The Office of International Education is keenly aware of the risks associated with education abroad. Student safety is our top priority.

Process and Materials

A meeting with the OIE’s Assistant Director and Programs Abroad Coordinator to discuss the Programs Abroad Health and Safety Agreement is the final step in the SCSU Study Abroad process, and it takes place shortly after students have completed their Course Pre-Approval Form and are finalizing travel plans.

The Programs Abroad Health and Safety Agreement is comprised of the following documents:

• Study Abroad Health Self-Assessment Form
• Emergency Contact Information Form 
• SCSU Student Code of Conduct
• Statement of Release, Indemnification, and Authorization
• Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) Health Insurance Enrollment Form
• Centers for Disease Control Travel Information (Host Country)
• Department of State Travel Information (Host Country)
• Copy of Student’s Passport ID page

In addition, students are strongly encouraged to enroll in the U.S. Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to register their trip with the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Registration is available at STEP.

CISI Insurance

To ensure that students have appropriate healthcare and security coverage, SCSU has contracted with Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI), a leading provider of international health insurance, security services, and worldwide support. This plan does not replace health insurance that program participants may already have. It supplements domestic plans to cover healthcare-related and security expenses that may arise while traveling outside the United States.

All SCSU students participating in SCSU faculty-led programs are automatically covered enrolled in CISI Insurance. A CISI identification card is provided to each participant prior to departure. CISI will send an email that contains your coverage details, insurance card, and a copy of the claim form. Emergency phone numbers are listed on the front of the card. Participants may contact CISI directly for replacement cards and forms.

It is very important that you contact CISI first for all routine, non-emergency requests for health information, direct billing with physicians and hospitals, and outpatient appointment scheduling. By contacting CISI first, they will be able to start the billing process and you avoid having to pay up front and wait to be reimbursed.

In the event of a medical emergency, students should go immediately to the nearest physician or hospital and then contact CISI’s emergency assistance service. CISI will continuously monitor the student’s medical situation and provide care options, if appropriate. For emergency help, call AXA ASSISTANCE at (855) 327-1411 (in U.S.), (312) 935-1703 (call collect from outside the U.S.) or email at MEDASSIST-USA@AXA-ASSISTANCE.US. Make sure to have your Team Assist ID, located on your insurance card, when you call. To submit a claim for reimbursement, call (800) 303-8120 or email claimhelp@culturalinsurance.com.

CISI is contracted with many carefully selected doctors, dentists, and behavioral health practitioners in most countries around the world. Participants can search by location and review the list of CISI preferred physicians, choosing the one most appropriate to treat their medical condition. This list is available on the CISI website. Requests for appointments can be made directly to the physician or can be coordinated through CISI by calling AXA ASSISTANCE at (855) 327-1411 (in U.S.), (312) 935-1703 (call collect from outside the U.S.). Requests for direct billing should be made in advance of the scheduled appointment through CISI. You can always go to any doctor, pay out of pocket, and then get reimbursed. You may first want to contact CISI to see if they can locate a doctor for you. You also may extend your coverage beyond the duration of your program directly through CISI.

If you are experiencing an emergency, and you need to contact CISI directly, visit our Emergencies page.

Medications and Prescriptions

If you take medications or have any prescriptions, we recommended that you pack enough of that medication for the duration of your program in your carry-on bag (not your checked luggage, in case it is lost in transit). You always should keep medicines in their original, labeled containers, and even consider taking your physician’s script with you abroad.

Because other countries regulate medicines quite differently than the U.S. does, you should obtain professional medical advice before procuring or using any medicines obtained abroad. Consult the country’s medical laws to make sure that certain medicines are not illegal. Not all medicines that are legal in the U.S. are legal elsewhere.

Mental Health

Although participating in study abroad program is exciting, it can come with great challenges. Adjusting to a new culture, a different academic environment, and a new system of support services can cause some unexpected and overwhelming reactions.

It is important for you to consider how traveling for a period of time may affect your mental health. Traveling is not a way to escape your current environment: in fact, it may only exacerbate any concerns already may have. You should instead be as prepared as possible for emotional, intellectual, mental, physical, and psychological challenges of your program.

To best prepare for your program and discuss your mental health maintenance plan, especially if you utilize regular mental health support services, we recommend that you visit SCSU’s Counseling Services. Please note that, while you are abroad, you will not be able to access SCSU’s therapy services due to licensure restrictions. Instead, be sure to consider local mental health resources, including those covered by your CISI Insurance policy.

Sexual Health

As in any culture, it’s important that you think carefully and proactively about your host country’s culture with regard to acceptable and safe sexual behavior. What are your host culture’s local norms and cultural patterns of relationships? What are the local dating patterns? If you accept a drink or gift, are you tacitly consenting to sexual activity? If you invite someone into your living space, is it culturally and/or legally acceptable for them to expect intimate contact? Is the legal and/or cultural definition of “consent” different from the definition in the United States?

At a minimum, you must be aware that some behaviors at home that may be culturally and legally acceptable, and seemingly safe, may not be culturally or legally acceptable or safe in the host country and vice versa, particularly for LGBTQIA+ travelers. Certain behaviors will also communicate different messages in the host culture than they do in the United States.

If you are the victim-survivor of sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, or stalking, you have Title IX rights that can help empower and protect you. Please reach out to your host program or local police, if those options feel safe, or to SCSU’s Violence Prevention, Victim Advocacy, and Support (VPAS) Center.

STEP Program

If you are a U.S. citizen, we strongly recommend that you enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a free service of the U.S. Department of State. You can receive important information from your local U.S. Embassy abroad about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans. STEP also allows the U.S. Embassy to help contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.

Travel Advisories

The U.S. Department of State issues Travel Advisories for all countries in the world, based on a tiered system of safety. Before you travel to a new location, we strongly recommend that you review its Travel Advisory for the latest details and advice.

Travel Health Notices

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Health Notices inform travelers and clinicians about current health issues that impact travelers’ health, like disease outbreaks, special events or gatherings, and natural disasters, in destinations around the world. We recommend that you review the CDC’s travel health notices for its latest information and travel health and immunization recommendations.

Travel Medicine Services

Pre-travel education and immunization are essential to avoid unnecessary risks from preventable diseases that may be unfamiliar to you. The following New Haven providers can provide recommendations, medications and vaccinations based upon both your destination and your travel itinerary. Consult your primary care provider for recommendations in your local area.

Passport Health New Haven Travel Clinic
234 Church Street Suite 403
New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 285-3485

American Family Care
527 Elm Street
New Haven, CT 06511
(475) 321-5150