Emergency Response Protocols

The International Study Risk Management Team is made up of members of the Office of the Dean of Faculty and Vice President of Finance & Administration, the Director of OCSE, the Associate Director of OCSE, and the Director of Campus Safety. These individuals work together to assess emergencies and determine the appropriate emergency protocol(s) to implement; they consult additional offices/staff on campus and on-site as needed and will facilitate communication among all involved parties. 

In the event of a major crisis, Skidmore will:

• Post a message on the OCSE webpage (https://www.skidmore.edu/ocse/)
• Attempt to send e-mail messages to all participants and their guardians/emergency contacts within 48 hours of the event.
• OCSE also may call students and their guardians/emergency contacts depending upon the severity of the emergency.

Skidmore utilizes data from a number of sources for all decisions regarding program operations. In addition to the consular information sheets and advisory messages posted by the U.S. Department of State (http://www.travel.state.gov), the World Health Organization (http://www.who.int/en), and the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov), our resident directors, program directors, and partner institutions use information gathered locally and through conversations with other programs in the host city or country. The U.S.-based staff also uses national and international sources to stay abreast of the progress of any situation and uses this information to determine the appropriate course of action. In making individual decisions concerning participation, we suggest that participants and their parents carefully review the Department of State Travel Advisories web page listed above.

The current Skidmore policy does not allow students to participate in any program located in a country in which there is a current Department of State Level 4 (Do Not Travel) Travel Advisory. Study in or travel to a destination with a Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) Travel Advisory is not automatically approved and will require a petition to the International Study Risk Management Team (ISRMT).

OCSE also utilizes the Department of State Travel Advisories as a means for determining when to consider canceling a program or bringing students home from a program.

Skidmore’s Resident Directors make every reasonable effort to keep abreast of local conditions and changes in local health and safety risks and to inform participants and OCSE of these changes. Resident Directors and OCSE staff subscribe to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security Services service. The Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council provides daily security updates which OCSE staff receives. In addition, as all programs are registered with the American Embassy or Interest Section the Resident Directors receive Warden Notices that provide regular updates on safety issues pertinent to the city or country in which the program takes place.

The following websites serve as ongoing resources for OCSE:

• U.S. Department of State (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html)
• Center for Disease Control (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov)
• World Health Organization (http://www.who.int/en)
• SAFETI Clearinghouse (http://www.globaled.us/safeti)
• U.S. embassy or consulate in host country (http://www.usembassy.gov)
• Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (http://smartraveller.gov.au)
• Canadian Department for Foreign Affairs and International Trade (http://www.international.gc.ca/)
• Ireland Department of Foreign Affairs (http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie)
• New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs (https://www.safetravel.govt.nz)
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice)

Facts and circumstances regarding health and safety in each program locale are constantly changing. OCSE recommends that participants and families consult the aforementioned web sites to monitor the latest available information for a program location.

Each Skidmore program has a contingency plan which will be activated in case there is a known local condition that requires (a) extra caution, (b) removal of the program to a different site in the same city or country or a nearby country, or (c) suspension of a program and evacuation of participants. For security reasons these local contingency plans are not available to anyone except the Office of Off-Campus Study & Exchanges and the International Study Risk Management Team.

Every Skidmore student studying off-campus attends a mandatory pre-departure orientation and receives a pre-departure handbook. Health and Safety matters are addressed during the orientation and are found in the handbook.

In addition, every Skidmore Program begins on-site with a comprehensive orientation to the host country, city, university, and program, which includes, among other information, an explanation of any local risks that the Resident Director has identified and tips for enhancing personal safety. Each Resident Director also distributes a local emergency contact information card to each participant. Finally, the Resident Director registers the program and each participant with the local U.S. Consulate or Interest Section. 

Providers of non-Skidmore Approved Programs also have comprehensive orientations that include explanations of local risks identified by their local staff. Skidmore College is in regular contact with those program providers. In the case of an emergency, many of those providers will contact parents directly. Students on non-Skidmore programs are advised to register with the United States embassy in the country where they will be studying. This can be done on-line prior to departure.  Students from countries other than the United States are advised to register with the embassy or consulate of their home country.

Each Skidmore Resident Director maintains lists of recommended health and mental health providers. All students studying internationally through Skidmore College have emergency medical, repatriation, and evacuation insurance. Skidmore Resident Directors establish an emergency phone tree to be activated in order to contact all participants quickly. OCSE has worked with each Skidmore Resident and Faculty Director to establish protocols to be used in the event of health emergency, serious accident, political crisis, natural disaster, crime, rape, or death of a participant. For security reasons, these documents are not available to the public.

OCSE has the following advice with students and their families:

• Skidmore College strongly recommends that unless specific situations dictate otherwise, participants should designate their parents as their emergency contacts.
• Participants and their emergency contacts should keep in touch with each other throughout the participants’ time off-campus.
• Participants should make sure their emergency contacts have their accurate and up-to-date local contact information at all times.
• Participants should immediately notify their emergency contacts in the event of any emergency, accident, serious health problem, or other serious mishap.
• Participants are required to notify the Resident Director in the event of any health condition that lasts longer than a day or two.
• Skidmore College advises participants and their families that communication between Skidmore and any non-Skidmore participants’ sending institution is considered “internal communication” in terms of the Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and that Skidmore College has the right and the obligation to communicate all relevant information concerning participants’ health and safety, academic progress, behavior, etc. to appropriate officers at the student’s home institution on a need-to-know basis. In addition, the Skidmore application to study off-campus specifically authorizes OCSE to communicate any relevant information to participants’ emergency contacts during an emergency.
• In an emergency, please contact Skidmore College. OCSE can be reached during office hours (8:30am-12pm and 1pm-4:30pm) at (518) 580-5355.  Outside of office hours, please telephone Campus Safety at (518) 580-5566.  Campus Safety will contact the on-duty staff person.  The college will work with you to determine appropriate steps.