The safety and security of IU students abroad is of the utmost importance to Indiana University. Due to this, IU Education Abroad regularly monitors information relevant to the safety of all IU students abroad. Additionally, primary consideration is given to travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State. The Department of State categorizes all countries into one of four levels - one being places where you can exercise normal precautions to four being places that the U.S. recommends people do NOT travel to.
O’Neill International programs are primarily held in countries at advisory Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) and Level 2 (exercise increased caution). Level 1 countries currently include places such as Barbados, Portugal, and South Korea whereas Level 2 countries currently include places such as Germany, France, and Denmark. Note that all Advisory Levels change in accordance with global safety and security circumstances. You can check the Travel Advisory Level of your student's study abroad destination country or any country by visiting the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories Website.
Despite the safety level of a country, it is important to understand that there are risks involved with everything, including study abroad. From road accidents to natural disasters, incidents happen no matter where you are. IU and O’Neill have detailed plans to keep your student safe while abroad, despite these possibilities. These plans include pre-departure health and safety training online, protocols detailed in handbooks physically given to all students, prepared staff on every program, and a group specific emergency action plan.
More specifically, O’Neill is looking out for your student’s health and safety with the following: