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• Travel Warning Policy

Birmingham-Southern College Policy on State Department Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts

1. Birmingham-Southern College adopts and adheres to U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts with respect to the College's Exploration Term travel-study projects, independently designed contracts, and study abroad programs.

2. Specifically, Birmingham-Southern College adheres to State Department Travel Warnings whenever issued for a particular country, locale or region. Birmingham-Southern College approval for planned study abroad in these locations is suspended for the duration of the Travel Warning. Birmingham-Southern College students are not permitted to participate in study abroad in the affected locale, region, or country; nor are the study abroad programs nor any Exploration Term faculty-led program nor students with independent contracts permitted to depart as long as the Travel Warning is in effect.*
   
   *If you are a Birmingham-Southern College student who resides in a country under travel warning, please contact the Office of Exploration Term and Contract Learning (OICL)or the Sklenar Center for International Programs (SCIP).
   
   Exceptions to Birmingham-Southern College policy are made only for students electing to study in countries where there are Travel Alerts, as opposed to Travel Warnings. In these instances, students and their parents (guardians) are required to sign a Travel Alert Release, before travel to the country which is under the Travel Alert will be permitted.
   
   Exceptions to Birmingham-Southern College policy are made only for students electing to study in countries where there are Travel Alerts, as opposed to Travel Warnings. In these instances, students and their parents (guardians) are required to sign a Travel Alert Release, before travel to the country which is under the Travel Alert will be permitted.

3. In the case of Birmingham-Southern College study abroad programs (OICL and SCIP) already under way when a Travel Warning for the location is issued, Birmingham-Southern College will make decisions in regard to the safety of students, faculty and staff, in good faith and as the circumstances warrant. The situation will be carefully monitored by the Office of Exploration Term and Contract Learning, the Sklenar Center for International Programs and, if necessary, the Emergency Response Team of Birmingham-Southern College as to whether:

   1. the Birmingham-Southern College Exploration Term project should continue, or
   2. the Exploration Term project should relocate to a safe site in order to allow the program to continue, or
   3. the Exploration Term group should return to the U.S,
   4. the study abroad student should continue his or her studies, be relocated to a safe site, or return to the U.S., or
   5. other responses as circumstances warrant.

4. If an evacuation or departure order is issued by the U.S. State Department, alternate academic accommodations will be made for the completion of academic credit, if feasible. If a Birmingham-Southern College student studying in the affected area chooses to remain in the country, Birmingham-Southern College approval for academic credit will be withdrawn, and Birmingham-Southern will not be responsible for the continued safety or well-being of the student.

5. Students must register at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate (in the country you are visiting) to make your presence and whereabouts known, in case it is necessary for a consular officer to contact you in an emergency. During a disaster overseas, American consular officers can assist in evacuation if that becomes necessary. Please go to the following website to register: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/registration/registration_1186.html

Definition of Terms:

Travel Warnings - Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff.

Travel Alerts - Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert.

Travel Warning/Alert information can be found on the U.S. State Department website: www.state.gov. or at http://travel.state.gov.

 

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