UW takes safety precautions for overseas students

As a result of the unfolding military situation in and around Iraq, UW–Madison officials have taken extra precautions to help ensure the safety and security of students enrolled in overseas academic programs.

There have been no specific threats to UW–Madison students or programs. However, the safety of Americans abroad is always a concern, especially during times of war and heightened world tensions, says Joan Raducha, director of International Academic Programs.

“Our top priority is always the safety of our students,” Raducha says. “We have reviewed our safety procedures, tested our plans to contact students in the event of an emergency, and continue to remind students of the importance of staying alert to potentially dangerous situations and to take measures to avoid them.”

This semester, 650 UW–Madison students are studying in 40 countries across the world. Two students in Egypt are the closest in proximity to Iraq and the Middle East.

At this time, IAP does not plan to close programs or have students return early as a result of military action. However, the office will closely monitor the local safety situation at the sites at which UW–Madison programs or students are located, Raducha says.

Since the beginning of the semester, the office has reviewed its own safety procedures and tested its own communications channels for contacting students and sites. In addition, the office has directed students abroad to pay special attention to their own personal safety.

Among the directions to students: Keep a low profile, speak the local language when possible, avoid demonstrations and heated conversations and follow the advice provided by IAP in Madison, including information provided in U.S. State Department notices

IAP will relay information about the political and safety conditions to students overseas to keep them informed, deepen their understanding of the situation, and address their concerns, Raducha says.

“We will make every attempt to keep students alert to the circumstances around them,” she adds, noting that students have also been encouraged to contact their loved ones in the event of any emergency situation in their region.

Raducha says it is particularly important for the IAP staff to continue to keep in contact with students and sites as the situation develops. As a result, it may not always be possible for parents of overseas students or prospective IAP students to reach office staff in the event of military action.

Instead, detailed safety information for the media, parents and prospective students has been posted on the IAP home page at http://www.wisc.edu/studyabroad/.

The page will be updated continuously as new information becomes available. To leave a message for Raducha and the IAP staff, call (608) 262-2851.