Travel Advisories
The Alamo Community Colleges District complies with best practices outlined by NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad. The Forum on Education Abroad has also published detailed data on the safety of Study Abroad Programs for U.S. participants.
Students traveling abroad will participate in a Mandatory Risk Management Orientation through which information regarding safety and appropriate safety measures is provided. All participants will receive orientation materials that may be used for reference before, during, and after international travel. All students will be instructed to adhere to specific safety guidelines as appropriate while traveling. The Office reserves the right to cancel or stay travel and/or programs in countries where a Travel Advisory becomes a “Reconsider Travel” or a “Do Not Travel” level.
We recommend students to check the travel advisory periodically while abroad. Certain situations may change the advisory level from a level one to a level three or four. To check the travel advisories at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Please take note of the emergency hotline number for your destination country by referring to this list of Emergency Numbers Abroad as it will not be 911 everywhere.
The Alamo Community Colleges District Office of International Programs will follow the Emergency Plan discussed during the Mandatory Risk Management Orientation should any emergency arises.
Conditions Requiring Crisis Management
Conditions requiring crisis management regarding staff, students, and/or faculty program leaders traveling abroad, as well as international students enrolled in the Alamo Community Colleges District, include but are not limited to the following:
Course of Action
Students traveling abroad will participate in a Mandatory Risk Management Orientation through which information regarding safety and appropriate safety measures is provided. All participants will receive orientation materials that may be used for reference before, during, and after international travel. All students will be instructed to adhere to specific safety guidelines as appropriate while traveling. The Office reserves the right to cancel or stay travel and/or programs in countries where a Travel Advisory becomes a “Reconsider Travel” or a “Do Not Travel” level.
We recommend students to check the travel advisory periodically while abroad. Certain situations may change the advisory level from a level one to a level three or four. To check the travel advisories at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Please take note of the emergency hotline number for your destination country by referring to this list of Emergency Numbers Abroad as it will not be 911 everywhere.
The Alamo Community Colleges District Office of International Programs will follow the Emergency Plan discussed during the Mandatory Risk Management Orientation should any emergency arises.
Conditions Requiring Crisis Management
Conditions requiring crisis management regarding staff, students, and/or faculty program leaders traveling abroad, as well as international students enrolled in the Alamo Community Colleges District, include but are not limited to the following:
- Serious illness, injury, or death of a student or the faculty leader
- Emotional or psychological stress of a student or the faculty leader
- A participant (student or faculty) is the victim of a crime (theft, assault, rape, etc.) or is accused of committing a crime
- A participant (student or faculty) is missing or cannot be located
- An in-country situation arises that is cause for concern (political uprising, terrorism attack, natural disaster, evacuation, etc.)
- Personal conduct issues defined at the discretion of the faculty leader or the Executive Director of International Programs
- Death or serious illness of a family member of a program participant
- Any other situation, either US domestic or foreign, that could warrant concern
- Action Steps in the Event of Crisis
- In the event of an emergency, it is the priority of the Office and the Alamo Community Colleges District to promptly and effectively resolve the matter by providing accurate information, instruction, and assistance to students, faculty, and/or staff to ensure their safety and well-being
Course of Action
- Actions may vary depend on the situation.
- On-site personnel (faculty leader, host country participant, student) contact the Executive Director of the District Office of International Programs.
- Contact of appropriate in-country authority by faculty leader (police, U.S. Embassy, medical personnel)
- Contact of District Executive Director of International Programs by faculty leader
- Contact of participant’s emergency contact person(s) by District Executive Director
- Contact of appropriate Alamo Community Colleges District Crisis Management Team members by District Executive Director
- Relay of appropriate information for action to onsite faculty leader by District Executive Director
- Travel to location by appropriate Alamo Community Colleges District staff
- Travel to location by appropriate emergency contact person (if required)