Safety of Ithaca College Students at Branch Campuses, Foreign and Domestic

The U.S. Department of Education defines branch campuses as those campuses not contiguous with the home campus. Most branch campuses offer a specialized course of study. Study abroad campuses are those overseas campuses that the institution owns, controls or leases. Ithaca College's branch campuses are the Los Angeles Communication Program; Physical Therapy Program, Rochester Campus; New York City; and the Ithaca College London Center (ICLC).

Pre-Crisis

Ithaca College continually analyzes the threat level to our students, faculty members, and administrators who are studying and working at branch campuses, foreign and domestic, by:

• Inviting local police officials to identify risks and participate in on-site briefings for students and faculty members.
• Determining if and when to bring students home or cancel programs.
• Assessing which of our foreign programs appear most at risk by monitoring consular and press reports, both local and international, for information on conditions in the specific locales.
• Insuring that faculty members and administrators in foreign countries have current emergency-contact information for every student in their programs and an evacuation plan.
• Providing emergency information, including: what to do and where to go in the event of an emergency; names and local telephone numbers of all faculty members and administrators for the program; 24-hour contact information for the home campus; telephone numbers and addresses of the local hospital, the U.S. Embassy, and embassies of governments friendly to the United States; and local addresses and telephone numbers for each student.
• Advising students, faculty members and administrators they should understand that they share responsibility for their own safety and security. They should closely monitor local news reports and consular information.

We expect to receive many inquiries concerning safety and security from parents of students going abroad, as well as the students themselves. Providing factual information about the conditions in various countries, and outlining the steps that the institution is taking to manage the risks allows students and their parents to make informed decisions about whether or not they wish to participate or continue in a program.

During A Crisis

While it is of course impossible to plan for all contingencies, it is essential to follow procedures that will allow for a responsible and levelheaded way when emergencies do arise. The College has developed a series of specific procedures designed to safeguard the welfare of program participants at each branch campus. The College's Core Emergency Response Team (CERT) is responsible for coordinating the management of emergencies affecting participants at all branch campuses in cooperation with the staff at the branch campuses.

Up to date information concerning an ongoing crisis is vital in the decision-making process. On-site observers with contacts in local law enforcement, governmental agencies, and other sources in positions to know, can provide needed information on which these decisions will be based.

Normally, the highest-ranking administrator at the branch campus should transmit all on scene information that is gathered to the Provost, the Vice President of Student Affairs and Campus Life and the Director and Chief of Public Safety.

Security Resources on the Web

Many online resources offer helpful information about safety and security for faculty members, administrators, and students in programs overseas:

U.S. Department of State Overseas Security Advisory Council
<http://www.ds-osac.org>

U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets
<http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html>

U.S. Department of State Tips for Students
<http://www.studentsabroad.state.gov/>

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Infectious Diseases: Travelers' Health
<http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm>

British Foreign & Commonwealth Office
<http://www.fco.gov.uk>

University of Southern California's Center for Global Education
<http://www.usc.edu/globaled>

Ithaca College -- Emergency Contact Information

All Emergencies, Police, Fire, Medical Calls, etc. -- 911

• If called from a campus phone, 911 calls will access Ithaca college Public Safety; if called from cell phones or non-campus phones, 911 calls will reach local emergency dispatch.

All Non-emergencies, Police, Fire, Medical Calls, etc. (to reach Public Safety) -- 274-3333

• The campus number can be called collect if necessary to report an emergency situation.