Printer Friendly Page

Table of Contents
	Health and Safety Resources and Tips for Faculty Trip Leaders     Student Travel Abroad   Student Responsibilities   Student Check List   Faculty/Staff Responsibilities   Faculty/Staff Check List   Institutional Responsibilities     Student Travel Abroad Medical Profile Form Student Travel Abroad Terms & Conditions Form

Health and Safety Resources and Tips For Faculty Trip Leaders

1. Prior to the trip, review the equipment, supplies and skills you need. Consider what emergencies could arise and how you would deal with those situations. Provide your department manager with an itinerary. The American Red Cross has a web site with health and safety tips for hiking safety: http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/tips/hiking.html
   
2. Basic first aid courses and kits--Learn the basics (how to administer first aid, what sort of precautions you should take to protect yourself, and the equipment needed in a basic first aid kit) which are covered in a 4 hour class. Classes are routinely offered by the local Red Cross. See www.redcross.org for local class schedules, first aid kits, and other hiking safety tips. Advanced wilderness first aid training courses (appropriate when trip is more than 2 hours from nearest medical facility) are routinely offered on campus through Outdoor Action. If you are taking students on field trips abroad, review University Health Services TravelSmart WEBSITE . If you have additional questions or would like a customized review of appropriate first aid training, equipment and resources for a student field trip, please contact the Director of University Health Services.
   
3. For any serious medical emergency--after you have ensured that the student is in the care of qualified emergency medical personnel, immediately call the Dean of Students (or Public Safety after hours) and the Clinical Director of University Health Services.
   
4. In the event of a minor injury that has been cared for in the field, please refer all students to follow-up at University Health Services, regardless of how small the injury.

Student Travel Abroad

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for their health and safety while participating in University-sponsored study programs and associated travel in foreign countries.

Student Checklist

1. Educate yourself about the political, geographic and health risks of the region where you will be traveling. Obtain and review the relevant U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories (via internet: http://travel.state.gov). These include Public Announcements, the Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings and Tips for American Students Abroad.  Visit the International SOS website at https://travelassist.princeton.edu/default.aspx
   for additional information.
   
2. Make an appointment with Travel Planning Services at Princeton University Health Services to ensure proper travel immunizations, receive specific information about local health risks and recommended precautions, disclose any health condition which may result in a medical emergency abroad, and obtain adequate medicine for the duration of your trip. Complete Princeton University Health Services Travel Abroad Medical Profile form and give sealed envelope containing the form to trip leader. This envelope will be opened only in a medical emergency.
   
3. If not covered by the University's Student Health Plan, verify that your family health insurance plan covers medical expenses in foreign countries. If it does not, you are required to purchase supplemental health insurance for travel abroad. (There are several low-cost student health insurance products for travel abroad that are recommended by University Health Services.) Review your health plan's claim filing procedures for coverage abroad and make sure you carry your health plan ID card with you.
   
4. Obtain International SOS Card from trip leader or download card from ISOS website:  https://travelassist.princeton.edu/default.aspx
   
   
5. Review and complete terms and conditions agreement. (If under 18, have parent or guardian co-sign.) Click here to view an electronic copy of the terms & conditions agreement.
   
6. Copy important documents, such as your passport, and keep copies separate from originals in case originals are lost.
   
7. Except for emergencies, undergraduate students should not drive cars or motorbikes in foreign countries.
   
8. All students with significant on-going health problems or allergies should obtain and wear a Medic Alert I.D. (1-800-IDAlert).

Faculty/Staff Responsibilities

Faculty/staff are responsible for taking prudent and reasonable steps to ensure that the trip is structured safely, and, during the trip, acting in a reasonable and prudent manner. The University may and can provide indemnification for a faculty/staff member acting within the scope of his or her employment, except for acts of willful misconduct or bad faith. Faculty/staff are responsible, in the event they have knowledge of a medical emergency, for getting the student to an emergency care provider, and, if the student is incapable of providing consent, to make reasonable efforts to contact the person designated as the emergency medical contact. Faculty/staff should also call a University Health Services physician at (609) 258-3141.

Faculty/Staff Checklist
(note some of these tasks may be delegated to departmental staff)

1. All University-sponsored, non-academic undergraduate travel must be approved by the Vice-President for Campus Life.
   
2. Academic departments approve academic travel related to a particular course of study. The department must notify the Dean of the College of any travel plans at least three weeks prior to departure.
   
3. Obtain and review the relevant U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories (via internet: http://travel.state.gov or Dean of College office can provide). These include Public Announcements, the Consular Information Sheets, Travel Information, Tips for American Students Abroad and the ISOS website.  If you are aware of an incident that has the potential to materially affect the safety of students that occurred subsequent to the publication of current US Consular Information Sheet, contact the Office of Risk Management.
   
4. No travel is permitted to countries where the U.S. State Department warns U.S. citizens against travel (via internet: http://travel.state.gov/warnings_list.html).
   
5. If traveling by a foreign airline, verify from US Consular Information Sheet that the foreign airline's aviation standards comply with FAA standards for international air travel. If standards are not in compliance and if it is not feasible to use a different airline, contact the Office of Risk Management.
   
6. Complete Terms and Conditions form (fees and payment section if relevant) and distribute to students. The completed, signed forms should be returned to the appropriate departmental administrator and kept in a secure place for two years.
   
7. Contact Princeton University Health Services at 258-3141 and arrange for a group health briefing (preferred method) or tell students to make appointments at University Health Services. Review PUHS travel web site at http://www.princeton.edu/puhs/TravelSmart/
   
8. Contact Karen Bauer, Office of Risk Management, at 258-3046 to obtain International SOS identification cards for all students.
   
9. Provide an orientation for students traveling abroad, including: (1) a written itinerary; (2) if known, geographic areas to avoid; and (3) copies of U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories and relevant health information (University Health Services can provide).
   
10. Send cover letter with Consular Information Sheets (or comparable information about material environmental, cultural and security issues) with itinerary to parents. If parents call to inquire about the safety of a foreign destination, it is appropriate for the faculty/staff member to state his or her opinion and encourage parents to speak directly with the U.S. Consulate in the foreign country.
    
11. Take sealed envelopes containing copies of emergency medical information from all students.
    
12. Upon arrival at destination, review itinerary with students to reinforce information communicated previously.
    
13. The faculty/staff member should communicate at regular, planned intervals with campus administrators.

Institutional Responsibilities

Trips may be cancelled by the Dean of the College or Vice-President for Campus Life, in consultation with the President, up to the time the students are boarding their flight, if there has been a significant deterioration in the safety and security conditions pertaining to the group's travel arrangements or in the sector of the country or countries where travel is to occur. Examples include acts of war, terrorism, or wide-spread civil unrest; an outbreak of a severe or infectious disease; major disruption of public utilities or services, or natural disasters such as hurricane or flood. The decision to cancel the trip will take into consideration information received by the Office of Risk Management from in-country U.S. Embassy officials, the appropriate U.S. State Department Desk Officer, and other officials from U.S. agencies, NGO's or officials at local colleges and universities. As the University will not be responsible for the financial penalties resulting from trip cancellation, it may be prudent to consider flight insurance.