Study Abroad Safety and Liability

Study abroad continues to grow in popularity with students, and educators continue to encourage this growth, seeking to help students gain new perspectives and knowledge about the world. But in recent months, colleges and universities have found themselves scrambling to evaluate the safety of their programs. Institutions have worked in haste to evacuate students and staff, as popular study abroad sites became unexpected danger zones.

On Thursday, April 21, at 1 p.m. Eastern, Ann Franke, a leading national expert on campus risk management and legal issues, will lead an Inside Higher Ed audio conference exploring how colleges can better identify risks and plan for them – while continuing to encourage students to reap the advantages of international education.

The presentation will be relevant a wide range of colleges and universities -- large and small, public and private.

Among the topics Ms. Franke will cover:

• Identifying risks associated with various programs – both before, during and after study abroad.
• Becoming aware of some of the challenges colleges face, including logistical issues, the culture of study abroad programs, and problems with expectations and communication.
• Learning how to respond to events that were not readily foreseeable, whether political unrest, nuclear crisis, or earthquakes of historic proportion.
• Clarifying the differing levels of responsibility for programs directly run by a college and those approved or recommended by a college.
• Vetting insurance options that can help colleges better handle uncertain situations.
• Developing good policies for students and institutions.

The presentation will be relevant a wide range of colleges and universities -- large and small, public and private. The audio conference will feature a 30-minute presentation and a 30-minute question period. The entire program will last one hour.

The program will be ideal for:

• Study abroad offices
• International offices
• Legal affairs
• Student affairs
• Presidents and provosts

This audio conference, "Study Abroad Safety and Liability," costs $199 for a single telephone line; listen yourself or with a group around a conference table. (Institutions wishing to have multiple people participate from separate locations may need to purchase additional lines.) Register early -- through Monday, April 4 -- and the cost is only $149. Upon registering, you'll be e-mailed information about how to dial in. The day before the conference, we'll send you a PowerPoint that you can use to follow along with the presentation. This is an audio-only conference; you will not need to be connected to the Internet to participate.

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ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

Ann Franke, president of Wise Results, LLC, advises colleges and universities nationwide on risk management, policy, and legal matters. She previously counseled administrators and faculty leaders on a range of strategy and legal issues through senior management positions at United Educators Insurance and the American Association of University Professors.

About Inside Higher Ed:

Inside Higher Ed is the leading source of free news, jobs and commentary for professionals in higher education. Sign up for your free daily e-mail alert at https://www.insidehighered.com/sign_up.