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Safety Information
The safety of our students is our number one priority.
The Study Abroad Office at C.W. Post, along with our institutions
abroad, are monitoring world events daily and will keep you updated
as new information becomes available.
Affiliated and Non-Affiliated Programs Abroad
Our students are currently studying at the following institutions.
Please refer to each school’s website for more information.
Safety Tips for Study Abroad Students
- Register with the local U.S Embassy.
The addresses of U.S. Embassies abroad
are listed below.
- Make three photocopies of your passport. Give
one to your family in the U.S., give
one to the program staff abroad, and carry one with you at
all times. Carry your actual passport with you in a safe place
when you are traveling.
- Stay aware of current political events
both in the host country and in the U.S.
Read local, American and international newspapers daily. Keep
in mind that the U.S. media does not always address international
stories so be sure to read local and international newspapers
as well as American ones. Links to some online newspapers are
given below.
- Exercise caution when visiting such places as
American restaurants, clubs, bars, American banks, American churches,
U.S. Embassies or Consulates.
- Check with your host institution before making
any travel plans. If the host institution
approves your travel plans, give a copy
of your trip itinerary to your family and program staff with a
list of hotel/hostel phone numbers so they know how to reach you
in the event of an emergency. Be aware of the political situation
of the country you plan on traveling to. Find out the address
and phone number of the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate
in the country you are visiting.
- Keep the following information on you at all
times: the emergency phone number of your host institution, the
contact phone number and address of the U.S. Embassy of your host
country, and your family’s phone numbers and email addresses.
- Keep in regular contact with your family in the
U.S. In addition to phone contact, it is a good idea to maintain
regular email contact with your family. In the event of a crisis,
it may not be possible to communicate with your family via phone
so it is important to be able to access your family via email
if necessary. See the section below titled Contacting Study
Abroad Students During an Emergency.
- Avoid behavior or clothing that may identify
you as an American. Some important tips
for "blending in" to the local
culture include:
- Speak softly in public. Americans tend
to speak loudly and
often attract a lot of attention that way.
- If you are studying in a country where
English is not the native
language, try to speak in the native language whenever
possible.
- Be aware when discussing current events
or political views in public
places.
- Be aware that some items of clothing identify
your nationality (e.g., backwards
baseball caps, college sweatshirts).
- Travel in small groups of two or three
individuals, instead of large conspicuous American groups.
But do not travel alone, especially at night.
- Always carry emergency money and an international
calling card when traveling
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- Exercise caution when attending political demonstrations,
protest groups, or situations where
political conflict may arise.
- Remain alert at all times. Exercise caution when
meeting people for the first time. Do
not give out too much information about yourself, your program
or its location when initially meeting someone. Do not give
out your phone number or address to people you do not know.
U.S. Embassies Abroad
American Citizen Services
55/56 Upper Brook Street
London W1A 2LQ
+44(0) 20 7499 9000
- Switzerland
U.S. Embassy Switzerland
Jubiläumsstrasse 93, 3001 Bern
+011 41 31 357 7011
24 Hour Emergency Number: +011 41 31 357 721
Online Newspapers
The Differences Between Public Announcements,
Worldwide Cautions, and Travel Warnings Posted on the State Department’s
Website
- Public Announcements - A means
of sharing information that may be of interest to travelers. These
announcements deal with news items that may affect traveler safety
for the short-term and generally involve safety issues of which
American citizens should be aware.
- Worldwide Cautions
- Share news items that may potentially be a threat to Americans
abroad. These usually deal with non-specific security and safety
issues that Americans should be aware of. There is ALWAYS a "Worldwide
Caution" posted to remind U.S. citizens to be careful and
cautious while traveling abroad
- Travel Warnings
- Discourage Americans from traveling to a particular country
because of safety issues based on a specific threat the U.S. government
has received regarding that country.
Contacting Study Abroad Students During an
Emergency
- The Citizens’ Emergency Center of the Office
of Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) offers emergency assistance.
In the event that a loved one overseas cannot be reached during
an emergency, the OCS can help transmit emergency messages from
the family in the U.S. to the student abroad. They can be reached
Monday-Friday from 8:15 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. at (202) 647-5225.
- From 10:00 p.m. - 8:15 a.m. and
on weekends, emergency communication can be made through the OCS
by calling (202) 634-3600. Ask for the OCS duty officer.
- On Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., the
OCS can be reached by calling (202) 647-5225
Other Helpful Resources
Program Closings
- Long Island University, along with our affiliate
schools abroad, have emergency procedures in place in the event
that our students have to be evacuated to safety during emergency
situations.
- C.W. Post reserves the right to close a program
if the U.S. Department of State recalls U.S. citizens from a country
where we have a study abroad program or if State Department deems
that the students’ safety would be at significant risk.
In the unlikely event of a program closing, we will make every
effort to ensure that students receive academic credit for their
semester abroad.
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