverage information can be found here:

• On Call ID Card and Program Summary

• On Call Full Program Description

Airport Pickup

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, faculty will arrange for you to be picked up at the airport upon arrival. Make sure you have your emergency contact list available during travel. In the case that no one is there to pick you up when you arrive, call your faculty supervisor. If you do not have a cell phone, borrow one or ask someone to dial a number for you. If you are really stuck, take an official taxi to a hotel. If arriving at night, have some cash. If possible, exchange a small amount into local currency before departure.

Deteriorating Security or an Incident

In the event of deteriorating security or an incident, the faculty supervisor should undertake the following steps:

• Immediately contact all students to keep them apprised of the latest developments and program changes as they arise.

• Evaluate immediate danger to students, considering event proximity and general threat level to foreigners, particular nationalities, an innocent bystander.

• Determine if work projects and other IFP events, or the IFP itself, should be modified.

• Determine specific activities that may make students safer, and decide whether the internship or class attendance is advisable during a period of strikes, demonstrations, or unrest.

• Determine if certain streets, neighborhoods, cities, or entire regions should be avoided.

• The faculty supervisor must require students to inform them of their whereabouts at all times.

Core International Affairs Security and Emergency Response Team:

IFP Director Fabiola Berdiel

International Affairs Director Peter Hoffman

International Affairs Assistant Director Phil Akre

This team will manage any incident or potential threats and may recommend procedures and safety measures that may include curtailing or suspending activity, or canceling an IFP. In the event of a more serious threat or situation, this core Security and Emergency Response Team will consult upper-level university administration. University Health Services Assistant Vice President for Student Health & Support Services Tracy Robin is also available as needed for consultation.

In event of a security incident, the International Affairs Security Team will:

• Establish communication with the faculty supervisor.

• Evaluate the faculty supervisor report on the immediate danger to students.

• Evaluate the faculty supervisor report on whether IFP activity should be modified.

• Communicate International Affairs Security Team findings to the faculty supervisor, and come to an agreement on any actions.

• Communicate with IFP students on the faculty supervisor/Security Team findings and action.

Embassies

All IFP participants are required to register with their Embassy, and during the first week on the site should visit their Embassy to re-register in-person.

U.S. citizens may enroll in the State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a warden network in case of emergency. You will then receive Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and other updates. In addition, individual embassies have additional procedures according to their countries’ security situation. For example, the Beirut U.S. Embassy offers an additional registration procedure.

Evacuation and/or IFP Cancellation

If a crisis develops, and the Faculty Supervisor and International Affairs judge that the nature of the situation requires withdrawal or evacuation, an appropriate method to complete credits will be implemented, such as finishing research in a different locale.

Responsibilities of Students

While it is your faculty supervisor's responsibility to keep you safe, you ultimately bear significant responsibility for your own safety. If in the judgment of the Faculty Supervisor, a student is putting themselves and/or the group in jeopardy, they can be expelled from the IFP. Such cases may involve:

• Not adhering to Faculty or program directives regarding security and safety

• Taking personal risks that compromise their safety

• Student physical or mental health has reached the point that they should return home

During time in-country, students must:

• Follow all safety and security instructions of Faculty Supervisor. Failure to do so could result in expulsion from the IFP

• Follow procedures stipulated in Security and Emergency Response Plan

• Keep the faculty supervisor informed of their whereabouts, including supplying the faculty supervisor with an itinerary for any out-of-site travel

• Stay in touch with other students and use a buddy system

Use the same common sense you use in NYC, and avoid dangerous or risky situations. Try not to travel alone at night. Try to seem purposeful when you move about. If you are lost, act as if you know where you are going. Only take taxis clearly identified with official markings. Beware of unmarked cabs. If robbed, do not fight back – give up your valuables.

In many countries, you can be detained for photographing security-related institutions – police, military installations, government buildings, border areas, transportation facilities. If in doubt, ask permission before taking photographs.

Parents

Our IFP sites can also be “challenging” to our parents’ peace of mind, and this summer may be stressful for your parents, particularly if your country is in the headlines. While we are sensitive to parental concern, we maintain a policy of dealing with you as adults, and therefore will not engage in parent-student discussion (or arguments) about leaving a site.

Contact Information

IFP Director: Fabiola Berdiel, fabiola@newschool.edu

International Affairs Director Peter Hoffman, hoffmanp@newschool.edu

International Affairs Associate Director Phil Akre, akrep@newschool.edu

You should feel free to contact Fabiola Berdiel at any time, with any concerns.

In case of emergency contact the local 911 line, On Call International (call collect from anywhere in the world: +1 603-952-2072), and your faculty supervisor or host institution, in that order.

In IFP history, personal and health problems, and security incidents have been few and far between. Though we must plan for the worst, we fully anticipate a healthy, smooth, successful, productive and rewarding summer experience.