Welcome to campus!

1
Faculty-led Travel Program
Pre-departure Orientation
2
Overview

• This orientation is designed to give you
  important information related to your program,
  but, like any orientation, cannot cover all
  situations that may arise during travel.
• Students are encouraged to take ownership of
  their participation in this program, and do
  independent planning and research to improve
  their own experience.

3
Agenda

• Administrative Overview
• Program and Behavior Expectations
• Health, Safety and Security Abroad
• Creating a Personal Program Plan
• Communication

4
Administrative Information

• Required Forms
• Online application
• Disciplinary release
• Assumption of Risk Release Form
• Medical Authorization form
• Medical Questionnaire
• Emergency contact information
• HTH registration (international programs only!)
• Program specific requirements
• Course registration
• Form to be turned into 214 MMH if not done
  already
• Tuition billed to Bursar account must be paid
  prior to trip

5
Academic Information

• Courses offered in this program
• Register using the Credit Workshop Registration
  form if you have not done so already!
• Meeting schedule
• Syllabus review
• Assignments
• Relationship between program activities and
  course requirements
• Grading

6
Itinerary Overview

• Travel arrangements and dates
• Housing arrangements
• Daily itinerary
• Subject to change?
• Free time
• Dress code for events?
• Note the entire trip is an academic program-
  but there may be structured and unstructured
  (free) program time. Plan your experiences
  accordingly.

7
Program Rules Expectations

• Students are held accountable to the Miami
  Student Code of Conduct through the entire
  program (even free time). Infractions will not
  be tolerated and could result in sanctions up to
  and including removal from the program at student
  expense.
• This is part of the Assumption of Risk and
  Release you signed.
• Program-specific expectations
• Full participation
• Culturally appropriate behavior and dress code
• Buddy system
• Others?

8
Program Rules Expectations

• Local law There are differing standards, both
  for behavior and for operation of the criminal
  justice system and advised that the University
  will not assume responsibility for or resolve
  criminal matters on your behalf.
• You will be subject to the laws or customs of the
  cities and countries and that Miami University is
  not responsible for the violation of any laws by
  the participants and Miami University does not
  assure that U.S. standards of due process apply
  in other countries and that Miami University does
  not provide or pay for legal representation.
• This is part of the Assumption of Risk and
  Release you signed.

9
Program Rules Expectations

• Students are also held accountable to host rules
  and expectations (agreed to with Assumption of
  Risk and Release form)
• Relationships with hosts and host policies
• These relationship are important to the continued
  success of this program. Treat hosts (including
  hotels) with respect.
• Host specific rules students are held
  accountable to these, and could impact Miami
  disciplinary proceedings

10
Drugs and Alcohol

• Miami University does not tolerate unlawful
  possession, use of, or distribution of illegal
  drugs and alcohol by students.
• Students who are of local legal age who choose to
  consume alcohol in a host country, must do so
  responsibly, respecting the health and safety of
  self, others, and the laws of their host country.
  
• Program directors are free to elect to make the
  program alcohol free and to impose a no alcohol
  and/or drugs (e.g., in places where marijuana is
  legal) as a condition of participation in the
  program.
• Agreed to as part of Assumption of Risk and
  Release form.
• Students are encourage to remember that this is a
  STUDY program, and that academics should be
  emphasized throughout program.

11
Supplemental Travel

• All pre-course, supplemental, or post-course
  travel is at the students own risk and is not
  sanctioned, overseen or insured by Miami
  University.
• If you choose to travel before or after the
  program, or on free days, you assume all
  related risk
• Supplemental travel may not interfere with
  program requirements and expectations
• This was agreed to via Assumption of Risk and
  Release form.
• Should you choose to travel on free days
  communicate your travel plans with program
  director

12
Cultural Information

• One of the fundamental aspects of a study
  abroad/away program is cultural interactions and
  insights.
• Students are encouraged to research local
  cultures and customs
• Travel guide books
• http//www.kwintessential.co.uk/
• Other culture guides

13
Local Culture

• Director to provide local cultural insights,
  particularly as they relate to program, such as
  but not limited to
• Dress
• Religion
• Business interactions
• Education
• Greetings
• Meals
• Art, architecture, music

14
Adjusting to the Culture

• Avoid making judgments (Thats a bad way to do
  that) or assumptions, but rather try to
  understand the whys behind actions (including
  your own!)
• Reflect on the experience
• It can be challenging to adjust to local cultures
  this is called culture shock
• Many students experiences this if it affects
  you, please talk about it with other students
  and/or your director

15
Travel Health

• Medical care, including mental health care,
  emergency medical care and medicine may not be as
  available and/or of a quality comparable to that
  available in the United States.
• Miami will seek to accommodate students with
  physical or learning disabilities wherever
  possible, but needs must be coordinated with
  Disability Services and communicated with
  director early.
• Students are strongly encouraged to take
  ownership for their own health
• Talk with family doctor, mental health
  professionals, and/or travel nurse prior to
  departure

16
Travel Health

• Take responsibility
• Students should become informed about their
  health abroad
• Center for Disease Controls Travelers Health -
  http//wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/
• International SOS Country Overview
  www.internationalsos.com

Local Health risks include
17
HTH Insurance (intl prgs)

• All students participating on Miami study abroad
  programs are required to purchase supplemental
  international health, evacuation, accidental
  death, and repatriation insurance (HTH
  insurance).
• When possible, call HTH prior to any medical
  appointment
• Call collect 001-610-254-8771
• HTH can identify partner hospitals nearby, or
  English-speaking doctors
• Can provide liaison between doctors and parents
  if desired
• If needed, keep receipts for treatment and file
  claim for reimbursement

18
International SOS

• All students participating on Miami study abroad
  programs are covered via annual membership
• Use International SOS to
• Find information about health and safety risks
  BEFORE you travel (no cost)
• Is your medication legal where you are traveling?
  (no cost)
• Assist in the event of an emergency, such as
  paying for medical bills, finding quality medical
  care, emergency evacuation for health, safety and
  security reasons (additional cost may be needed)

19
Safety Information

• Miami strives to create a safe environment for
  programs, but there is inherent risk in travel
• Unfamiliar areas or crime culture
• Unfamiliar driving customs
• Difference in building standards
• Location-specific safety information available
  through International SOS and Dept of State
• http//travel.state.gov/

• Local safety risks include

20
Safety Information

• Ways to reduce risk (be proactive!)
• Use local resources i.e., ask hotel concierge
  areas of town to avoid
• Be aware of your surroundings travel in small
  groups
• Pick pockets tend to target tourists do your
  best to avoid looking like one
• Use only sanctioned public transportation
• If you chose to drink, do so responsibly
• If something feels uncomfortable or unsafe,
  respond accordingly
• Register your travel with the US Dept of States
  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program will get
  email alerts about travel warnings / alerts
• If something does happen, report it to your
  director so that other students can be warned as
  well
• Victim privacy will be maintained

21
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

• US Department of State traveler registration
  program http//travel.state.gov/step
• When you sign up, you will automatically receive
  the most current information we compile about the
  country where you will be traveling or living.
  You will also receive updates, including Travel
  Warnings and Travel Alerts (where appropriate).
  You only need to sign up once, and then you can
  add and delete trips from your account based on
  your current travel plans!
• Will also send alerts about planned protests
• DoS is better able to assist in the event of an
  emergency, including a lost passport
• You must sign up for your study abroad program
  and you are strongly encouraged to do so for side
  trips

22
In the Event of an Emergency

• Emergency contact cards are provided please
  fill in with program-specific information
• Use local, on-site resources to assist with
  immediate needs FIRST

23
Harassment, Discrimination and Title IX

• Students are strongly encouraged to immediately
  contact the program director, a staff person
  accompanying the program and/or the Office of
  Equity and Equal Opportunity [phone],
  Kenya Ash, Director (ashkd_at_miamioh.edu) if the
  person believes they are being subjected to
  harassment or discrimination during a travel
  study program.
• Students and employees must be strongly
  encouraged to immediately contact the program
  director, a staff person accompanying the
  program, and/or the Deputy Title IX Coordinator
  for Student Sexual Assault [phone] if the
  person believes they have been the victim of
  rape, sexual assault, domestic or dating
  violence, or stalking.