Information from the U.S. State Department on travel outside the U.S. is available at travel.state.gov. Names, addresses, and websites for the various U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world can also be found there. The U.S. Department of State updates Travel Advisory Levels (1-4) as required by local or regional events. Levels 1 and 2 encourage U.S. travelers; Levels 3 and 4 urge U.S. citizens to delay or suspend travel. Students are encouraged to regularly check on the Travel Advisory for their current study abroad program, or countries where they may travel during the course of their program.
The Center for International Programs at Kalamazoo College monitors information relevant to the safety of all K students abroad/away, from official sources as well as from our domestic and international partners and colleagues. The safety and security of Kalamazoo College students abroad/away is of the utmost importance to us. We work to ensure that students can make informed and wise decisions regarding program selection as well as their behavior abroad.
Kalamazoo College, like many other U.S. colleges and universities, uses the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory system as a guideline when it determines in which international sites it permits its students to study. Students who wish to study in a location where the U.S. Department of State has posted a Level 3 Travel Advisory should pay special heed to the fact that there are specific risks that may be involved in their prospective study abroad program. K students should weigh these potential risks as they choose whether or not to participate in such a program.
As permitted under College policy, we allow students to transfer credit to Kalamazoo College from accredited study abroad programs and/or internationally accredited universities. However, if the U.S. Department of State issues a Level 3 or 4 Travel Advisory for a country in which a Kalamazoo student plans to study, the student must complete a form acknowledging that his or her study abroad program is in a Level 3 or 4 country. Until such time as a decision is made to suspend or cancel the student’s program abroad (see criteria on next page), a Kalamazoo College student may study abroad at an approved program in a Level 3 or 4 country in accordance with College policy.
Criteria for Suspension/Cancellation of Program and Evacuation of the Students
The decision to suspend or cancel Kalamazoo College programs abroad/away is based on conversations with:
- The College program staff on-site,
- University officials at the partner university,
- U.S. Embassy officials in-country,
- Other officials from U.S. agencies and/or NGOs,
- The appropriate U.S. State Department country Desk Officer(s) and the Kalamazoo College Center for International Programs’ own assessment of the following events and/or information sources (not in rank order):
◦ Travel warning and/or specific directive by the U.S. State Department and/or U.S. Embassy
◦ Travel warning and/or specific directive by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
◦ Travel warning and/or specific directive by the World Health Organization
◦ Declaration of war by the U.S. against the country or an adjacent neighbor
◦ Declaration of war by a third country against the country of the program’s location
◦ Significant terrorist activity in the program city, state or region
◦ Protracted or indefinite closure of the Host University
◦ Inability of the local program staff to organize and carry out an academic program outside of the Host University
◦ Disruption of public utilities and/or services
◦ Wide-spread civil unrest, violence and/or rioting in the program city or region
◦ A declaration of martial law in the program city, state or region
◦ Recommendation of suspension/cancellation by the program staff on-site
The decision regarding study abroad/away programs is made by the Kalamazoo College President on the recommendation of the Provost and Executive Director for International Programs. Past courses of action have included:
- Suspending the program and having the student(s) return to campus
- Suspending a program before students travel and placing the students in other programs when possible
- Giving students the option to voluntarily terminate their participation in the program before the end date with credit given for work completed
- Continuing to monitor the situation and provide the students and program staff with regular updates while allowing the program to continue