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International Travel Safety

 

Health	Emergency Medical Assistance
Safety and Security	Trip Planning
Pre-Departure	Trip Management (for faculty)
Travel Registry	ITART

HEALTH
 

Health Insurance while abroad
Students must be covered by an active health insurance policy throughout their semester or year before and any periods of travel before or after. 

As registered Cornell students while studying abroad, students must have coverage that meets the following criteria:

1. Provide coverage for medically necessary care (NOT just emergency care) while abroad
2. Cover pre-existing conditions
3. cover you in your host country and during your travels while you are abroad
4. Have a maximum benefit of at least $500,000 per year
5. Have coverage when you return from study abroad that will cover any condition contracted abroad
6. Provide inpatient and outpatient mental health coverage

Students must submit their insurance information to Cornell Abroad in an on-line questionnaire which is part of the pre-departure phase of their application.  Student who have SHIP (see below) need only identify their enrollment.

Students enrolled on the Cornell Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) are covered outside the United States at the level required.  Please note that like most policies, SHIP reimburses students up to a percentage of the total cost of approved health care expenses.  Students will be expected to pay any up-front costs.

If you are covered by a policy other than SHIP, make sure that the level of coverage does not decrease when you are overseas.  If so, find out whether you can obtain a rider to attain the necessary level of coverage.  If this is not possible, you can get SHIP for the year (simply do not submit a waiver in the summer) or you can obtain SHIP in the spring, by indicating your need to add this coverage on the Medical & Accident Insurance form and by completing an additional insurance form that will be provided by Cornell Abroad.  Please note that once you sign up for SHIP, you cannot waive or drop the policy.

Study Abroad programs may provide or require their own insurance coverage.  In most cases this coverage does NOT meet Cornell's requirements.  It is not unusual for a student to be covered by two or three policies while abroad.

Cornell University provides Cornell Abroad students with Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance through FrontierMEDEX  (see "Safety & Security").  This is not regular medical insurance, but is an important supplement. 

For more information see:
Student Handbook
Parent Essentials




EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
 

Cornell faculty, students, and staff are covered by FrontierMEDEX when traveling abroad on university business. MEDEX provides emergency evacuation assistance, medical referrals worldwide,  and travel-related assistance in emergency situations. All Cornell Abroad students are covered by this emergency medical and travel assistance program from the first day of the month that their program starts until the last day of the month in which their program ends.  Students may purchase additional coverage if they plan to stay abroad longer. 

Click here to access Cornell's portal for FrontierMEDEX.  Your Cornell Net ID is required. Print a card with the Cornell ID# or to access valuable health, safety, and security information for each country in the world.


IN A MEDICAL EMERGENCY:

1. Seek care immediately
2. Call MEDEX collect at 410-453-6330. Provide the Cornell ID number located on the MEDEX ID card (see above)
3. MEDEX will evaluate the situation and will assist you. MEDEX will alert Cornell university
    

Use the following links to learn more about safety and security abroad.

U.S. Department of State: Offers a consular information web page site for every country in the world and current travel warnings. Also a great resource for international educational and cultural affairs, including information about living abroad.

Country-Specific Information
U.S. Travel Warnings
U. S. Travel Alerts (Short-term conditions)

As you plan your travel to study abroad, follow health recommendations offered by Cornell University's Gannett Health Services Travel Clinic.  The Travel Clinic can provide immunizations (you should schedule these in advance) along with advice and suggestions targeted for your program's location.

For information about the flu in the country in which you are planning to study or any other health-related concerns, check  the World Health Organization.

CDC Travel Health Tips:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a site specifically for study abroad students focusing on health matters.
 

Student Handbook Your student handbook is an important reference regarding safety and security issues. Refer to it to answer questions regarding passports, visas, personal safety and more.

 

In an EMERGENCY involving a student abroad, please contact the Cornell Police 607-255-1111 and they will alert one of our staff.

SAFETY AND SECURITY


Your safety is the most important aspect of your experience abroad. These links provide usual information on the subject of safety and security as does the pre-departure orientation video. If you have any questions regarding your safety for international travel please contact the Coordinator of Travel Safety, Alexis E Santí at aes357@cornell.edu

Tips for Student Travelers: An excellent website from the Department of State designed specifically for students who plan to travel and/or study abroad. Among other things, the site includes information about safety abroad and medical insurance for traveling abroad.

A Primer on Situational Awareness: A great article on the varying degrees of awareness and understanding of safety and security while traveling abroad. 

Cultural, Health and Safety Advice for Women: Tips on the different experiences that women may encounter when traveling abroad. 

The World at Your Fingertips: Safety Issues: A helpful website in considering safety issues abroad by the Center for International Education at the University of California, Irvine.

TRIP PLANNING

Faculty Leaders have a complex task in managing a different sort of experience while abroad. Coordinator of Travel Safety, Alexis Santí is always available to support trip planning and management issues. (email link)


International Travel Planning Resources

Look here for a checklist for travel planning, information about registering your travel, and information for parents of student travelers. Registration is required for Cornell travel but this information may be used for educational purposes for non-Cornell travel abroad.

Trip Leader Checklist for Travel Abroad

Proper pre-planning, preparedness during the trip, and post-travel assessment is key to a safe and successful travel experience. We have created a checklist to guide.

Download the complete checklist here...

Satellite Phones 

Some programs may need to have additional support in country and communication devices which are usable in all locations. 

The Cornell Satellite phone vendor is:

Rick Vernetti,
L-3 Global Communications Solutions (GCS)
Voice: (585) 742-9173
Fax: (585) 742-1914
Email:  rick.vernetti@l-3com.com
www.globalcoms.com
www.sat1usa.com
 

Local cell phone providers can support your trip plans by purchasing the equivalent of TRAC phones in country.
To use your cell phone abroad international calling plans must be in place and international rates will apply (expensive). 
Some cell phone providers in the United States provide services to unlock or purchase unlocked cell phones. When arriving in country you will need to purchase a SIM card with a certain amount of credit on it to access a foreign cell provider. 

Student Planning

The U.S. State Department's "How to Have a Safe Trip" contains valuable information to consider before traveling abroad. This is online at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html . You can also check their "Plan Your Trip" page at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/plan/plan_1169.html.

Expect the Unexpected

Even the best laid plans can go awry. That is why we urge to you develop alternative plans in case things take an unexpected turn. Please refer to the "Crisis Management Planning" section of the Travel Planning Checklist for some ideas of the kinds of situations that might arise.

Parents of Student Travelers

Cornell understands and appreciates the concern of parents when their children are traveling abroad. This suggests steps that can be taken to alleviate questions and concerns parents may experience while their students are away.

§ Ask your child to give you a copy of their complete trip itinerary including emergency contact information and contact information for the supervising faculty member and/or local contact.

§ Be sure you understand when and how your child will communicate with you as communication may be restricted in certain areas.

§ Talk to your child to discuss pre-departure preparations and risks.

§ Express to them any concerns you may have.

§ Understand FERPA restrictions.

PRE-DEPARTURE

The CUAbroad home grown pre-departure video.






TRIP MANAGEMENT

Faculty Leaders have a complex task in managing a different sort of experience while abroad. Coordinator of Travel Safety, Alexis Santí is always available to support trip planning and management issues. 





TRAVEL REGISTRY

In the spring of 2013 Cornell University's International Travel Registry launched. Here are some main points about the system.

All international travel is documented online in one of three ways for students:

• International Travel Registry. (link)
• The ITART review process. (link)
• Using StudioAbroad (link) as part of an international application. (Global Health,IARD, Cornell Commitments, CIIFAD, etc..)

• All students are required to register
  • All undergraduate and graduate students are required to register their travel.
  • Starting this Spring graduate students at Cornell University are asked to register their travel and submit their travel plans to ITART review countries.

• The process has gotten simpler
  • The travel registry system has taken all of the forms that used to be asked from your students in a paper based system and put them online. That means your hold harmless forms, medical insurance information, etc. are now part of the travel registry.
  • We do ask that all students fill out an emergency protocol and procedures form (pdf), watch the pre-departure online video (link) and register their trip with the STEP program (link) and work with the Gannett Health clinic to determine their but these are not "managed" by Cornell University.

• We're reviewing the travel that should be reviewed
  • Previous to the travel registry all students who traveled without faculty or staff were asked to submit their travel plans to ITART for review, no matter the location. This has changed. At this time, ITART will only review countries that are designated as "high-risk" countries by FrontierMEDEX. (link)

• Press packet
  • We've created an area online that allows you to download our press packet (link), including press release and article from the Cornell Chronicle (link) and an article in the Cornell Daily Sun (link). 

• Online videos
  • A pre-departure orientation video that serves all students (link)
  • Trip planning and orientation for faculty and staff members (link)

• Additional features coming
  • This summer the travel registry will be enhanced to include two valuable features:
    • A group upload feature that will allow trip leaders and administrators a process to upload all students traveling at once into the system.
    • A proxy registration that will allow a designated administrator to register someone who cannot do so themselves.

• How to register (online video)

ITART

 

Cornell's International Travel Advisory and Response Team (ITART) has two main functions; first, to advise travelers and consider requests for exceptions to the International Travel Policy prior to international travel (see ITART Pre-Approval Application ); second to respond, in conjunction with Cornell's vendor, to international emergency services.
 

If you are traveling abroad through CornellAbroad you do not need to fill out an ITART request form at this time.
 

ITART Warning Pre-Approval

The chart below provides an at-a-glance view of which travelers and what type of travel requires ITART pre-approval for travel to travel warning countries.  

Traveler	Cornell Travel	Cornell-Facilitated Travel	Non-Cornell Travel
Undergraduate Student	Travel requires ITART approval.	Travel/Funding requires ITART approval.	Cornell does not regulate this travel but funding is not allowed.
Graduate Student	Travel requires ITART approval.	Travel requires ITART approval.	Cornell does not regulate this travel but funding is not allowed.
Faculty/Staff	Travel is strongly discouraged if other viable options are available.	Travel is strongly discouraged if other viable options are available.	Travel is strongly discouraged if other viable options are available.
Alumni or the Public	Travel requires ITART approval.	Travel requires ITART approval.	N/A

 
If possible and necessary, the Director of Risk Management and Insurance, a member of the ITART, will take the lead role to support and assist faculty, staff, and students when they are faced with emergencies while traveling or in residence abroad. Emergencies may include outbreaks of violence, political unrest, or medical emergencies. The team may be called upon to convene by phone, e-mail, or in person. Other support services are available on campus to support travelers when they return or to support ITART as necessary. These services include: Counseling Services, Medical Services, Student health insurance services, and Crisis Management Services. The Director of Risk Management and Insurance, or his/her designated alternate, may proceed as follows when a situation arises abroad requiring his/her attention:

The members of the International Travel Advisory and Response Team include:

 

• Vice Provost for International Relations, Chair
• Director of Risk Management and Insurance, point person for emergency situations abroad
• University Counsel
• Dean of Students
• Director of Cornell Abroad
• Coordinator of Travel Safety (non-voting member)

To fill out an ITART request please follow the following link here (ITART Application process).